D. J. Strawberry
Encyclopedia
Darryl Eugene "D. J." Strawberry, Jr. (born June 15, 1985 in New York City
) is an American
professional basketball
player. He is the son of former Major League Baseball
player Darryl Strawberry
.
in Santa Ana, California
, Strawberry built a reputation for hard-nosed defense. During his senior year, he was involved in a nationally-televised matchup against St. Vincent - St. Mary High School
of Akron, Ohio
, where he was assigned the task of defending their star player and future NBA superstar LeBron James
. Strawberry was lauded for his efforts, which included holding James to a 33% shooting performance (0-for-8 from beyond the three-point
line) and forcing him into seven turnovers
.
for the Maryland Terrapins
, and he was much valued for his on-the-ball defense. He averaged nearly 2 steals
per game, leading his team in that category. He was also valued for his off-the-bench intensity; it is felt that Maryland's absence from the 2005 NCAA Tournament
was due in no small part to a season-ending ACL
injury Strawberry suffered in mid-January of that year.
While he was primarily a swingman, a lack of depth pressed Strawberry into the role of point guard
during his junior year. He had various degrees of success in this new role, leading the team in both assists
(4.0) and turnovers per game (2.9).
Strawberry received Honorable Mention All-ACC
Freshman honors. During his junior year, he received Honorable Mention All-ACC Defensive Team honors, becoming the eighth player in Maryland history to lead the team in both steals and assists. In his senior season, Strawberry was voted to second team All-ACC.
with the 59th selection in the 2007 NBA Draft
. He was signed on August 28, 2007 to a two-year contract.
of the NBA D-League
. He was named Performer of the Week for the week ending January 6. Strawberry was recalled to the Suns in place of another rookie, Alando Tucker
, on January 10, 2008.
for Sean Singletary
, but was waived on October 24. At the end of that month, he joined Italian
club Fortitudo Bologna
.
In April, 2009, he suffered a meniscus
injury to his left knee, ending his season in Italy. He then returned to the United States for surgery, and in July, 2009 he began a 6-month program in Los Angeles.
Strawberry was included in the Los Angeles Lakers
2010 Summer League roster.
On September 17, 2010, he was signed by the New Orleans Hornets to a non-guaranteed one-year deal. He was waived on October 20. Afterwards, Strawberry re-signed with the Reno Bighorns.
In January 2011 he signed with BC Lietuvos Rytas
in Lithuania
until the end of 2010-11 season.
Strawberry then joined Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem.
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 33 || 0 || 8.2 || .315 || .240 || .474 || .8 || .9 || .4 || .2 || 2.2
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 33 || 0 || 8.2 || .315 || .240 || .474 || .8 || .9 || .4 || .1 || 2.2
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Phoenix
| 1 || 0 || 5.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || 1.0 || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 1 || 0 || 5.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || 1.0 || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. He is the son of former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player Darryl Strawberry
Darryl Strawberry
Darryl Eugene Strawberry is a former American Major League Baseball outfielder who is well-known both for his play on the field and for his controversial behavior off it...
.
High school
A graduate of Mater Dei High SchoolMater Dei High School (Santa Ana, California)
Mater Dei High School is a private, Catholic, co-educational secondary school in Santa Ana, California. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange. With an enrollment of 2,100 students Mater Dei High School is one of the largest Catholic high schools in the United States...
in Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana is the county seat and second most populous city in Orange County, California, and with a population of 324,528 at the 2010 census, Santa Ana is the 57th-most populous city in the United States....
, Strawberry built a reputation for hard-nosed defense. During his senior year, he was involved in a nationally-televised matchup against St. Vincent - St. Mary High School
St. Vincent - St. Mary High School
St. Vincent – St. Mary High School is a private, coed, Catholic high school located in Akron, Ohio. The school is commonly abbreviated SVSM, St. V-M, ASVSM, or STVM. However, the school's official abbreviation is STVM...
of Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
, where he was assigned the task of defending their star player and future NBA superstar LeBron James
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
. Strawberry was lauded for his efforts, which included holding James to a 33% shooting performance (0-for-8 from beyond the three-point
Three-point field goal
A three-point field goal is a field goal in a basketball game, made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc radiating from the basket...
line) and forcing him into seven turnovers
Turnover (basketball)
In basketball, a turnover occurs when a player from one team gives possession to a member of the opposing team by losing the ball. This can result from the ball being stolen, the player making mistakes such as stepping out or throwing the ball out of bounds, or committing a violation or committing...
.
College
At 6-feet 5-inches tall, Strawberry assumed the role of a swingmanSwingman
A Swingman is a basketball term denoting a player who can play both the small forward and shooting guard positions, and, in essence, swing between the shooting guard and small forward positions." Swingmen males are often between 6'5" and 6'8" .John Havlicek, who played for the Boston Celtics in...
for the Maryland Terrapins
Maryland Terrapins men's basketball
The Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition...
, and he was much valued for his on-the-ball defense. He averaged nearly 2 steals
Steal (basketball)
In basketball, a steal occurs when a defensive player legally causes a turnover by his positive, aggressive action. This can be done by deflecting and controlling, catching, or batting to a teammate a pass or dribble of an offensive player...
per game, leading his team in that category. He was also valued for his off-the-bench intensity; it is felt that Maryland's absence from the 2005 NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
was due in no small part to a season-ending ACL
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
injury Strawberry suffered in mid-January of that year.
While he was primarily a swingman, a lack of depth pressed Strawberry into the role of point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
during his junior year. He had various degrees of success in this new role, leading the team in both assists
Assist (basketball)
In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...
(4.0) and turnovers per game (2.9).
Strawberry received Honorable Mention All-ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
Freshman honors. During his junior year, he received Honorable Mention All-ACC Defensive Team honors, becoming the eighth player in Maryland history to lead the team in both steals and assists. In his senior season, Strawberry was voted to second team All-ACC.
Professional career
Strawberry was drafted by the Phoenix SunsPhoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
with the 59th selection in the 2007 NBA Draft
2007 NBA Draft
The 2007 NBA Draft was held on June 28, 2007 at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. It was broadcast on television in 115 countries. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
. He was signed on August 28, 2007 to a two-year contract.
NBA D-League (2007-2008)
On December 18, 2007, it was announced he was assigned to the Albuquerque ThunderbirdsAlbuquerque Thunderbirds
The New Mexico Thunderbirds were a professional NBA Development League minor league basketball team which played from 2005-2011. Based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Thunderbirds first played their home games at Tingley Coliseum as the Albuquerque Thunderbirds, then played at the Santa Ana Star...
of the NBA D-League
NBA Development League
The NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
. He was named Performer of the Week for the week ending January 6. Strawberry was recalled to the Suns in place of another rookie, Alando Tucker
Alando Tucker
Alando Forest Tucker is an American professional basketball player. Tucker played five seasons at The University of Wisconsin–Madison and wore the number 42...
, on January 10, 2008.
2008-2009 season
On August 25, 2008, he was traded to the Houston RocketsHouston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
for Sean Singletary
Sean Singletary
Sean Singletary is an American professional basketball player.-Early life:Singletary was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended C. W...
, but was waived on October 24. At the end of that month, he joined Italian
Serie A (basketball)
Lega Basket Serie A is the highest level club competition in Italian professional basketball where play determines the national champion. The season consists of a home-and-away schedule of 30 games, followed by an eight-team playoff round. Quarterfinals and semifinals series are best-of-five, and...
club Fortitudo Bologna
Fortitudo Bologna
Fortitudo Pallacanestro Bologna is an Legadue Basket professional basketball club that is based in Bologna. It's currently sponsored by Conad.-History:...
.
In April, 2009, he suffered a meniscus
Meniscus
The meniscus is the curve in the upper surface of a liquid close to the surface of the container or another object, caused by surface tension. It can be either convex or concave. A convex meniscus occurs when the molecules have a stronger attraction to each other than to the material of the...
injury to his left knee, ending his season in Italy. He then returned to the United States for surgery, and in July, 2009 he began a 6-month program in Los Angeles.
2009-present
In January 2010, Strawberry joined the Reno Bighorns of the NBA D-League.Strawberry was included in the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
2010 Summer League roster.
On September 17, 2010, he was signed by the New Orleans Hornets to a non-guaranteed one-year deal. He was waived on October 20. Afterwards, Strawberry re-signed with the Reno Bighorns.
In January 2011 he signed with BC Lietuvos Rytas
BC Lietuvos Rytas
BC Lietuvos rytas is a professional basketball club based in Vilnius, Lithuania playing in the Lithuanian Basketball League , the VTB United League, and the Eurocup...
in Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
until the end of 2010-11 season.
Strawberry then joined Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem.
Regular season
|-| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Phoenix
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
| 33 || 0 || 8.2 || .315 || .240 || .474 || .8 || .9 || .4 || .2 || 2.2
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 33 || 0 || 8.2 || .315 || .240 || .474 || .8 || .9 || .4 || .1 || 2.2
Playoffs
|-| align="left" | 2007–08
2008 NBA Playoffs
The 2008 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2007–08 season which ended with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4–2....
| align="left" | Phoenix
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
| 1 || 0 || 5.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || 1.0 || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 1 || 0 || 5.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || 1.0 || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0