David Wesley
Encyclopedia
David Barakau Wesley is a retired American
professional basketball
player in the NBA
. He is the cousin of former NBA player Michael Dickerson
. He is currently an assistant coach for the Texas Legends.
in Longview, Texas
. He was classmates with former NFL player Bobby Taylor
. Wesley played his freshman year at Temple Junior College
, then transferred to Baylor University
. Wesley averaged 17 points per game and 4.4 assists per game in 72 total games at Baylor, and left in 1992, 33 hours short of a degree in physical education
.
in 1992, many player scouts considered him too small (at 6'1") to play as a shooting guard
in the NBA, and doubted his ability to make the transition to point guard
. He spent the 1992-93 season in the CBA
playing for the Wichita Falls Texans
, and signed with the New Jersey Nets
as a free agent in 1993. He later played for the Boston Celtics
, the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets the Houston Rockets
, and the Cleveland Cavaliers
. Wesley dispelled the initial doubts about his ability to succeed in the NBA, averaging almost 13 points and 4.6 assists per game over a 14-year career, including ten straight seasons with double-digit scoring averages (1995-96 through 2004-05). He received praise as a tenacious man-to-man
defender, and a reliable outside shooter. Wesley played in 55 playoff games and scored double figures in more than half of them.
, Wesley only played for 35 games and averaged career-lows of 2.1 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists. He also did not play any minutes during the playoffs
. On September 29, 2007, he was traded back to the Hornets for Cedric Simmons
. On October 29, 2007, the New Jersey Nets reacquired guard David Wesley from the New Orleans Hornets for swingman Bernard Robinson
, center Mile Ilić
and cash considerations. On November 1, 2007, not even a week after the Nets signed him, he was waived. A few days later, Wesley stated he planned on finally cutting ties with his NBA career. Wesley's 11,842 career points ranks second all-time in NBA history among undrafted players, behind Moses Malone
.
in the crash that killed his friend and teammate Bobby Phills
. A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police report said Phills and Wesley were speeding at more than 100 mi/h when Phills lost control and crossed into oncoming traffic and collided with a car. The report said both Phills and Wesley were driving "in an erratic, reckless, careless, negligent and/or aggressive manner", and the men were "involved in a speed competition".
One of Wesley's known goals is to become a college basketball coach.
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 in the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. He is the cousin of former NBA player Michael Dickerson
Michael Dickerson
Michael DeAngelo Dickerson is an American professional basketball player who was a member of the Houston Rockets and Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA. He is a cousin of former NBA guard David Wesley....
. He is currently an assistant coach for the Texas Legends.
High school and college
David graduated from Longview High SchoolLongview High School
Longview High School is a public, co-educational 5A high school serving grades nine to twelve in Longview, Texas . The school serves as the secondary campus of the Longview Independent School District...
in Longview, Texas
Longview, Texas
Longview is a city in Gregg and Harrison Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 80,455. Most of the city is located in Gregg County, of which it is the county seat; only a small part extends into the western part of neighboring Harrison County. It is...
. He was classmates with former NFL player Bobby Taylor
Bobby Taylor (American football)
Robert Taylor, III is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Seattle Seahawks.-Early life:...
. Wesley played his freshman year at Temple Junior College
Temple College
Temple College is a community college based in Temple, Texas, with regional branch campuses in other locations.As of 2007, residents within the tax-district of the city of Temple, Texas pay $67 per credit hour, whereas those outside the district pay $103 per credit hour...
, then transferred to Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
. Wesley averaged 17 points per game and 4.4 assists per game in 72 total games at Baylor, and left in 1992, 33 hours short of a degree in physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
.
Career
When Wesley left Baylor UniversityBaylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
in 1992, many player scouts considered him too small (at 6'1") to play as a shooting guard
Shooting guard
The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...
in the NBA, and doubted his ability to make the transition to 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...
. He spent the 1992-93 season in the CBA
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...
playing for the Wichita Falls Texans
Wichita Falls Texans
The Wichita Falls Texans were a minor league basketball team in the Continental Basketball Association from 1988-1994. The team was located in Wichita Falls, Texas, and played their games at D.L. Ligon Coliseum, located on the campus of Midwestern State University. The Texans won the CBA...
, and signed with the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
as a free agent in 1993. He later played for the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
, the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets the Houston Rockets
Houston 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...
, and the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
. Wesley dispelled the initial doubts about his ability to succeed in the NBA, averaging almost 13 points and 4.6 assists per game over a 14-year career, including ten straight seasons with double-digit scoring averages (1995-96 through 2004-05). He received praise as a tenacious man-to-man
Man-to-man defense
Man-to-man defense is a type of defensive tactic used in American football, association football, and basketball in which each player is assigned to defend and follow the movements of a single player on offense. Often, a player guards his counterpart , but a player may be assigned to guard a...
defender, and a reliable outside shooter. Wesley played in 55 playoff games and scored double figures in more than half of them.
Career downsloping
During the 2006-07 season2006-07 NBA season
The 2006–07 NBA season was the 61st season of the National Basketball Association. The regular season began on October 31, 2006 and ran through April 18, 2007. The league fielded 30 teams, each playing an 82 game regular season schedule. The top eight seeds from each conference reached the NBA...
, Wesley only played for 35 games and averaged career-lows of 2.1 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists. He also did not play any minutes during the playoffs
2007 NBA Playoffs
The 2007 NBA Playoffs was the postseason to the National Basketball Association's 2006–2007 season.There were four rounds of postseason action, all of them in a best-of-seven format, with teams seeded on a bracket. The team with the better record wasn't necessarily the basis of seeding teams in...
. On September 29, 2007, he was traded back to the Hornets for Cedric Simmons
Cedric Simmons
Cedric Simmons is an American professional basketball player for the Asefa Estudiantes of the Liga ACB. A 6'10",...
. On October 29, 2007, the New Jersey Nets reacquired guard David Wesley from the New Orleans Hornets for swingman Bernard Robinson
Bernard Robinson (basketball)
Bernard Gregory Robinson, Jr. is an American professional basketball player.After a career at the University of Michigan, where he helped lead the Wolverines to the 2004 NIT title, Robinson was a second round draft pick of the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2004 NBA Draft...
, center Mile Ilić
Mile Ilic
Mile Ilić is a Serbian professional basketball player formerly of the New Jersey Nets of the NBA. Ilić, a 7 ft 1 in tall center, was drafted by the Nets in 2005 as the 43rd overall pick, and began his rookie season in 2006-07....
and cash considerations. On November 1, 2007, not even a week after the Nets signed him, he was waived. A few days later, Wesley stated he planned on finally cutting ties with his NBA career. Wesley's 11,842 career points ranks second all-time in NBA history among undrafted players, behind Moses Malone
Moses Malone
Moses Eugene Malone is a retired American Hall of Fame basketball player who starred in both the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association...
.
Personal
David Wesley was charged in 2000 with misdemeanor reckless drivingReckless driving
Reckless driving is a major moving traffic violation. As a legal term, it is used within the United States. This offence has been abolished in the United Kingdom and replaced...
in the crash that killed his friend and teammate Bobby Phills
Bobby Phills
Bobby Ray Phills II was an American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Cleveland Cavaliers and Charlotte Hornets....
. A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police report said Phills and Wesley were speeding at more than 100 mi/h when Phills lost control and crossed into oncoming traffic and collided with a car. The report said both Phills and Wesley were driving "in an erratic, reckless, careless, negligent and/or aggressive manner", and the men were "involved in a speed competition".
One of Wesley's known goals is to become a college basketball coach.
Achievements and honors
- Southwest Conference’s Most Valuable Player
- 2007 NBA Eastern Conference ChampionsEastern Conference (NBA)The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, organized in three divisions of five teams each.The three division winners and the non-division winner with the best record are seeded 1 through 4 for the playoffs in order of their records, with all...
with the CavaliersCleveland CavaliersThe Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
External links
- David Wesley Profile NBA - David Wesley Player Profile
- ClutchFans.net David Wesley Profile - Houston Rocket Fan Site
- http://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/fg3_career.html