Yinka Dare
Encyclopedia
Yinka Dare was a Nigeria
n professional basketball
player. A 7'0", 265 pound (120.2 kg) center
, he played four seasons in the National Basketball Association
. In 2004, Dare died at only 31 years of age after suffering a heart attack
.
, Dare was discovered by Nigerian-born lawyer
Lloyd Ukwu during a visit to Lagos
in 1991. While Ukwu was driving, he noticed a very tall man sitting on a bench eating a bowl of food. When he asked him how tall he was, Dare said he didn't know.
Dare had previously spent most of his free time playing tennis
, but soon picked up basketball
for the first time.
, Dare played one season at Milford Academy High, a prep school in Connecticut
.
Subsequently, he played college basketball
for George Washington University
, where he excelled as a player under coach Mike Jarvis
, also helping revive the basketball program. As a freshman in 1992–93, he led the Colonials to the NCAA Tournament
round of 16 ('The Sweet 16'), the furthest they had ever advanced.
The next year, Dare led the team to the second round of the tournament. He finished his college career averaging 13.8 points and 10.7 rebounds
per game; additionally, after just two seasons, he had become the Colonials' all-time leader in blocked shots
, averaging more than two per game.
by the New Jersey Nets
, agreeing to a six-year, $
9 million guaranteed contract. In the NBA
, he would appear in 110 games in four seasons, all with the Nets; in his rookie campaign, he played for three minutes before getting injured (torn ACL
) and missing the rest of the season.
The Nets left him unprotected during the 1995 expansion draft, but Dare was not selected by either the Toronto Raptors
or the Vancouver Grizzlies
. In his first full season (1995–96), in which he played a personal best 58 out of 82 games, he turned the ball over 72 times while registering no assists
, holding the dubious NBA record for most games played in a season, 58, without recording an assist. During his four-year career, he would rack up a total of four assists accompanied by 96 turnovers, while averaging 2.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, and less than 0.1 assists per game.
In early 1998, Dare was traded, along with David Benoit
and Kevin Edwards
, to the Orlando Magic
, for Brian Evans
and Rony Seikaly
, and was immediately waived. Subsequently, he played intermittently in other leagues including the Continental Basketball Association
and United States Basketball League
, until 2003.
. A medical examiner determined that he had suffered a heart attack
due to an arrhythmia condition discovered when he was in college.
Lucious Harris
, who joined the Nets in 1997–98, Dare's final season said: "It's a bad situation. I feel for his family. Just 32, to have a heart attack, that's scary. It always seemed like he was in shape. But things happen and you don't understand why."
Kerry Kittles
, who played with Dare in the latter's final two Nets seasons said: "He was a quiet guy, didn't talk that much. He worked hard - he didn't really play much, but he was a fun guy to be around. [He was] young: It makes you think... anything can happen any time. It's in the back of your mind [that] it could happen to you."
Dare's best friend, George Rogacki stated " i lost my nigga man, he was my boy"
Jarvis, who coached Dare at George Washington, told The Washington Post
: "Yinka was a kind, gentle person. He was nice to my family, as respectful as anybody I've come into contact with. I don't remember him having a bad word to say about anybody; just a nice, sweet kid."
Dare was survived by parents Gabriel and Joan, two sisters and a brother.
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n 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. A 7'0", 265 pound (120.2 kg) center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
, he played four seasons in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. In 2004, Dare died at only 31 years of age after suffering a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
.
Early years
Born in KanoKano
Kano is a city in Nigeria and the capital of Kano State in Northern Nigeria. Its metropolitan population is the second largest in Nigeria after Lagos. The Kano Urban area covers 137 sq.km and comprises six Local Government Area - Kano Municipal, Fagge, Dala, Gwale, Tarauni and Nassarawa - with a...
, Dare was discovered by Nigerian-born lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
Lloyd Ukwu during a visit to Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
in 1991. While Ukwu was driving, he noticed a very tall man sitting on a bench eating a bowl of food. When he asked him how tall he was, Dare said he didn't know.
Dare had previously spent most of his free time playing tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, but soon picked up 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...
for the first time.
High school/college career
Already in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Dare played one season at Milford Academy High, a prep school in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
.
Subsequently, he played college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
for George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
, where he excelled as a player under coach Mike Jarvis
Mike Jarvis
Mike Jarvis is an American college basketball coach and the current head men's basketball coach at Florida Atlantic University. He has coached at Boston University, George Washington University and St. John's University. He also has worked as a commentator for college basketball games on ESPN...
, also helping revive the basketball program. As a freshman in 1992–93, he led the Colonials to the NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
round of 16 ('The Sweet 16'), the furthest they had ever advanced.
The next year, Dare led the team to the second round of the tournament. He finished his college career averaging 13.8 points and 10.7 rebounds
Rebound (basketball)
A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...
per game; additionally, after just two seasons, he had become the Colonials' all-time leader in blocked shots
Block (basketball)
In basketball, a block , not to be confused with blocking, occurs when a defensive player legally deflects a field goal attempt from an offensive player. The defender must not touch the offensive player's hands or otherwise a foul is called. In order to be legal, the block must occur while the shot...
, averaging more than two per game.
Professional career
Dare was selected in the first-round (14th overall) of the 1994 NBA Draft1994 NBA Draft
The 1994 NBA Draft took place on June 29, 1994 in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is notable for the fact that two NBA rookies of the year were picked in the first round, as Jason Kidd and Grant Hill were co-winners of the award for the 1994–95 NBA season...
by the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, agreeing to a six-year, $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
9 million guaranteed contract. In the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, he would appear in 110 games in four seasons, all with the Nets; in his rookie campaign, he played for three minutes before getting injured (torn ACL
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
) and missing the rest of the season.
The Nets left him unprotected during the 1995 expansion draft, but Dare was not selected by either the Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
or the Vancouver Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
. In his first full season (1995–96), in which he played a personal best 58 out of 82 games, he turned the ball over 72 times while registering no assists
Assist (basketball)
In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...
, holding the dubious NBA record for most games played in a season, 58, without recording an assist. During his four-year career, he would rack up a total of four assists accompanied by 96 turnovers, while averaging 2.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, and less than 0.1 assists per game.
In early 1998, Dare was traded, along with David Benoit
David Benoit (basketball)
David Benoit is a former American professional basketball player, in the small forward position.During his career, he played seven years in the National Basketball Association, six with the Utah Jazz....
and Kevin Edwards
Kevin Edwards
Kevin Durell Edwards is a retired American professional basketball player who currently serves as DePaul University men's basketball team's director of community, corporate, and professional relations. Edwards was selected by the Miami Heat with the 20th overall pick of the 1988 NBA Draft...
, to the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
, for Brian Evans
Brian Evans (basketball)
Brian Keith Evans is an American professional basketball player who has formerly played in the NBA. A 6'8" and 220 lb forward, he played high school basketball at Terre Haute South, Indiana; Evans attended Indiana University from 1991–96, and played for the Hoosiers from 1992–96. Evans...
and Rony Seikaly
Rony Seikaly
Ronald Fred "Rony" Seikaly is a retired Lebanese-born American professional basketball player.-Early life:Seikaly was born in Beirut, Lebanon. At the age of 9, Rony moved from Beirut where he'd been attending elementary school at the Athenee de Beirut to Greece, where he spent the rest of his youth...
, and was immediately waived. Subsequently, he played intermittently in other leagues including the Continental Basketball Association
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...
and United States Basketball League
United States Basketball League
The United States Basketball League , often abbreviated to the USBL, was a professional men's spring basketball league. The league was formed in 1985. The final champions are the Kansas Cagerz, who won the title game on July 1, 2007.-History:...
, until 2003.
Death
Dare died in 2004, after collapsing in his home in Englewood, New JerseyEnglewood, New Jersey
Englewood is a city located in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 27,147.Englewood was incorporated as a city by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1899, from portions of Ridgefield Township and the remaining portions of...
. A medical examiner determined that he had suffered a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
due to an arrhythmia condition discovered when he was in college.
Lucious Harris
Lucious Harris
Lucious H. Harris is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2nd round of the 1993 NBA Draft. Harris has played for the Mavericks, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers in 12 NBA seasons...
, who joined the Nets in 1997–98, Dare's final season said: "It's a bad situation. I feel for his family. Just 32, to have a heart attack, that's scary. It always seemed like he was in shape. But things happen and you don't understand why."
Kerry Kittles
Kerry Kittles
Kerry Kittles is an American former professional basketball player who last played with the Los Angeles Clippers in the National Basketball Association in 2004-05. He was raised in New Orleans and attended St...
, who played with Dare in the latter's final two Nets seasons said: "He was a quiet guy, didn't talk that much. He worked hard - he didn't really play much, but he was a fun guy to be around. [He was] young: It makes you think... anything can happen any time. It's in the back of your mind [that] it could happen to you."
Dare's best friend, George Rogacki stated " i lost my nigga man, he was my boy"
Jarvis, who coached Dare at George Washington, told The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
: "Yinka was a kind, gentle person. He was nice to my family, as respectful as anybody I've come into contact with. I don't remember him having a bad word to say about anybody; just a nice, sweet kid."
Dare was survived by parents Gabriel and Joan, two sisters and a brother.
Other appearances
- Dare appeared in the 1995 Sega Genesis and Super NintendoSuper Nintendo Entertainment SystemThe Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
video game NBA Jam Tournament Edition as a "bonus" player, available on the all-rookie squad at the onset of the game. - He appeared in a PumaPUMA AGPuma SE, officially branded as PUMA, is a major German multinational company that produces high-end athletic shoes, lifestyle footwear and other sportswear. Formed in 1924 as Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik by Adolf and Rudolf Dassler, relationships between the two brothers deteriorated until the two...
shoe commercial.