Russ Schoene
Encyclopedia
Russ Schoene is a retired American
professional basketball
player and former assistant men's basketball coach at the University of Washington
.
Schoene starred at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
, where the 6-10 forward led the team to two straight Southern Conference
Championships (1981 and 1982) and an NCAA tournament appearance in 1982. As a senior, he averaged 13.6 points and 7 rebounds a game, and earned league tournament MVP honors.
The Philadelphia 76ers
selected Schoene in the second round of the 1982 NBA Draft
(22nd pick; 45th overall). The 76ers traded him to the Indiana Pacers
during his rookie campaign; he stayed in Indianapolis until the end of the 1983-84 season. Though invited to the Pacers' training camp the next year, he was told he was a long shot to make the club, and should consider honing his skills in Europe.
During the 1984-85 and 1985-86 seasons, Schoene played for Olimpia Simac Milano
of the Italian league
, where his teammates included current New York Knicks
head coach Mike D'Antoni
and former NBA All-Star Joe Barry Carroll
. The team won the Korać Cup
in 1985, and Schoene was named the Italian League MVP in 1986. He earned legendary status during this two-year Italian stint (Sonics President Bob Whitsitt would later say Schoene "is like Michael Jordan over there") that would prove financially lucrative later in his career.
On October 2, 1986, the Seattle SuperSonics
acquired the rights to Schoene, along with guard Terence Stansbury
and "future considerations," in return for guard John Long. Schoene made the Sonics squad, and spent the next three seasons with the team. As a designated off-the-bench shooter in Seattle, he earned the nickname "Catch and Shoot," firing a career-high 38.2% from three-point range in 1988-89. He scored a career-high 20 points on three occasions. Arguably his best NBA game was on April 24, 1988, when he had 20 points, four rebounds, a steal, an assist, and no turnovers in 33 minutes against the Los Angeles Clippers. Schoene wore #40 as a Sonic.
Following the 1988-89 season, he accepted a three-year, $2.4 million contract offer to play for Glaxo Verona in the Italian League (Schoene believed this contract made him Europe's highest-paid professional basketball player). He played in Italy for five seasons. In 1993, the Sacramento Kings
waived him prior to the start of the season. At the end of his professional career, he spent time with the Rapid City Thrillers
of the Continental Basketball Association
.
His career NBA statistics include 1,491 points (5.1 ppg), 735 rebounds (2.5 rpg), and 175 assists (0.6 apg).
In 1994, Schoene helped found the Samurai Sam's Teriyaki Grill
restaurant chain, which has about 90 locations in the United States and Kuwait
.
Schoene joined the Washington Huskies
men's basketball coaching staff in 2002, following five years as an assistant at Bellevue Community College. He left the team to focus on Samurai Sam's following the 2003-04 campaign.
In 2005 Schoene joined the coaching staff at The Bear Creek School in Redmond, WA where he has helped lead the team to numerous league championships, tri-district championships, and 2 state play-off appearances.
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 and former assistant men's basketball coach at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
.
Schoene starred at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is a public university located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The University, often referred to as UTC or simply "Chattanooga" , is one of three universities and two other affiliated institutions in the University of Tennessee System; the others being in...
, where the 6-10 forward led the team to two straight Southern Conference
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
Championships (1981 and 1982) and an NCAA tournament appearance in 1982. As a senior, he averaged 13.6 points and 7 rebounds a game, and earned league tournament MVP honors.
The Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
selected Schoene in the second round of the 1982 NBA Draft
1982 NBA Draft
The 1982 NBA Draft took place on June 29, 1982 at the Felt Forum at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York.-Key:-Draft:-Other picks:-External links:**...
(22nd pick; 45th overall). The 76ers traded him to the Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
during his rookie campaign; he stayed in Indianapolis until the end of the 1983-84 season. Though invited to the Pacers' training camp the next year, he was told he was a long shot to make the club, and should consider honing his skills in Europe.
During the 1984-85 and 1985-86 seasons, Schoene played for Olimpia Simac Milano
Olimpia Milano
Olimpia Milano is a Lega Basket Italian professional basketball team, based in Milan, Italy, founded in 1936 by Milan businessman Adolfo Bogoncelli. Its colors are red and white, and the team is sometimes referred as "Scarpette Rosse" because team officials imported from the United States red...
of the Italian league
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...
, where his teammates included current 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...
head coach Mike D'Antoni
Mike D'Antoni
Michael Andrew "Mike" D'Antoni is an Italian-American former basketball player and is currently the head coach of the NBA's New York Knicks. While head coach of the Phoenix Suns, he won NBA Coach of the Year honors for the 2004–05 NBA season after the Suns posted 33 more wins than the previous...
and former NBA All-Star Joe Barry Carroll
Joe Barry Carroll
Joe Barry Carroll is a retired American professional basketball player who spent ten seasons in the NBA.-1974–1976:...
. The team won the Korać Cup
Korac Cup
The Korać Cup was an annual basketball club competition held by FIBA between the 1971-72 and 2001-02 seasons. It was the third-tier level club competition in European basketball, after the European Champions' Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup...
in 1985, and Schoene was named the Italian League MVP in 1986. He earned legendary status during this two-year Italian stint (Sonics President Bob Whitsitt would later say Schoene "is like Michael Jordan over there") that would prove financially lucrative later in his career.
On October 2, 1986, the Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
acquired the rights to Schoene, along with guard Terence Stansbury
Terence Stansbury
Terence Stansbury is a retired American basketball player. His daughter Tiffany has played in the WNBA.A 6'5" guard from Temple University, Stansbury played three seasons in the National Basketball Association as a member of the Indiana Pacers and Seattle SuperSonics...
and "future considerations," in return for guard John Long. Schoene made the Sonics squad, and spent the next three seasons with the team. As a designated off-the-bench shooter in Seattle, he earned the nickname "Catch and Shoot," firing a career-high 38.2% from three-point range in 1988-89. He scored a career-high 20 points on three occasions. Arguably his best NBA game was on April 24, 1988, when he had 20 points, four rebounds, a steal, an assist, and no turnovers in 33 minutes against the Los Angeles Clippers. Schoene wore #40 as a Sonic.
Following the 1988-89 season, he accepted a three-year, $2.4 million contract offer to play for Glaxo Verona in the Italian League (Schoene believed this contract made him Europe's highest-paid professional basketball player). He played in Italy for five seasons. In 1993, the Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
waived him prior to the start of the season. At the end of his professional career, he spent time with the Rapid City Thrillers
Rapid City Thrillers
The Rapid City Thrillers were a professional basketball club based in Rapid City, South Dakota that competed in the Continental Basketball Association beginning in the 1987 season. They were reincarnated in 1998 as an International Basketball Association franchise...
of the Continental Basketball Association
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 :...
.
His career NBA statistics include 1,491 points (5.1 ppg), 735 rebounds (2.5 rpg), and 175 assists (0.6 apg).
In 1994, Schoene helped found the Samurai Sam's Teriyaki Grill
Samurai Sam's Teriyaki Grill
Samurai Sam's Teriyaki Grill is a chain of Japanese restaurants, which is franchised by Kahala Franchising, L.L.C. of Scottsdale, Arizona. The chain was founded in Scottsdale, Arizona in 1994. As of 2007 Samurai Sam's has nearly 60 locations in Kuwait and United States.-External links:* *...
restaurant chain, which has about 90 locations in the United States and Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
.
Schoene joined the Washington Huskies
Washington Huskies
Washington Huskies is the nickname of the University of Washington's athletic teams. The school is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The athletic program is made up of 9 men's sports and 10 women's sports Washington Huskies is the nickname of the University of Washington's athletic teams. The...
men's basketball coaching staff in 2002, following five years as an assistant at Bellevue Community College. He left the team to focus on Samurai Sam's following the 2003-04 campaign.
In 2005 Schoene joined the coaching staff at The Bear Creek School in Redmond, WA where he has helped lead the team to numerous league championships, tri-district championships, and 2 state play-off appearances.