Joshua David Grant (born August 7, 1967) is an American former professional
basketball player
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
. The 6'9" (2.06 m), 223 pound (101 kg)
power forward
The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is one of the five traditional Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. Traditionally, power forwards have played a role similar to center (basketball), centers. When on Of ...
graduated from
East High School in
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
in 1986
and attended the
University of Utah
The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...
, where he was an important player and still holds multiple basketball records. Among other honors, Grant was named to Utah's All-Century Men's Basketball Team on February 12, 2008
and was inducted into the University's Crimson Club Hall of Fame on April 8, 2008.
Grant was selected with the sixteenth pick of the second round of the 1993 NBA draft (43rd pick overall) by the Denver Nuggets and was traded to the Golden State Warriors on a draft night trade.
Grant played for the Warriors during the 1993–1994 season, and then played abroad for several years.
College career
Grant played for the
University of Utah Utes from 1988–1993 (he was forced to take a medical red-shirt year because of a knee injury during the 1991–92 season).
Grant played under coach
Lynn Archibald
Lynn J. Archibald (September 27, 1944 – May 28, 1997) was an American college basketball Coach (sport), coach. He served as head basketball coach at Idaho State University and the University of Utah.
Early life
Born in Logan, Utah, Archibald ...
for one season, and then under
Rick Majerus
Richard Raymond Majerus (February 17, 1948 – December 1, 2012) was an American basketball coach and TV analyst. He coached at Marquette University (1983–1986), Ball State University (1987–1989), the University of Utah (1989–2004), and S ...
for the rest of his college career. The period during which Grant played under Majerus marked the beginning of a highly successful period for the Utes under Majerus throughout the 1990s, which culminated with the Utes' appearance in the NCAA championship game in 1998. The Utes won
WAC regular season championships in 1991 and 1993, and the
1991 team went to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament, eventually being eliminated by
Jerry Tarkanian's defending champion
UNLV Runnin' Rebels
The UNLV Runnin' Rebels are the men's basketball team that represent the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in the Mountain West Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); it plays at the Thomas & Mack Center on campus. As ...
to finish 30–4 for the season.
Grant was the captain of the Utah team for three years (1991, 1992, 1993).
Honors
Grant received many honors for his collegiate career at Utah, where he was a four-year letter earner (1989, 1990, 1991, 1993).
He was first-team all-WAC twice (1991, 1993)
and second team all-WAC once (1990).
Grant was named WAC player of the year twice (1991, 1993),
and during those same two years, was also named to the WAC All-Tournament Team,
and the Utes won WAC regular-season championships.
In 2008, Grant was honored by the University of Utah as part of its men's basketball program's centennial celebration when he was named to the University of Utah Men's Basketball "All Century Team" on February 12, 2008.
Grant was also honored on April 8, 2008, when he was inducted to the University of Utah's Crimson Club Hall of Fame in 2008.
Grant also participated in several events that are among some of the most memorable in Utah men's basketball history. He dunked over 7'6" center Sean Bradley of arch-rival
BYU
Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day S ...
on February 16, 1991, which was voted as the 41st greatest moment in Utah basketball history.
Other events of the 100 Greatest Moments in Utah's Basketball History that Grant participated in include:
* 33. March 17, 1991 – Utah 85 Michigan State 84 to go to Sweet 16. The game went to double overtime, and Grant had 29 points for the Utes.
* 42. March 2, 1991 – Utah beats BYU 72–71 OT (30–4 season).
* 72. Feb 16, 1991 – Utah wins WAC with an 81–74 victory over BYU.
* 98. Feb 27, 1993 – Largest crowd ever recorded in the
Huntsman Center (15,755).
Records
Grant holds multiple records in many categories for Utah, including several all-time records, such as:
* Third highest scorer all-time with 2000 total points.
* Third in total rebounds with 1066.
* Most total offensive rebounds with 337.
* Second in total defensive rebounds with 839.
* Fourth in total field goals made with 727.
* Third in total three-point field goals made with 153.
* Second in all-time steals with 191.
* Seventh in all-time assists with 387.
* Fourth in blocked shots with 109.
* Third in total games played with 131.
Grant also holds many Utah records for individual games or seasons, as well as several WAC records, which are not listed here.
Professional career
Josh Grant was drafted as the 16th pick of the second round in the 1993 NBA draft (43rd overall) by the Denver Nuggets and was traded to the Golden State Warriors in a draft night trade with a 1994 second-round draft pick (eventually used to select
Anthony Miller of Michigan) for
Darnell Mee
LaFarrell Darnell Mee (born February 11, 1971) is an American former professional basketball player who played 12 seasons in the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for Western Kentucky before being selected by the Go ...
.
Grant played for the Warriors during the 1993–1994 season before playing abroad for several years.
Grant was waived after one season.
Grant played professionally in Europe for nine more years, playing on teams in Spain, France, Greece and Italy.
Personal
Grant graduated from
East High School in Salt Lake City in 1986, where he was an all-state player twice, and was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Utah as a senior, after leading his team to a third-place finish in the state tournament.
His older brother
Greg Greg is a masculine given name, and often a shortened form of the given name Gregory. Greg (more commonly spelled " Gregg") is also a surname.
People with the name
*Greg Abbott (disambiguation), multiple people
*Greg Abel (born 1961/1962), Canadi ...
was also a standout basketball player, earning
PCAA co-Player of the Year honors at
Utah State
Utah State University (USU or Utah State) is a public land-grant research university in Logan, Utah. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. With nearly 20,000 students living on or near campus, USU is Utah's ...
. His other brother Nate also played at Utah State.
Grant also served a two-year mission for
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
in London from 1986 to 1988.
After his basketball career, Grant earned a master's degree in teaching. He was a history teacher and head boys' basketball coach at Lake Forrest High School and
Niles West High School
Niles West High School, officially Niles Township High School West or NWHS, is a public four-year high school located in Skokie, Illinois, a north suburb of Chicago in the United States. It is part of Niles Township Community High School Distric ...
in the Chicago, Illinois area.
Grant currently works as a regional development officer for the University of Utah, as part of the University's outreach program to alumni and friends. As part of this job, he travels around the country meeting alums and working to establish new relationships and strengthen ties with alums and friends on behalf of the university.
Career statistics
NBA
Regular season
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Golden State
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Playoffs
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Golden State
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See also
*
References
External links
NBA.com ProfileBasketpedya.com ProfileItalian League Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grant, Josh
1967 births
Living people
All-American college men's basketball players
American expatriate basketball people in France
American expatriate basketball people in Greece
American expatriate basketball people in Italy
American expatriate basketball people in Spain
American men's basketball players
Aris B.C. players
Baloncesto León players
Basketball players from Salt Lake City
Cholet Basket players
Denver Nuggets draft picks
Élan Béarnais players
Golden State Warriors players
Greek Basket League players
Le Mans Sarthe Basket players
Liga ACB players
Olympiacos B.C. players
Power forwards (basketball)
Roseto Sharks players
Universiade gold medalists for the United States
Universiade medalists in basketball
Utah Utes men's basketball players
Valencia Basket players