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Dave Nelson (basketball)

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Dave Nelson
Personal information
Born1957 (age 66–67)
NationalityAmerican / Australian
Listed height204 cm (6 ft 8 in)
Listed weight98 kg (216 lb)
Career information
CollegeFort Lewis (1977–1979)
NBA draft1979: undrafted
Playing career1981–1995
PositionPower forward / center
Coaching career1988–1988
Career history
As player:
1981–1985Canberra Cannons
1986Brisbane Bullets
1988Canberra Cannons
1990–1991Toowoomba Mountaineers
1995Canberra Cannons
As coach:
1988Canberra Capitals
Career highlights and awards

David Nelson (born c. 1957) is an American former professional basketball player. He played two years of college basketball for the Fort Lewis Skyhawks before playing eight seasons in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) between 1981 and 1995. He won three NBL championships with the Canberra Cannons in 1983, 1984 and 1988. He became a naturalised Australian during his playing career.

College career

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Nelson played two years of college basketball for the Fort Lewis Skyhawks between 1977 and 1979.[1] He was named second-team All-RMAC as a junior in 1977–78[2] and first-team All-RMAC as a senior in 1978–79.[3] He averaged 16.8 points as a junior and 19.0 points as a senior.[1] As of 2022, his 1,058 career points ranked 28th all time in school history while his 455 career rebounds ranked 24th all time.[1]

Professional career

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In 1979, Nelson moved to Australia to play in the Australian-American Amateur Basketball League.[4] He was named the most valuable player in the league.[5]

In 1981, Nelson debuted in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) for the Canberra Cannons.[6] He was named in the All-NBL Team in his first season[7] after averaging a career-high 24.3 points per game.[8] He played in the 1982 NBL All-Star Game[9] and helped the Cannons win back-to-back NBL championships in 1983 and 1984.[6] He was team captain in 1983[10][11] and reached 100 NBL games and 2,000 points in 1984.[12]

After five seasons for the Cannons, Nelson joined the Brisbane Bullets for the 1986 NBL season.[6] As a naturalised Australian, he helped the Bullets reach the grand final series, where they lost to the Adelaide 36ers.[13] He sat out the 1987 season and then re-joined the Cannons for the 1988 NBL season.[6] After winning a third championship in 1988, he retired from the NBL.[14]

In 1990 and 1991, Nelson was a member of the Toowoomba Mountaineers who won back-to-back Queensland Basketball League (QBL) championships.[15][16]

Nelson returned to the Cannons for a seven-game stint in the 1995 NBL season.[6] In 173 career games in the NBL, he averaged 17.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.[8]

Player profile

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Nelson was considered a dynamic power forward with a "line dry jumpshot".[15] He was renowned for his hard-working game and his outside shots.[10] At six foot eight,[15] he was also listed as a center in the NBL.[9][17][18]

Coaching career

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Nelson served as head coach of the Canberra Capitals of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) during the 1988 season. The team missed the playoffs with a fifth-place finish and a 13–9 record.[19][20]

Personal life

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In 1984, Nelson became eligible for Australian naturalisation.[21]

Nelson's retirement from the NBL coincided with him starting a barbecue spare rib business in Canberra.[22] He has been the owner and chef of two Mexican restaurants in Canberra,[23] where he had a cult following for his ribs and wings.[24]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Men's Basketball Record Book" (PDF). Fort Lewis Skyhawks. December 26, 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 26, 2024.
  2. ^ "1978-79 RMAC Media Guide and Yearbook" (PDF). RMAC. p. 14 (23). Archived (PDF) from the original on February 27, 2024.
  3. ^ "1979-80 RMAC Media Guide and Yearbook" (PDF). RMAC. p. 14 (23). Archived (PDF) from the original on February 26, 2024.
  4. ^ Simpson, Malcolm (March 13, 2020). "Dr David Adkins – The Quiet American". GlobalStarHolidays.com.au. Archived from the original on February 26, 2024.
  5. ^ "NMHU Cager To Play in Australia". Albuquerque Journal. April 25, 1980. Retrieved February 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b c d e "David Nelson". andthefoul.net. Archived from the original on March 22, 2016.
  7. ^ "All NBL TEAMS". NBL.com.au. Archived from the original on February 6, 2002. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Player statistics for David Nelson". NBL. Archived from the original on February 26, 2024.
  9. ^ a b "FLASHBACK 25: April, 1982". BotiNagy.com. Archived from the original on February 26, 2024.
  10. ^ a b "Basketball's thinking team". The Canberra Times. February 25, 1983. Retrieved February 27, 2024 – via Trove.
  11. ^ Gover, Paul (July 20, 1983). "Nelson signs on for 1984". The Canberra Times. Retrieved February 28, 2024 – via Trove.
  12. ^ "Many highlights in Canberra and district sport; Raiders, Cannons in meteoric rise". The Canberra Times. December 30, 1984. Retrieved February 27, 2024 – via Trove.
  13. ^ Nagy, Boti (March 30, 2016). "NBL goes to three imports and opens door to Aussies abroad returning as 'marquee players'". Fox Sports. Archived from the original on February 27, 2024. The Bullets' imports were Leroy Loggins and Cal Bruton, with Ron Radliff, Dave Nelson and Tom Gerhardt all naturalised...
  14. ^ Scholes, Gary (February 18, 1989). "Cannons' squad looks like a winner". The Canberra Times. Retrieved February 27, 2024 – via Trove. Dave Nelson and Gary Ball have decided to retire but thankfully both have said that if we have any injury worries they will be available to help out...
  15. ^ a b c Onions, Lachlan (January 5, 2024). "QBL legend Pop Dickerson names his greatest Mountaineers teammates of all time". The Toowoomba Chronicle. Archived from the original on March 30, 2024.
  16. ^ "Historic Mines". HistoryOutThere.com. July 18, 2021. Archived from the original on March 12, 2024.
  17. ^ "FLASHBACK 16: The Cannon, Aug 16, 1985". BotiNagy.com. Archived from the original on February 27, 2024.
  18. ^ "FLASHBACK 23: The Cannon, April 13, 1985". BotiNagy.com. Archived from the original on April 14, 2024.
  19. ^ "UC Capitals Media Guide 2019" (PDF). WNBL. p. 4 (99). Archived (PDF) from the original on February 27, 2024.
  20. ^ "2023-24 Media Guide" (PDF). WNBL. p. 88. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 27, 2024.
  21. ^ Gover, Paul (July 30, 1983). "Victim of NBL's new import rule; Kirchmeyer leaves the Cannons". The Canberra Times. Retrieved February 26, 2024 – via Trove.
  22. ^ Moloney, John-Paul (February 13, 2017). "Objects of affection: mementos only a Canberran would love". The Canberra Times. Archived from the original on February 27, 2024.
  23. ^ Rudra, Natasha (January 25, 2016). "Restaurant Review: Cisco's Mexican, Kingston". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on February 27, 2024.
  24. ^ Hogan, Jil (May 10, 2017). "Head south (of the lake) for a taste of Mexico at Cisco's". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on February 27, 2024.
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