Tony Massenburg
Encyclopedia
Tony Arnel Massenburg is an American former professional basketball
player. He shares an NBA record with Chucky Brown
, Joe Smith, and Jim Jackson
for having played with twelve different teams over his career.
from 1986 to 1990, playing under three different head coaches: Lefty Driesell
, Bob Wade
, and Gary Williams
. He had a career field goal shooting percentage of 52.3% and averaged 12.1 points per game in his four year career with the Terrapins. In his senior season, in which he was featured on the cover of the team's handbook on an aircraft carrier, he averaged 18 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. He was one of only two players in the Atlantic Coast Conference
to average double figures in both categories that season. His efforts in his senior season earned him a spot on the All-ACC Second Team.
in 1990, after he was chosen by the team in the second round of the 1990 NBA Draft
, as the 43rd pick overall. During his first stint with the Spurs, he was able to play alongside NBA legend David Robinson
. He played in 35 games with the Spurs during the 1990–91 NBA season.
in 1991, where he averaged almost 23 points and 10 rebounds per game in four games with the Italian club Pallacanestro Reggiana
.
in the 1991-1992 season, Massenburg was traded to the Charlotte Hornets where he played for three games before moving on to the Boston Celtics
for seven games, and the also to the Golden State Warriors
for another seven games; ending his season with a total of 18 games and 90 minutes played with four franchises that season.
with Unicaja-Mayoral and FC Barcelona
during the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons. He won both the Spanish King's Cup
championship and the Catalan League
championship with Barcelona in 1994.
for 80 games. Massenburg was taken in the NBA expansion draft
in 1995 by the Toronto Raptors
. After 24 games there, he was shipped to the Philadelphia 76ers
, where he played 30 games.
During the 1996-97 season, Massenburg once again came very close to playing an entire NBA season, seeing action in 79 games with yet another team, the New Jersey Nets
. Massenburg returned to Canada for the 1997-98 season, playing with the Brian Winters
-coached Vancouver Grizzlies
. In Vancouver, Massenburg backed up center Bryant Reeves
. He played two seasons in Vancouver before being traded before the 1999-2000 season
to the Houston Rockets
. With the Rockets, he played in ten games, then was promptly returned to the Grizzlies before the 2000-2001 campaign. When the franchise relocated to Memphis
in 2001, so did Massenburg. During the Grizzlies' first season on U.S. soil, Massenburg played in 73 games, averaging 5.5 points per game. In successive years, he was a member of the Utah Jazz
and the Sacramento Kings
.
Massenburg returned to the Spurs for the 2004-05 season
and with them he won an NBA championship ring that year, when the Spurs defeated the Detroit Pistons
four games to three in the 2005 NBA Finals
. During the series Massenburg mainly observed from the bench as his teammates clinched the Spurs' third NBA title in seven years. Unfortunately however, six weeks after the finals ended, a late-night auto accident badly damaged Massenburg's ankle, leaving him unable to play the following two seasons.
After being out with the ankle injury for two seasons, Massenburg attempted an NBA comeback in the year 2007 with the Washington Wizards
, but he was waived by the team before the season started. He then signed with the Arecibo Captains, a Puerto Rican team, but was released shortly after. In his NBA career, Massenburg participated in 683 NBA games over 15 seasons. He scored 4,238 points in his career for a career average of 6.2 points per game. He collected 2,964 rebounds in his career for a career average of 4.3 rebounds per game. He also dished out 266 assists in his career, for a career average 0.4 assists per game.
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 shares an NBA record with Chucky Brown
Chucky Brown
Clarence "Chucky" Brown is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'7" forward from North Carolina State, Brown was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the 1989 NBA Draft...
, Joe Smith, and Jim Jackson
Jim Jackson (basketball)
James Arthur "Jim" Jackson is an American retired professional basketball player. Over his 14 NBA seasons, Jackson was on the active roster of 12 different teams, tying the league record. He is currently a basketball analyst on the Big Ten Network.-High school and college career:Jackson was a 6'6"...
for having played with twelve different teams over his career.
College career
Massenburg played in college for the University of MarylandUniversity of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
from 1986 to 1990, playing under three different head coaches: Lefty Driesell
Lefty Driesell
Charles Grice "Lefty" Driesell is an American former college basketball coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Maryland, Davidson College, James Madison University, and Georgia State University. During his 41-year coaching career, Driesell led teams from each school to the NCAA...
, Bob Wade
Bob Wade (basketball coach)
Robert Pernell Wade is a former men's college basketball head coach for the University of Maryland , as well as an American football defensive back for the National Football League.-Football career:...
, and Gary Williams
Gary Williams
Gary B. Williams is an American university administrator and former college basketball coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Maryland, Ohio State University, Boston College, and American University. In 2002, he led Maryland to the NCAA Tournament Championship...
. He had a career field goal shooting percentage of 52.3% and averaged 12.1 points per game in his four year career with the Terrapins. In his senior season, in which he was featured on the cover of the team's handbook on an aircraft carrier, he averaged 18 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. He was one of only two players in the Atlantic Coast Conference
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...
to average double figures in both categories that season. His efforts in his senior season earned him a spot on the All-ACC Second Team.
NBA
Massenburg was initially signed by the NBA club the San Antonio SpursSan Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
in 1990, after he was chosen by the team in the second round of the 1990 NBA Draft
1990 NBA Draft
The 1990 NBA Draft took place on June 27, 1990, in New York City, New York. This draft produced only one perennial All-Star,Gary Payton. Among the 54 picks, Payton is considered by far the best pick of the draft. Payton went on to be considered one of the greatest point guards of all time...
, as the 43rd pick overall. During his first stint with the Spurs, he was able to play alongside NBA legend David Robinson
David Robinson (basketball)
David Maurice Robinson is a retired American NBA basketball player, who played center for the San Antonio Spurs for his entire NBA career. Based on his prior service as an officer in the United States Navy, Robinson earned the nickname "The Admiral". He and teammate power forward Tim Duncan were...
. He played in 35 games with the Spurs during the 1990–91 NBA season.
Italy
As part of his first career NBA injury's rehabilitation program, Massenburg went to the Italian LeagueSerie 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...
in 1991, where he averaged almost 23 points and 10 rebounds per game in four games with the Italian club Pallacanestro Reggiana
Pallacanestro Reggiana
Pallacanestro Reggiana is an Italian basketball team based in Reggio Emilia, also known for sponsorship reasons as Trenkwalder Reggio Emilia....
.
Back to NBA
After playing in only one game with the SpursSan Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
in the 1991-1992 season, Massenburg was traded to the Charlotte Hornets where he played for three games before moving on to 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...
for seven games, and the also to the Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
for another seven games; ending his season with a total of 18 games and 90 minutes played with four franchises that season.
Spain
Massenburg played in the Spanish LeagueAsociación de Clubs de Baloncesto
The Liga ACB, known as the Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Spain. It was founded in 1956 with the name of Liga Nacional. The league changed its name to the current one in 1983. The league is rated as one of the three "A" level European...
with Unicaja-Mayoral and FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona Bàsquet
FC Barcelona Bàsquet, known as FC Barcelona Regal for sponsorship reasons, is a Spanish professional basketball club. It is part of the FC Barcelona sports club and was founded on August 24, 1926 which makes it the oldest club in Liga ACB. The club competes in the Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto...
during the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons. He won both the Spanish King's Cup
Copa del Rey de Baloncesto
The Copa del Rey de Baloncesto is an annual cup competition for Spanish basketball teams organized by Spain's top professional league, Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto. It was originally known as the Copa de España de Baloncesto and was first played in 1933. It was the first nationwide...
championship and the Catalan League
Catalan basketball league
The Catalan Basketball Cup, more commonly known as Lliga Catalana, is the regional preseason basketball cup competition that has been organized by the Catalan Basketball Federation since 1980, in Catalonia, Spain....
championship with Barcelona in 1994.
Back to NBA again
Massenburg came just short of playing an entire NBA season for the first time in his career during the 1994-95 season, when he was a member of the Los Angeles ClippersLos Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
for 80 games. Massenburg was taken in the NBA expansion draft
Expansion draft
An expansion draft, in professional sports, occurs when a sports league decides to create one or more new expansion teams or franchises. This occurs mainly in North American sports. One of the ways of stocking the new team or teams is an expansion draft...
in 1995 by the Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
. After 24 games there, he was shipped to 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...
, where he played 30 games.
During the 1996-97 season, Massenburg once again came very close to playing an entire NBA season, seeing action in 79 games with yet another team, 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...
. Massenburg returned to Canada for the 1997-98 season, playing with the Brian Winters
Brian Winters
Brian Joseph Winters is a former NBA guard/forward, coach and former WNBA head coach. He attended academic and athletic powerhouse Archbishop Molloy High School in Queens, NY, graduating in 1970. He then played collegiately with the University of South Carolina and was the 12th pick in the 1974...
-coached Vancouver Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
. In Vancouver, Massenburg backed up center Bryant Reeves
Bryant Reeves
Bryant Reeves is an American retired professional basketball player for the NBA's Vancouver Grizzlies...
. He played two seasons in Vancouver before being traded before the 1999-2000 season
1999-2000 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers*Co-Rookies of the Year: Elton Brand, Chicago Bulls; Steve Francis, Houston Rockets*Defensive Player of the Year: Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat...
to 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...
. With the Rockets, he played in ten games, then was promptly returned to the Grizzlies before the 2000-2001 campaign. When the franchise relocated to Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
in 2001, so did Massenburg. During the Grizzlies' first season on U.S. soil, Massenburg played in 73 games, averaging 5.5 points per game. In successive years, he was a member of the Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and 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...
.
Massenburg returned to the Spurs for the 2004-05 season
2004-05 NBA season
The 2004–05 NBA season was the 59th season of the National Basketball Association . It began on November 2, 2004 and ended June 23, 2005. The season ended with the San Antonio Spurs defeating defending champion Detroit Pistons 4–3 in the NBA Finals....
and with them he won an NBA championship ring that year, when the Spurs defeated the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
four games to three in the 2005 NBA Finals
2005 NBA Finals
The 2005 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2004-05 National Basketball Association season. The San Antonio Spurs of the Western Conference faced the Detroit Pistons of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Spurs holding home court advantage. The series was played under a...
. During the series Massenburg mainly observed from the bench as his teammates clinched the Spurs' third NBA title in seven years. Unfortunately however, six weeks after the finals ended, a late-night auto accident badly damaged Massenburg's ankle, leaving him unable to play the following two seasons.
After being out with the ankle injury for two seasons, Massenburg attempted an NBA comeback in the year 2007 with 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:...
, but he was waived by the team before the season started. He then signed with the Arecibo Captains, a Puerto Rican team, but was released shortly after. In his NBA career, Massenburg participated in 683 NBA games over 15 seasons. He scored 4,238 points in his career for a career average of 6.2 points per game. He collected 2,964 rebounds in his career for a career average of 4.3 rebounds per game. He also dished out 266 assists in his career, for a career average 0.4 assists per game.