Dante Lamar Cunningham (born April 22, 1987) is an American 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 who last played for

Le Mans Sarthe Basket Le Mans Sarthe Basket, commonly known as MSB or Le Mans, is a professional basketball club that is from the city of Le Mans, France. The team plays in the French League and internationally in the Basketball Champions League. History The Modern ...

of the

LNB Pro A The LNB Pro A, currently known for sponsorship reasons as Betclic Élite, is the top-tier men's professional basketball league in France. The competition has existed since 1921. Since 1987, the Ligue Nationale de Basket has governed the league. ...

. He played college basketball for Villanova before being selected with the 33rd overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft by the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...

Early life

Cunningham was born in

Clinton, Maryland Clinton is an unincorporated census-designated place (CDP) in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Clinton was formerly known as Surrattsville until after the time of the Civil War. The population of Clinton was 38,760 at the 2020 cen ...

, to Searcy Blankenship and Ron Cunningham. His older sister Davalyn played in the WNBA.

High school career

Cunningham began his prep career at St. John's College High School in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

While a junior, he averaged 10 points per game and 7.4 rebounds. One of his teammates, Dwayne Anderson, would later play at Villanova with Cunningham. As a senior, Cunningham transferred to Potomac High School, which he led to a 27–0 season under Head Coach Rico Reed. He averaged 13 rebounds, 20 points, and four blocked shots per game at Potomac. He was honored as ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

''Metropolitan Player of the Year.

College career

Dante Cunningham at the Palestra in Philadelphia PA in 2008

At Villanova Cunningham played in all 33 games and was a starter in four during his

freshman year A freshman, fresher, first year, or frosh, is a person in the first year at an educational institution, usually a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions. Ara ...

. In his senior year, Cunningham would go on to lead the team in scoring with 16.1 points and take home the

Big East The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that competes in NCAA Division I in ten men's sports and twelve women's sports. Headquartered in New York City, the eleven full-member schools are primarily located in Northeast and ...

Most Improved Player award. He led the Wildcats to their first Final Four appearance since 1985. Cunningham was named to the 2008–2009 All Big East second team and the 2009 NCAA Tournament All Region .

Professional career

Portland Trail Blazers (2009–2011)

Cunningham was drafted 33rd overall by the

in the 2009 NBA draft. He played for Portland's Las Vegas Summer League team where he averaged over 18 points and 5 rebounds per game in four contests. On August 21, 2009, Cunningham signed his rookie scale contract with the Trail Blazers.

Charlotte Bobcats (2011)

On February 24, 2011, Cunningham was traded, along with

Joel Przybilla Joel Przybilla (; born October 10, 1979) is an American retired professional basketball player who played the center position for 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). High school career Przybilla was born in Monticello, Minn ...

Sean Marks Sean Andrew Marks (born 23 August 1975) is a New Zealand-American basketball executive and former player and coach who is the general manager and alternate owner of the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was the firs ...

and two future first-round draft picks, to the

Charlotte Bobcats Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populou ...

in exchange for

Gerald Wallace Gerald Jermaine Wallace (born July 23, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Crash", he was named an NBA All-Star and voted to the NBA All-Defensive First Team while with the Charlotte Bobcats in 2010. He played ...

Memphis Grizzlies (2011–2012)

On December 20, 2011, Cunningham received a three-year, $7 million offer sheet from the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...

. The Bobcats declined to match the offer and subsequently signed the contract with the Grizzlies.

Minnesota Timberwolves (2012–2014)

On July 24, 2012, Cunningham was traded to the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...

in exchange for

Wayne Ellington Wayne Robert Ellington Jr. (born November 29, 1987) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played for the University of North Carolina from 2006 to ...

New Orleans Pelicans (2014–2018)

On December 4, 2014, Cunningham signed with 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 ...

. On July 9, 2015, he re-signed with the Pelicans. On September 25, 2017, he re-signed with the Pelicans.

Brooklyn Nets (2018)

On February 8, 2018, Cunningham was traded to 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 ...

in exchange for

Rashad Vaughn Rashad DeAndre Vaughn (born August 16, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Charge of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the UNLV Runnin' Rebels. High school career For the first three years of his ...

San Antonio Spurs (2018–2019)

On July 20, 2018, Cunningham signed with the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...

Fujian Sturgeons (2019–2020)

On December 11, 2019, Cunningham was listed in the squad of

Fujian Sturgeons Fujian SBS Xunxing Sturgeons (Simplified Chinese: 福建SBS浔兴鲟) or Fujian Xunxing or Fujian SBS are a Chinese professional men's basketball team in the Chinese Basketball Association, based in Jinjiang, Quanzhou, Fujian. The "SBS" reflects c ...

and made his debut for

on the next day, scoring fourteen points and collecting eight rebounds in a 111–107 win over the

Beijing Ducks The Beijing Shougang Ducks (''simplified Chinese'': 北京首钢鸭俱乐部篮球队), also known as Beijing Shougang or Beijing Ducks, are a professional basketball team based in Beijing, China, which plays in the North Division of the Chin ...

. He averaged 15 points and 7 rebounds per game.

Cangrejeros de Santurce (2021)

On July 7, 2021, Cunningham signed with the Cangrejeros de Santurce of the

Baloncesto Superior Nacional The Baloncesto Superior Nacional, abbreviated as BSN, is the first-tier-level professional men's basketball list of basketball leagues, league in Puerto Rico. It was founded in 1929 and is organized by the Puerto Rican Basketball Federation. T ...

. In 10 games, he averaged 11.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.1 assists per game.

Le Mans Sarthe Basket (2021–2022)

On August 27, 2021, Cunningham signed with

of the

NBA career statistics

Regular season

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Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

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, 56 , , 9 , , 19.8 , , .433 , , .000 , , .711 , , 3.4 , , .5 , , .7 , , .6 , , 5.1 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

, 22 , , 9 , , 24.0 , , .508 , , .111 , , .765 , , 4.0 , , .6 , , .7 , , .5 , , 9.0 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

, 64 , , 5 , , 17.6 , , .516 , , – , , .652 , , 3.8 , , .6 , , .7 , , .5 , , 5.2 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, 80 , , 9 , , 25.1 , , .468 , , .000 , , .650 , , 5.1 , , .8 , , 1.1 , , .5 , , 8.7 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 81 , , 7 , , 20.2 , , .464 , , .000 , , .567 , , 4.1 , , 1.0 , , .8 , , .7 , , 6.3 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, 66 , , 27 , , 25.0 , , .457 , , .100 , , .617 , , 3.9 , , .8 , , .7 , , .6 , , 5.2 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, 80 , , 46 , , 24.6 , , .451 , , .316 , , .695 , , 3.0 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , .4 , , 6.1 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, 66 , , 35 , , 25.0 , , .485 , , .392 , , .593 , , 4.2 , , .6 , , .6 , , .4 , , 6.6 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, 51 , , 24 , , 21.9 , , .440 , , .324 , , .556 , , 3.8 , , .5 , , .5 , , .3 , , 5.0 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, 22 , , 1 , , 20.3 , , .468 , , .383 , , .688 , , 4.8 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , .6 , , 7.5 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

, 64 , , 21 , , 14.5 , , .475 , , .462 , , .778 , , 2.9 , , .8 , , .4 , , .2 , , 3.0 , - , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 715 , , 195 , , 20.8 , , .469 , , .345 , , .649 , , 3.7 , , .7 , , .6 , , .5 , , 5.8

Playoffs

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2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

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, 5 , , 0 , , 8.4 , , .600 , , .000 , , .833 , , 2.6 , , .0 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , 4.6 , - , align="left" ,

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

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2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

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New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
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, 4 , , 0 , , 18.8 , , .818 , , – , , 1.000 , , 4.5 , , .5 , , .8 , , 1.0 , , 5.3 , - , align="left" ,

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

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, 5 , , 0 , , 2.6 , , .667 , , 1.000 , , – , , 1.2 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 1.2 , - , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 21 , , 0 , , 8.5 , , .600 , , .667 , , .889 , , 2.3 , , .1 , , .4 , , .3 , , 2.8

Personal life

On April 3, 2014, Cunningham was arrested for allegedly choking his girlfriend with whom he lived. Three days later, he was arrested on alleged domestic abuse charges. By August 18, 2014, charges were dropped, due to evidence Cunningham's then girlfriend had fabricated her accusations. Cunningham was included on a preliminary list for

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

Eurobasket 2009 The 2009 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 2009, was the 36th FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship held by FIBA Europe. The tournament, which was hosted by Poland, began on 7 September and concluded with the ...

qualifying matches in 2008. However, he was later ruled ineligible to compete for Britain after an investigation by British Basketball officials into his ancestral ties failed to prove his case to receive UK citizenship.MULLENS TO JOIN GB'S OLYMPIC TILT
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References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cunningham, Dante 1987 births Living people 20th-century African-American people 21st-century African-American sportspeople African-American basketball players American expatriate basketball people in China American men's basketball players Basketball players from Maryland Brooklyn Nets players Charlotte Bobcats players Fujian Sturgeons players Le Mans Sarthe Basket players Memphis Grizzlies players Minnesota Timberwolves players New Orleans Pelicans players People from Clinton, Maryland Portland Trail Blazers draft picks Portland Trail Blazers players Power forwards (basketball) San Antonio Spurs players Small forwards Sportspeople from the Washington metropolitan area Villanova Wildcats men's basketball players