Scott Fenton
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 5 November 1964 Sydney, New South Wales |
| Died | 21 August 1989 (aged 24) Perth, Western Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Listed height | 190 cm (6 ft 3 in) |
| Listed weight | 83 kg (183 lb) |
| Career information | |
| Playing career | 1982–1989 |
| Position | Shooting guard |
| Number | 14 |
| Career history | |
| 1982 | Bankstown Bruins |
| 1983 | Australian Institute of Sport |
| 1984 | Bankstown Bruins |
| 1985–1987 | Sydney Supersonics |
| 1988–1989 | Perth Wildcats |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Scott Fenton (5 November 1964 – 21 August 1989) was an Australian professional basketball player who played 140 games in the National Basketball League (NBL) from 1982 until his death in 1989.
Fenton was born in Sydney, New South Wales,[1] and grew up in the suburb of Lugarno.[2] He made his debut in the NBL in 1982 with the Bankstown Bruins.[1] In 1983, he attended the Australian Institute of Sport and played for the program's basketball team.[3] In 1984, he returned to the Bankstown Bruins.[1] Between 1985 and 1987, he played for the Sydney Supersonics.[1] In 1988, he moved to Western Australia to join the Perth Wildcats.[1][4]
Midway through the 1989 NBL season, in the early hours of 21 August, Fenton and his fiancée Tina Christie (a fellow national basketball player in the WNBL with Perth's WAIS Breakers) were the innocent victims in a horrific car crash on Marmion Avenue in the Perth suburb of Hillarys. They were killed instantly when a V8 Holden Commodore, which police said had been travelling at up to 200km/h while drag racing, ploughed into the driver's side of their Honda sedan near Flinders Avenue just after midnight. Fenton's father – the late Keith Fenton – who was sitting in the back seat, survived life-threatening injuries.[4][5][6]
In his honour, Fenton's #14 jersey became the first jersey to be retired by the Perth Wildcats. In honour of Christie, the WAIS Breakers (now Perth Lynx) retired her #4 jersey.[4][7]
References
- ^ a b c d e "Scott Fenton". nblstats.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007.
- ^ "Wildcats loss". facebook. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
- ^ "Past Athletes". ausport.gov.au. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
- ^ a b c Donaldson, Mark (28 November 2012). "Perth Wildcats: Mike Ellis and Greg Hire reflect on influence of Scott Fenton's death". CommunityNews.com.au. Joondalup Times. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
- ^ "BACK IN THE DAY: WINTER SEASON WEEK TWENTY-FOUR: 'WE COULD ONLY SEE TOMORROW...'". australia.basketball. 24 August 2010. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
- ^ Sgroi, D. (Producer). (2004). Perth Wildcats: Behind the Ball. [Motion Picture]. (Available from the Promote Media Group, Morley Commercial Centre, Cnr Boag Road & Russell Street, Morley, Western Australia)
- ^ "30 years since Scott Fenton's tragic death". Wildcats.com.au. 21 August 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2019.