Anthony Harris Bennett (born March 14, 1993) is a Canadian professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player for

Hsinchu JKO Lioneers Hsinchu JKO Lioneers (Chinese: 新竹街口攻城獅) is a professional basketball team based in Hsinchu County, Taiwan. They have been part of the P. League+ since the 2020–21 season. The Lioneers were one of the four teams of the inaugural ...

of the P. League+. He played

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athle ...

for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). He was the first overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft by the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Centr ...

, becoming the first Canadian to be drafted number one overall. Bennett is also a member of the Canadian national team. He is considered by many basketball fans and analysts to be one of the worst

draft bust A draft is a process used in some countries (especially in North America) and sports (especially in closed leagues) to allocate certain players to teams. In a draft, teams take turns selecting from a pool of eligible players. When a team selec ...

s in NBA history.

Early life

Born in Toronto, Ontario, Bennett was raised in the city's

Jane and Finch Jane and Finch is a neighbourhood located in the northwest end of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in the district of North York. Centred at the intersection of Jane Street and Finch Avenue West, the area is roughly bounded by Highway 400 to the west ...

neighbourhood, and in nearby

Brampton Brampton ( or ) is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Brampton is a city in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and is a lower-tier municipality within Peel Region. The city has a population of 656,480 as of the 2021 Census, making it the ...

, to where he moved at age ten. He is the son of Edith Bennett, a nurse who is originally from Jamaica, and Delroy Harris. He also has an older sister, Danielle, and an older brother, Sheldon. Edith raised her family as a single mother, working two jobs, at a hospital and a mental health facility. As a teenager in Jamaica, his mother ran track and field and played

netball Netball is a ball sport played on a court by two teams of seven players. It is among a rare number of sports which have been created exclusively for female competitors. The sport is played on indoor and outdoor netball courts and is specifical ...

High school career

Bennett attended

Harold M. Brathwaite Secondary School Harold M. Brathwaite Secondary School is a public high school located in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. History The school is named after Harold M. Brathwaite (d.2020), a former Director of Education of the Peel District School Board, who retired ...

in Brampton. At age 16, he relocated to

Beckley, West Virginia Beckley is a city in and the county seat of Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States. It was founded on April 4, 1838. This city is the home of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology or West Virginia University, Beckley Campus. ...

to play basketball for Mountain State Academy, and after the school closed a year later, he moved to Henderson, Nevada to play for the basketball preparatory academy

Findlay Prep Findlay Prep is a former high school basketball program located in Henderson, Nevada. The program was created in 2006 by local businessman Cliff Findlay, who owns several car dealerships in the Las Vegas area.Abramson, Mitch"Former Knick Jerome Wi ...

. He was the #1 forward and the #7 player overall in the high school class of 2012 according to ESPNU 100, the #7 player by

Scout.com Scout Media is an integrated sports publishing company that produces Internet content covering hundreds of professional and college teams across America. The company was founded in 2001 and was acquired by Fox Sports in 2005. In 2013, Fox Sports ...

, and the #7 player by

Rivals.com Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel. History Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...

. While initially receiving interest from many teams, Bennett narrowed down his college choices to Oregon and UNLV. He committed to UNLV under head coach Dave Rice on May 12, 2012.

College career

During the 2012–13 UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball season, Bennett played 35 games. While mostly starting at power forward, he would occasionally play small forward. He averaged 16.1 points and 8.1 rebounds a game despite only averaging 27.1 minutes a game due to injury. He shot 53.3% from the field overall and 37.5% from three-point range. He was extremely efficient in college, averaging a PER of 28.3. Halfway through the season, Bennett was plagued with a shoulder injury. His minutes were cut to allow him to rest and he even came off the bench in a few games. After making it to the NCAA tournament, UNLV lost in the second round to California. In April 2013, Bennett declared for the NBA draft, foregoing his final three years of college eligibility. In May 2013, he underwent

elective surgery Elective surgery or elective procedure (from the la, eligere, meaning to choose) is surgery that is scheduled in advance because it does not involve a medical emergency. Semi-elective surgery is a surgery that must be done to preserve the patien ...

for sleep apnea and

asthma Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, co ...

Professional career

Cleveland Cavaliers (2013–2014)

Bennett was one of thirteen players invited to the green room for the 2013 NBA draft, meaning he was expected to be chosen as a top lottery pick. He was selected first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers, making him the first Canadian ever to be selected first overall in an NBA draft. On August 20, 2013, Bennett signed a 2-year, $10.9 million rookie scale contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers. After producing multiple mediocre performances to begin his rookie season, he was ranked by some as one of the worst first overall picks in recent memory. Anthony Bennett (10355636284)

On January 28, 2014, Bennett recorded 15 points and 8 rebounds in a 100–89 loss to the

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...

. It was the first double-figure scoring game in his NBA career, coming after 33 games—three times as long as any previous No. 1 overall pick. Almost two-thirds of all previous top picks scored in double digits in their first game. On February 11, 2014, Bennett recorded his first career double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds in a 109–99 win over the Sacramento Kings. For the 2013–2014 season, he played 52 games while averaging 4.2 points and 3.0 rebounds in 12.8 minutes per game. In July 2014, Bennett joined the Cavaliers for the

2014 NBA Summer League The 2014 NBA Summer League consists of two pro basketball leagues organized by the NBA and the Orlando Magic just after the 2014 NBA Draft. Ten teams took part in the week-long summer league at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, from July 5 to ...

where he averaged 13.3 points in four games.

Minnesota Timberwolves (2014–2015)

On August 23, 2014, Bennett was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a three-team trade involving the Cavaliers and the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...

. On October 19, 2014, the Timberwolves exercised their third-year team option on Bennett's rookie scale contract, extending the contract through the 2015–16 season. On November 21, 2014, he scored a career-high 20 points in a 121–92 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. On February 21, 2015, he was ruled out for two weeks due to an injured right ankle he sustained the day before playing against the Phoenix Suns. After recovering from the injury, Bennett appeared in just four more games to finish the 2014–2015 season. In 57 games (three starts) for the Timberwolves, he averaged career highs of 5.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 15.7 minutes per game. On September 23, 2015, Bennett was waived by the Timberwolves via a contract buyout.

Toronto Raptors (2015–2016)

On September 28, 2015, Bennett signed a one-year, veteran's minimum deal with his hometown Toronto Raptors. He made his debut with them on October 30, recording three rebounds and one steal in a 113–103 win over the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

. On December 20, Bennett requested that the team send him to Raptors 905 of the NBA Development League. He played for Raptors 905 in their game against the

Delaware 87ers Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent De ...

, recording 13 points and 4 rebounds in a 105–94 win, becoming the NBA's first No. 1 overall pick to play in the D-League. He returned to Toronto later that night for their game against the Sacramento Kings. He later received three more assignments to Raptors 905. On March 1, 2016, he was waived by the Raptors. Bennett's love for the game was questioned during his tenure in Toronto, and the organization grew increasingly frustrated with his inability to grasp the cut-throat world of the NBA despite their attempts to work with him.

Brooklyn Nets (2016–2017)

On July 14, 2016, Bennett signed a 2-year, $2.1 million contract with the

Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The t ...

. He made his debut for the Nets in their third game of the season on October 29, scoring nine points in 18 minutes off the bench in a 110–108 loss to the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 196 ...

. On November 18, he scored a season-high 12 points in a 124–105 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. On November 27, he was assigned to Brooklyn's

D-League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) from 2001 to 2005, and the NBA Dev ...

affiliate, the

Long Island Nets The Long Island Nets are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Uniondale, New York, and are affiliated with the Brooklyn Nets. The team plays its home games at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Nassau County ...

. He was recalled by Brooklyn prior to their game later that night. He was reassigned to Long Island on November 28, and was recalled the next day. On December 3, he made his first start of the season and had 7 points and a career-high 14 rebounds in a 112–103 loss to the

. On January 9, 2017, he was waived by the Nets.

Fenerbahçe (2017)

On January 13, 2017, Bennett signed with Fenerbahçe of the

Turkish Basketball Super League Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities an ...

on a 1+1 contract. In 10 EuroLeague games he averaged 1.2 points per game. Fenerbahçe went on to win their first ever EuroLeague title in 2017, beating out

Olympiacos Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós ( el, Ολυμπιακός Σύνδεσμος Φιλάθλων Πειραιώς, Olympic Club of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a numbe ...

80–64 in the championship game. On May 25, 2017, he was released by Fenerbahçe.

Northern Arizona Suns (2017)

On September 22, 2017, Bennett signed with the Phoenix Suns. On October 11, 2017, he was waived by the Suns. Later that month, he joined the

Northern Arizona Suns The Motor City Cruise are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Detroit, Michigan, and are affiliated with the Detroit Pistons. The Cruise play their home games at Wayne State Fieldhouse. The franchise began play a ...

of the NBA G League. On November 19, 2017, he temporarily left the team to join the Canadian national team for the

2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualification The 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualification was the first World Cup for which teams had to qualify for under the new qualification system. The process determined 31 out of the 32 teams that participated at the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup. ...

. He rejoined Northern Arizona on November 29.

Maine Red Claws (2017–2018)

On December 28, 2017, Bennett was traded to the

Maine Red Claws The Maine Celtics (formerly the Maine Red Claws) are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Portland, Maine, and are affiliated with the Boston Celtics. The Maine Celtics play their home games at the Portland Expo B ...

alongside a third-round pick for the player rights of

Wesley Saunders Wesley Saunders (born June 16, 1993) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Memphis Hustle of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Harvard Crimson. High school career Saunders lettered in basketba ...

and a second-round pick.

Agua Caliente Clippers (2018–2019)

In October 2018, Bennett was traded to the

Agua Caliente Clippers The Ontario Clippers, formerly known as the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Ontario, California, and are affiliated with the Los Angeles Clippers. The team began play in ...

in exchange for

James Michael McAdoo James Michael Ray McAdoo (born January 4, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Sun Rockers Shibuya of the B.League in Japan. He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels, and twice earned second-team all-co ...

and a third-round draft pick.

Hapoel Jerusalem (2021–2022)

On July 12, 2019, Bennett signed a one-year, $1.7 million deal with the

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...

. However, he was waived on October 9 after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery. In May 2021, he signed with Cangrejeros de Santurce of the Puerto Rican

Baloncesto Superior Nacional The Baloncesto Superior Nacional, abbreviated as BSN, is the first-tier-level professional men's basketball league in Puerto Rico. It was founded in 1929 and is organized by the Puerto Rican Basketball Federation. The Baloncesto Superior Naci ...

. On July 7, the club announced that they had terminated Bennett's contract to make room for

Dante Cunningham Dante Lamar Cunningham (born April 22, 1987) is an American professional basketball player who last played for Le Mans Sarthe Basket of the LNB Pro A. He played college basketball for Villanova before being selected with the 33rd overall pick in ...

. On August 25, 2021, Bennett signed with

Hapoel Jerusalem Hapoel Jerusalem is a sport organization in Jerusalem as a local branch of the Hapoel movement. The branch was established in the 1920s and represents the city in more sports than any other sport organization in Jerusalem. Today, the club's lead ...

of the Israeli Basketball Premier League (IBSL). On October 5, Bennett made his debut, logging a team-high 22 points, 8 rebounds, and one assist in 23 minutes of play. On October 10, it was announced that Bennett's contract would be extended until the end of the season, contrary to previous rumors that he was leaving the team. On January 2, 2022, he was waived. In eight games, he averaged 6.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in 12.9 minutes per game.

P. League+ (2022–present)

On February 9, 2022, Bennett joined the

Kaohsiung Steelers Kaohsiung 17LIVE Steelers (Chinese: 高雄17直播鋼鐵人) is a professional basketball team based in Kaohsiung, Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a Country, country in East Asia, at the junction of the East Chin ...

of the Taiwanese P. League+. The deal made him the highest drafted player in the NBA to play in Taiwan professionally. On August 19, 2022, Bennett signed to

for the 2022–23 season.

National team career

Bennett participated in the 2009

FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship The FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship is the Americas basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary ...

and

2010 FIBA Under-17 World Championship The 2010 FIBA Under-17 World Championship (German: FIBA U17-Weltmeisterschaft 2010) was the inaugural edition of the FIBA Under-17 World Championship, the biennial international men's youth basketball championship contested by the U17 national tea ...

, helping Canada win a bronze medal in each tournament. In the 2010 tournament, he was a teammate of

Andrew Wiggins Andrew Christian Wiggins (born February 23, 1995) is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected with the first overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft by th ...

, the number one overall pick in the

2014 NBA draft The 2014 NBA draft was held on June 26, 2014, at the Barclays Center, Brooklyn National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. ...

and his former teammate on the Timberwolves. In July 2015, Bennett was named to the Canadian national team roster for the

2015 Pan American Games Fifteen or 15 may refer to: *15 (number), the natural number following 14 and preceding 16 *one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015 Music *Fifteen (band), a punk rock band Albums * ''15'' (Buckcherry album), 2005 * ''15'' (Ani Lorak albu ...

. Playing in his hometown of Toronto, Bennett helped Canada win the silver medal with four victories, including an upset win over the United States in the semi-final, before losing in the final to Brazil. Bennett averaged 15.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game in the tournament.

Player profile

When he was drafted, Bennett drew comparisons to Larry Johnson, a former UNLV great, NBA All-Star, and number one overall pick in the 1991 NBA draft.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

, - , align="left" , , align="left" , Cleveland , 52 , , 0 , , 12.8 , , .356 , , .245 , , .638 , , 3.0 , , .3 , , .4 , , .2 , , 4.2 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Minnesota , 57 , , 3 , , 15.7 , , .421 , , .304 , , .641 , , 3.8 , , .8 , , .5 , , .3 , , 5.2 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Toronto , 19 , , 0 , , 4.4 , , .296 , , .214 , , .900 , , 1.2 , , .0 , , .3 , , .0 , , 1.5 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , Brooklyn , 23 , , 1 , , 11.5 , , .413 , , .271 , , .722 , , 3.4 , , .5 , , .2 , , .1 , , 5.0 , - class="sortbottom" , align="center" colspan="2", Career , 151 , , 4 , , 12.6 , , .392 , , .261 , , .670 , , 3.1 , , .5 , , .4 , , .2 , , 4.4

EuroLeague

, - , style="text-align:left;background:#AFE6BA;", 2016–17† , style="text-align:left;", Fenerbahçe , 10 , , 4 , , 6.3 , , .263 , , .182 , , .000 , , .9 , , .2 , , .3 , , .1 , , 1.2 , , .6 , - class="sortbottom" , align="center" colspan="2", Career , 10 , , 4 , , 6.3 , , .263 , , .182 , , .000 , , .9 , , .2 , , .3 , , .1 , , 1.2 , , .6

IBSL

, - , align="left" , 2021–22 , style="text-align:left;",

, 8 , , 1 , , 12.9 , , .514 , , .440 , , .333 , , 3.3 , , .9 , , .5 , , .0 , , 6.3 , - class="sortbottom" , align="center" colspan="2", Career , 8 , , 1 , , 12.9 , , .514 , , .440 , , .333 , , 3.3 , , .9 , , .5 , , .0 , , 6.3

College

, - , style="text-align:left;",

2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

, style="text-align:left;", UNLV , 35 , , 32 , , 27.1 , , .533 , , .375 , , .701 , , 8.1 , , 1.0 , , .7 , , 1.2 , , 16.1

References

External links

UNLV Runnin' Rebels bio

EuroLeague profile

TBLStat.net profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bennett, Anthony 1993 births Living people Agua Caliente Clippers players Basketball players at the 2015 Pan American Games Basketball players from Toronto Black Canadian basketball players Brooklyn Nets players Canadian expatriate basketball people in Taiwan Canadian expatriate basketball people in Turkey Canadian expatriate basketball people in the United States Canadian men's basketball players Canadian sportspeople of Jamaican descent Cleveland Cavaliers draft picks Cleveland Cavaliers players Fenerbahçe men's basketball players Findlay Prep alumni Hapoel Jerusalem B.C. players Kaohsiung Steelers players Long Island Nets players Maine Red Claws players McDonald's High School All-Americans Medalists at the 2015 Pan American Games Minnesota Timberwolves players National Basketball Association players from Canada Northern Arizona Suns players P. League+ imports Pan American Games medalists in basketball Pan American Games silver medalists for Canada Power forwards (basketball) Raptors 905 players Small forwards Sportspeople from Brampton Toronto Raptors players UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball players