George Aaron McCloud (born May 27, 1967) is an American former 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 played eleven seasons in the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
(NBA).
Early life
McCloud attended
Mainland High School
Mainland High School is a public high school located in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. It is attended by 1,979 students of grades nine through twelve. The mascot is a Buccaneer and strongly resembles the old logo of the Tampa Bay Buccane ...
in Daytona Beach and
Florida State University
Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the st ...
in
Tallahassee
Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2020, the population ...
. While at Florida State, McCloud was among the most discussed NBA prospects in the school’s history.
Professional career
McCloud was selected by the
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...
in the 1st round (7th overall) of the
1989 NBA Draft
The 1989 NBA draft took place on June 27, 1989, in New York City. Despite eight of the top ten picks being considered busts, including the first two picks Pervis Ellison and Danny Ferry, the draft produced many talented players such as Shawn K ...
. The 6'6" (1.98 m) guard–forward averaged 5.5 points per game overall for the Pacers, perhaps peaking in the
1992 NBA Playoffs as he averaged 11.5 points and 3 assists per game as the Pacers lost to 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 ...
in the first round. Earlier that season, McCloud was suspended for one game and fined for a postgame fight with Cleveland’s
John Battle. He was released after four seasons and played basketball in Italy during the 1993–94 season. He signed with the
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...
midway through the 1994–95 seasons.
During the
1995-96 season as a member of the Mavericks, appearing in 79 games and averaging 18.9 ppg while setting the NBA record for most 3-point attempts in a season. In his NBA career, McCloud played in 766 games and scored a total of 6,925 points. McCloud was a productive three point shooter throughout his career. At
NBA All-Star Weekend The National Basketball Association All-Star Weekend is a weekend festival held every February during the middle of the NBA regular season that consists of a variety of basketball events, exhibitions, and performances culminating in the NBA All-Star ...
in 1996, he appeared in the
Three-point Shootout
The Three-Point Contest is a National Basketball Association (NBA) contest held on the Saturday before the annual All-Star Game as part of All-Star Weekend.
The 2019 iteration of the contest involved ten participants. From its introduction in 19 ...
but lost in the semifinal round. McCloud has the second-highest total for three-point attempts in an NBA game, with 20 (making seven of them) in a game for the Dallas Mavericks against the
New Jersey Nets
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
on March 5, 1996. During the
1998 NBA Playoffs
The 1998 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1997–98 season. The tournament concluded with the two-time defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls defeating the Wester ...
, then on the Suns, McCloud averaged a postseason-best 14.3 points per game as Phoenix lost to 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 ( ...
in the first round.
George McCloud Per Game Playoffs
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In total, McCloud played a total of 12 years in the NBA from 1989 to 2002. He also played for the Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
and Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
.
References
External links
Career stats
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCloud, George
1967 births
Living people
African-American basketball players
All-American college men's basketball players
American expatriate basketball people in Italy
American men's basketball players
Basketball players from Florida
Dallas Mavericks players
Denver Nuggets players
Florida State Seminoles men's basketball players
Indiana Pacers draft picks
Indiana Pacers players
Los Angeles Lakers players
Mainland High School alumni
Phoenix Suns players
Rapid City Thrillers players
Shooting guards
Small forwards
Sportspeople from Daytona Beach, Florida
Victoria Libertas Pallacanestro players
21st-century African-American people
20th-century African-American sportspeople