Dan Grunfeld
Encyclopedia
Daniel Leslie Grunfeld (born February 7, 1984, in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey
) is an American professional basketball
player. He played briefly for Hapoel Holon
in the Israeli Basketball Super League and signed a two-year contract with Hapoel Jerusalem starting at the beginning of November, 2011.
He is the son of former New York Knicks
guard, and current Washington Wizards
executive, Ernie Grunfeld
. In high school, he averaged 23.9 points per game and was the MVP of his conference. In college, at Stanford University, he was first team All Pacific-10 Conference as a junior. He has also played professionally for EWE Baskets Oldenburg
, Aguas de Valencia Gandía Bàsquet, CB Valladolid
, and Bnei Hasharon
.
guard, and current Washington Wizards
executive, Ernie Grunfeld
. His father was also general manager
of the Milwaukee Bucks, before becoming President of Basketball Operations for the Washington Wizards
.
, while his father was the GM of the New York Knicks
. Due to this, Grunfeld grew up a die-hard Knicks fan, but was still only an average player on his FAMS middle school team in the mid-late 1990s. When his father became the Milwaukee Bucks
GM, Grunfeld moved to Wisconsin
. It was there that he developed his game, shot up in height, and became a dominating high school player.
In high school he averaged 23.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game during his senior season at Nicolet High School
.http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/grunfeld_dan00.html He shot 61% from the floor.http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/grunfeld_dan00.html That season, he was conference MVP, all-league first team, first team all-area (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel), first team all-state (Associated Press), CNI Suburban Player of the Year, and WCBA first team all-state.http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/grunfeld_dan00.html He was also named by The Sporting News
as the Best Shooter, out of over than 3,000 players.http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/grunfeld_dan00.html
, where he had a successful college career. While playing for the Stanford Cardinal
and leading the team in scoring (17.0 ppg; # 5 in the Pac-10), in February 2005 he tore his right knee anterior cruciate ligament
(ACL), forcing him to sit out the team's final nine games. He took the time on the sidelines to "observe what certain people do to be successful," and improve his basketball awareness. As a junior in 2004–05, he was named first team All Pacific-10 Conference, to the National Association of Basketball Coaches
(NABC) District-14 first team, and to the 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American University Division Second Team, to the District-8 ESPN The Magazine University Division All-Academic First Team, and to the Pac-10 Academic first team.http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/grunfeld_dan00.html In his senior year in 2005–06, he was a first-team Pac-10 All-Academic selection, and a first-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American selection.http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/grunfeld_dan00.html
in the German Basketball Bundesliga
, then with Aguas de Valencia Gandía in Spain's LEB Oro League. In September 2008, his childhood dream came true when the New York Knicks
signed him to the team under undisclosed terms. On October 23, 2008, Grunfeld was waived by the team.
In January 2009 he received Romania
n citizenship in order to be eligible for playing for the Romania national basketball team
.
He played for Bnei Hasharon
in the Israeli Basketball Super League in 2010–11, averaging 14.1 points per game on 56.9% shooting.http://www.eurobasket.com/player.asp?Cntry=ISR&PlayerID=31079 In 2010, he made aliyah
, becoming an Israeli citizen.http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/sports/basketball-son-of-washington-wizards-exec-to-join-bnei-hasharon-next-week-1.309113 In July 2011, he signed a two-year deal with Israel’s Hapoel Holon
.http://www.lostlettermen.com/7-19-2011-dan-grunfeld-israel/ He is one of a number of American Jews playing in Israel, including Jon Scheyer
, Sylven Landesberg
, and David Blu.http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/43940730/ns/sports/
, with 25 points and 12 rebounds in the final overtime game against Israel.http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/sports/basketball-son-of-washington-wizards-exec-to-join-bnei-hasharon-next-week-1.309113http://www.jta.org/news/article/2009/07/23/1006732/us-menhttp://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/sports/basketball-u-s-overcomes-israel-to-take-gold-on-late-surge-1.280555
Franklin Lakes, New Jersey
Franklin Lakes is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 10,590. As of the 2000 Census, Franklin Lakes had the 18th-highest per-capita income of all 566 municipalities in the state. Nationwide, Franklin Lakes ranked 17th among the...
) is an American 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 played briefly for Hapoel Holon
Hapoel Holon
-External links:* * *...
in the Israeli Basketball Super League and signed a two-year contract with Hapoel Jerusalem starting at the beginning of November, 2011.
He is the son of former New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
guard, and current Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
executive, Ernie Grunfeld
Ernie Grunfeld
Ernest "Ernie" Grunfeld is the General Manager of the Washington Wizards. He was also once a professional basketball player...
. In high school, he averaged 23.9 points per game and was the MVP of his conference. In college, at Stanford University, he was first team All Pacific-10 Conference as a junior. He has also played professionally for EWE Baskets Oldenburg
EWE Baskets Oldenburg
EWE Baskets Oldenburg is a professional basketball club that is based in the city of Oldenburg, Germany. The club plays in the Bundesliga and in the Eurocup. The club's name is derived from the team's main sponsor EWE AG, which is an electric utility company...
, Aguas de Valencia Gandía Bàsquet, CB Valladolid
CB Valladolid
Club Baloncesto Valladolid, S.A.D., actually known as Blancos de Rueda Valladolid, is a professional basketball team based in Valladolid, Castile-Leon, Spain. CB Valladolid is member of the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto...
, and Bnei Hasharon
Bnei HaSharon
Bnei HaSharon/Herzliya is a professional basketball club based in Herzliya, in central Israel. The club currently plays in Ligat HaAl, the top division of Israeli basketball.The club was created by the merge of Maccabi Ra'anana and Bnei Herzliya in 2002...
.
Early life
Grunfeld is Jewish, and the son of former New York KnicksNew York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
guard, and current Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
executive, Ernie Grunfeld
Ernie Grunfeld
Ernest "Ernie" Grunfeld is the General Manager of the Washington Wizards. He was also once a professional basketball player...
. His father was also general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
of the Milwaukee Bucks, before becoming President of Basketball Operations for the Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
.
High school
Grunfeld grew up in Franklin Lakes, New JerseyFranklin Lakes, New Jersey
Franklin Lakes is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 10,590. As of the 2000 Census, Franklin Lakes had the 18th-highest per-capita income of all 566 municipalities in the state. Nationwide, Franklin Lakes ranked 17th among the...
, while his father was the GM of the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. Due to this, Grunfeld grew up a die-hard Knicks fan, but was still only an average player on his FAMS middle school team in the mid-late 1990s. When his father became the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
GM, Grunfeld moved to Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. It was there that he developed his game, shot up in height, and became a dominating high school player.
In high school he averaged 23.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game during his senior season at Nicolet High School
Nicolet High School
Nicolet High School is a public secondary school located in Glendale, Wisconsin. It is the only school in the Nicolet Unified School District, which serves Glendale, Fox Point, Bayside, and River Hills. Primary schooling is administered by three feeder districts. The Nicolet Unified School district...
.http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/grunfeld_dan00.html He shot 61% from the floor.http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/grunfeld_dan00.html That season, he was conference MVP, all-league first team, first team all-area (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel), first team all-state (Associated Press), CNI Suburban Player of the Year, and WCBA first team all-state.http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/grunfeld_dan00.html He was also named by The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
as the Best Shooter, out of over than 3,000 players.http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/grunfeld_dan00.html
College
Grunfeld went on to play at Stanford UniversityStanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, where he had a successful college career. While playing for the Stanford Cardinal
Stanford Cardinal men's basketball
The Stanford Cardinal Men's Basketball team represents Stanford University, located in Stanford, California, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Pacific-12 Conference. The team has won 13 conference championships , the last in 2004, and one NCAA championship, in 1942...
and leading the team in scoring (17.0 ppg; # 5 in the Pac-10), in February 2005 he tore his right knee anterior cruciate ligament
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...
(ACL), forcing him to sit out the team's final nine games. He took the time on the sidelines to "observe what certain people do to be successful," and improve his basketball awareness. As a junior in 2004–05, he was named first team All Pacific-10 Conference, to the National Association of Basketball Coaches
National Association of Basketball Coaches
The National Association of Basketball Coaches , headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is an American organization of college men's basketball coaches...
(NABC) District-14 first team, and to the 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American University Division Second Team, to the District-8 ESPN The Magazine University Division All-Academic First Team, and to the Pac-10 Academic first team.http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/grunfeld_dan00.html In his senior year in 2005–06, he was a first-team Pac-10 All-Academic selection, and a first-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American selection.http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/grunfeld_dan00.html
Professional career
After going undrafted out of Stanford in 2006, he played his first two professional seasons with the EWE Baskets OldenburgEWE Baskets Oldenburg
EWE Baskets Oldenburg is a professional basketball club that is based in the city of Oldenburg, Germany. The club plays in the Bundesliga and in the Eurocup. The club's name is derived from the team's main sponsor EWE AG, which is an electric utility company...
in the German Basketball Bundesliga
Basketball Bundesliga
The Basketball Bundesliga — commonly abbreviated BBL — is the highest level league of club basketball in Germany. The league comprises 18 teams. A BBL season is split into a league stage and a playoff stage...
, then with Aguas de Valencia Gandía in Spain's LEB Oro League. In September 2008, his childhood dream came true when the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
signed him to the team under undisclosed terms. On October 23, 2008, Grunfeld was waived by the team.
In January 2009 he received Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n citizenship in order to be eligible for playing for the Romania national basketball team
Romania national basketball team
The Romanian national basketball team is the basketball side that represents Romania in international competitions. Romania has 17 appearances for the EuroBasket competition and reached two time the 5th place, but never managed to qualify for the Basketball World Championship...
.
He played for Bnei Hasharon
Bnei HaSharon
Bnei HaSharon/Herzliya is a professional basketball club based in Herzliya, in central Israel. The club currently plays in Ligat HaAl, the top division of Israeli basketball.The club was created by the merge of Maccabi Ra'anana and Bnei Herzliya in 2002...
in the Israeli Basketball Super League in 2010–11, averaging 14.1 points per game on 56.9% shooting.http://www.eurobasket.com/player.asp?Cntry=ISR&PlayerID=31079 In 2010, he made aliyah
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
, becoming an Israeli citizen.http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/sports/basketball-son-of-washington-wizards-exec-to-join-bnei-hasharon-next-week-1.309113 In July 2011, he signed a two-year deal with Israel’s Hapoel Holon
Hapoel Holon
-External links:* * *...
.http://www.lostlettermen.com/7-19-2011-dan-grunfeld-israel/ He is one of a number of American Jews playing in Israel, including Jon Scheyer
Jon Scheyer
Jonathan James "Jon" Scheyer is an American-Israeli professional basketball player. He plays shooting guard for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Super League in that competition, the Adriatic League, and the Euroleague...
, Sylven Landesberg
Sylven Landesberg
Sylven Joshua Landesberg is an American-Israeli professional basketball player, who plays guard for Maccabi Haifa in Israel....
, and David Blu.http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/43940730/ns/sports/
Maccabiah Games
Grunfeld played in the Maccabiah Games for the United States, in 2009.http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/sports/basketball-son-of-washington-wizards-exec-to-join-bnei-hasharon-next-week-1.309113 He led the U.S. to a gold medalGold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
, with 25 points and 12 rebounds in the final overtime game against Israel.http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/sports/basketball-son-of-washington-wizards-exec-to-join-bnei-hasharon-next-week-1.309113http://www.jta.org/news/article/2009/07/23/1006732/us-menhttp://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/sports/basketball-u-s-overcomes-israel-to-take-gold-on-late-surge-1.280555