Mario Bennett
Encyclopedia
Mario Marcell Bennett is an American
professional basketball
player.
He finished his 87 game college career with per-game averages of 32.3 minutes, 15.7 points on 58.7% shooting and 53.0% free throws, 7.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 2.8 turnovers, 2.2 steals and 1.1 blocks.
in the first round of the 1995 NBA Draft with the 27th overall pick, Bennett was the first Sun Devil to be drafted in 12 years since Byron Scott. Bennett was the top rebounder in preseason for Phoenix with 8.8 rpg but he underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on Nov. 1. He spent four months on the injured list before finally playing in 19 late-season game for the Suns. He was waived by the Suns on 10/29/96. He averaged 8.0 ppg and 6.3 rpg in 1996-97 in 7 games for Grand Rapids and Yakima of the CBA.
He was signed by the Los Angeles Lakers
as a free agent on September 21, 1997 and played in 45 games in 1997-98, averaging 3.9 points and 2.8 rebounds per game in limited action. Prior to the 1998-99 season, Mario Bennett signed with the Chicago Bulls
as a free agent on 1/31/99 and was waived by the Bulls on 2/16/99. He went on to play one game for the Los Angeles Clippers
in the 1999-2000 season.
Bennett has career per-game averages of 4.0 points on 54.4% FG and 51.1% FT, and 2.7 rebounds on 8.9 minutes per game. He has registered career highs of 21 points and 14 rebounds on separate occasions.
in 2001. He later left for to suit up for San Miguel Beermen
in the Philippine Basketball Association
. He went back to France to have a superb season with Paris Basket Racing
.
Afterwards, the man with a tattooed body from top to bottom (eyes in the back, Mario bros on the arm, a basketball player on the calf), turned his services east for the Russian team, Autodor Saratov. After a few games in Russia, Bennett left his team amicably.
After a stint in the CBA again, he joined the Fastlink Aman team (Jordan). Knee problems cut his stint there and he went to seek treatment for that. After a knee operation, he came back to play with Mabetex Pristina in Kosovo.
Finally, at the age of 32, he joined Dijon, whose coach Monclar knew his qualities. The stint, in which he averaged 10 points and 9 rebounds, resulted in a selection for the All Star game. A broken metatarsal halted Bennett's season in January 2007.
In early January 2011 Bennett was involved in an incident in a nightclub located in the city of Bucharest
, where he claimed security guards attacked him violently, causing injuries to his head and legs.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player.
College career
The youngest of four children, Bennett was an early entry candidate for the 1995 NBA Draft despite having been in school for four years, because he missed the entire 1992-93 season recovering from knee surgery. Although he played only three seasons, he placed first all-time in school history in blocked shots (191) and field goal percentage (.587) and was eighth in rebounding (675). During the 1994-95 campaign he set the Pac-10 single-season mark for blocks with 115, and he became only the third player in Sun Devils history to net 600 or more points in a season. The powerful forward finished his career with 219 dunks. Bennett missed all of 1992-93 and the first six games of the 1993-94 campaign while recovering from left knee surgery to repair anterior cruciate ligament tears.He finished his 87 game college career with per-game averages of 32.3 minutes, 15.7 points on 58.7% shooting and 53.0% free throws, 7.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 2.8 turnovers, 2.2 steals and 1.1 blocks.
NBA career
Selected by the Phoenix SunsPhoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
in the first round of the 1995 NBA Draft with the 27th overall pick, Bennett was the first Sun Devil to be drafted in 12 years since Byron Scott. Bennett was the top rebounder in preseason for Phoenix with 8.8 rpg but he underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on Nov. 1. He spent four months on the injured list before finally playing in 19 late-season game for the Suns. He was waived by the Suns on 10/29/96. He averaged 8.0 ppg and 6.3 rpg in 1996-97 in 7 games for Grand Rapids and Yakima of the CBA.
He was signed by the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
as a free agent on September 21, 1997 and played in 45 games in 1997-98, averaging 3.9 points and 2.8 rebounds per game in limited action. Prior to the 1998-99 season, Mario Bennett signed with the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
as a free agent on 1/31/99 and was waived by the Bulls on 2/16/99. He went on to play one game for the Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
in the 1999-2000 season.
Bennett has career per-game averages of 4.0 points on 54.4% FG and 51.1% FT, and 2.7 rebounds on 8.9 minutes per game. He has registered career highs of 21 points and 14 rebounds on separate occasions.
Overseas career
He began to make a name in Europe at MontpellierMontpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
in 2001. He later left for to suit up for San Miguel Beermen
San Miguel Beermen
The Petron Blaze Boosters is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team has been a member of the league since its inception in 1975 and hold the most PBA titles with 19.The team is owned by the Petron Corporation, a subsidiary of the Philippines' largest food...
in the Philippine Basketball Association
Philippine Basketball Association
The Philippine Basketball Association , is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of 10 company-branded franchised teams. It is the first and oldest professional basketball league in Asia and the second oldest in the world after the NBA...
. He went back to France to have a superb season with Paris Basket Racing
Paris Basket Racing
Paris Basket Racing, or PBR, is a now-defunct French professional basketball club from Paris. It was founded in the year 1922 as the basketball section of the sports club Racing Club de Paris. The team took the name "Paris Basket Racing" in 2000....
.
Afterwards, the man with a tattooed body from top to bottom (eyes in the back, Mario bros on the arm, a basketball player on the calf), turned his services east for the Russian team, Autodor Saratov. After a few games in Russia, Bennett left his team amicably.
After a stint in the CBA again, he joined the Fastlink Aman team (Jordan). Knee problems cut his stint there and he went to seek treatment for that. After a knee operation, he came back to play with Mabetex Pristina in Kosovo.
Finally, at the age of 32, he joined Dijon, whose coach Monclar knew his qualities. The stint, in which he averaged 10 points and 9 rebounds, resulted in a selection for the All Star game. A broken metatarsal halted Bennett's season in January 2007.
In early January 2011 Bennett was involved in an incident in a nightclub located in the city of Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, where he claimed security guards attacked him violently, causing injuries to his head and legs.
External links
- College & NBA stats @ basketballreference.com
- Player file @ NBA.com
- Stats @ lnb.fr