Bryant Dunston

Bryant Dunston
Dunston with Anadolu Efes in 2017
No. 42 – Žalgiris Kaunas
PositionCenter
LeagueLKL
EuroLeague
Personal information
Born (1986-05-28) May 28, 1986 (age 38)
Queens, New York
NationalityAmerican / Armenian
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High schoolSt. John's Preparatory School
(Queens, New York)
CollegeFordham (2004–2008)
NBA draft2008: undrafted
Playing career2008–present
Number5, 6, 12, 42
Career history
2009–2010Mobis Phoebus
2010–2011Aris Thessaloniki
2011Bnei Herzliya
2011–2012Hapoel Holon
2012–2013Varese
2013–2015Olympiacos
2015–2023Anadolu Efes
2023–2024Virtus Bologna
2024–presentŽalgiris Kaunas
Career highlights and awards
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Armenia
European Championship for Small Countries
Gold medal – first place 2016 Moldova

Bryant Kevin Dunston Jr. (Armenian: Բրայանտ Քեւին Դանստոն կրտսեր; born May 28, 1986) is an American-born naturalized Armenian professional basketball player for Žalgiris Kaunas of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) and the EuroLeague. He also represents the senior Armenian national team in international competition. Standing at a height of 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m), Dunston plays at the center position.

Dunston has won the EuroLeague Best Defender award twice, and also reached the EuroLeague Final in 2015, while playing for Olympiacos. In 2011–12, he was the top rebounder in the Israel Basketball Premier League. Dunston earned an All-EuroLeague Second Team selection in 2017.

Early life

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Dunston was born in southern Kentucky, and grew up in LeFrak City, Queens. He is a graduate of St. John's Preparatory High School. He is the nephew of former professional baseball player Shawon Dunston, a former No. 1 pick in the MLB.[1]

College career

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Dunston attended Fordham University, where he played college basketball with the Fordham Rams. He finished his collegiate career by being named to the First Team All-Metropolitan, Second Team All-Atlantic 10 Conference, and Atlantic 10 Conference All-Defensive Team.[2]

In his college career, Dunston appeared in all 120 of Fordham's games, starting in 118 of them. He finished his college career in second place on Fordham's all-time scoring list, with 1,832 career points, in third place on Fordham's all-time rebounds list, with 993 career rebounds, and as Fordham's career blocked shots leader, graduating with 294 career rejections.

Professional career

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Dunston played with Mobis Phoebus in the Korean Basketball League. In 2010, he signed with the Greek League club Aris,[3][4] but left the team in February 2011.[5]

After leaving Aris, he signed with the Israeli League club Bnei HaSharon.[6] Following the 2010–11 season, Dunston joined the Israeli League club Hapoel Holon. In 2011–12, he was the top rebounder in the Israel Basketball Premier League.

Reports said that Dunston was on the verge of signing a guaranteed contract with the NBA's Brooklyn Nets in the summer 2012.[7] However, he joined the Italian League club Pallacanestro Varese instead.

Olympiacos

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On July 9, 2013, Dunston signed a two-year contract with Olympiacos.[8] In his first EuroLeague season, he averaged 10.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals and league-leading 1.3 blocks over 29 games played. Olympiacos however finished the participation in the EuroLeague by losing 2–3 to Real Madrid in the quarter-final series. On May 6, he was voted the EuroLeague Best Defender of the season.[9]

On May 6, 2015, he was named the EuroLeague season's Best Defender for the second season in a row.[10]

Anadolu Efes

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On June 23, 2015, Dunston signed a two-year contract with the Turkish club Anadolu Efes.[11] On May 18, 2017, he signed a two-year contract extension with Anadolu Efes.[12]

On May 23, 2019, Dunston signed another two-year contract extension with the club.[13] He signed a two-year extension on July 26, 2020, with an option for another year.[14] On November 6, Dunston was ruled out for a month following an eye injury.[15]

On April 29, 2023, Dunston was involved in a car accident, with his car getting trapped under a semi-truck in Istanbul and suffered minor injuries only.[16] Anadolu Efes later announced that he was in good general health and under observation.[17]

On June 29, 2023, Dunston amicably parted ways with the Turkish powerhouse after eight seasons together.

Virtus Bologna

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On August 25, 2023, Dunston signed a two-year (1+1) contract with Italian powerhouse Virtus Bologna.[18] On 24 September 2023, after having ousted Olimpia Milano in the semifinals, Virtus won its fourth Supercup, and the third in a row, defeating 97–60 Germani Brescia.[19]

Žalgiris Kaunas

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On July 17, 2024, Dunston signed a one-year deal with Žalgiris Kaunas of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) and the EuroLeague.[20]

National team career

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On June 16, 2015, he was included on the list of candidates of the senior Slovenian national basketball team for the EuroBasket 2015, by team selector Jure Zdovc.[21] However, he didn't get a Slovenian passport in time, so he wouldn't represent Slovenia at the EuroBasket.[22]

In June 2016, Dunston arrived in Yerevan, to represent the senior Armenian national basketball team in the 2016 FIBA European Championship for Small Countries.[23]

Career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  PIR  Performance Index Rating
 Bold  Career high

EuroLeague

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† Denotes season in which Dunston won the EuroLeague
* Led the league
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG PIR
2013–14 Olympiacos 29 21 24.7 .670 .000 .566 5.3 1.0 1.1 1.3* 10.3 15.0
2014–15 29 25 19.4 .543 .000 .618 4.4 .6 .8 1.1 7.1 9.0
2015–16 Anadolu Efes 24 15 21.0 .604 — .655 5.0 1.2 .5 1.1 7.9 11.5
2016–17 35 34 28.9 .551 .000 .679 6.2 1.1 .6 1.1 10.7 14.6
2017–18 30 28 28.2 .645 .333 .697 5.4 1.3 .7 1.7* 10.2 15.5
2018–19 36 32 26.1 .640 .333 .701 4.9 1.3 .8 1.2 8.9 13.5
2019–20 9 5 25.7 .704 .000 .625 5.3 1.8 .8 1.2 10.1 15.1
2020–21† 36 13 21.0 .581 .500 .610 3.9 1.0 .9 .9 7.9 10.8
2021–22† 37 10 17.9 .707 .500 .697 3.2 .9 .8 1.0 7.1 10.0
2022–23 29 2 13.6 .623 .000 .763 2.9 .6 .8 .4 4.3 6.8
2023–24 Bologna 36 32 19.3 .614 .333 .476 3.6 .9 .8 .7 4.5 6.7
Career 330 217 22.2 .618 .275 .649 4.5 1.0 .8 1.1 7.9 11.4

Awards and accomplishments

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College

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  • Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Year: (2005)[2]
  • Second Team All-Atlantic 10 Conference: (2005)
  • First Team All-Atlantic 10 Conference: (2006)
  • Second Team All-Atlantic 10 Conference: (2007)
  • First Team All-Metropolitan: (2008)
  • Second Team All-Atlantic 10 Conference: (2008)
  • Atlantic 10 Conference All Defensive Team: (2008)

Professional

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References

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  1. ^ "Fordhamsports.com Bryant Dunston Ram Profile". Archived from the original on July 22, 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Bryant Dunston and Marcus Stout Named All-Metropolitan". Fordhamsports.cstv.com. April 18, 2008. Archived from the original on October 8, 2008. Retrieved December 16, 2011.
  3. ^ "Aris BSA 2003 lands Bryant Dunston". Welcome to 7DAYS EuroCup. December 8, 2023.[dead link]
  4. ^ Published por Alberto de Roa (July 27, 2010). "Aris Thessaloniki signs Bryant Dunston". Thehoopsmarket.blogspot.com. Retrieved December 16, 2011.
  5. ^ "Λύση συνεργασίας με τον Μπράιαντ Ντάνστον". Archived from the original on July 21, 2011.
  6. ^ "משרון דרוקר לדן שמיר: דנסטון חתם בבני השרון". משרון דרוקר לדן שמיר: דנסטון חתם בבני השרון. February 5, 2011.
  7. ^ Income, Net (July 15, 2012). "Nets Signing Bryant Dunston?". NetsDaily.
  8. ^ "OLYMPIACOS adds big man Dunston". euroleague.net. July 9, 2013. Archived from the original on May 8, 2014. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
  9. ^ "Coaches vote Bryant Dunston of Olympiacos this season's Best Defender". Euroleague.net. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  10. ^ "2014–15 Best Defender Trophy winner: Bryant Dunston, Olympiacos Piraeus". euroleague.net. May 6, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
  11. ^ "Anadolu Efes Istanbul bulks up with Brown, Dunston". Euroleague.net. June 23, 2015. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
  12. ^ "Bryant Dunston re-signs with Anadolu Efes for two years". Sportando.com. May 18, 2017. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  13. ^ "Anadolu Efes keeps Dunston, too". euroleague.net. May 23, 2019. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  14. ^ "Efes, Bryant Dunston agree on new 2+1 deal". Sportando. July 26, 2020. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  15. ^ "Bryant Dunston out one month". Eurobasket. November 6, 2020. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  16. ^ "Anadolu Efes player Bryant Dunston involved in traffic accident". Anadolu Agency. April 29, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  17. ^ "Efes's Dunston in 'good general health' after car accident". Euroleague Basketball. April 30, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  18. ^ Johnny, Askounis (August 25, 2023). "Bryant Dunston lands at Virtus Bologna". Eurohoops. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  19. ^ Una Virtus esagerata stravince la Supercoppa. la Repubblica
  20. ^ Gillingham, Geoff (July 17, 2024). "Bryant Dunston heads to Zalgiris". EuroLeague. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  21. ^ Zbačnik, Gal (June 16, 2015). "Reprezentanca najbrž brez Gorana Dragića, a z Dunstonom!". kosarka.si (in Slovenian). Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  22. ^ "Bryant Dunston can not play the Eurobasket in Slovenia". mundodeportivo.com. July 27, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  23. ^ "Bryant Dunston joins Armenian national basketball team". PanArmenian.net. June 20, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
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