Dan Majerle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Position | Shooting Guard Small Forward |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Born | September 9, 1965 Traverse City, Michigan |
| Nationality | USA |
| College | Central Michigan |
| Draft | 14th overall, 1988 Phoenix Suns |
| Pro career | 1988–2002 |
| Former teams | Phoenix Suns (1988–1995, 2001–2002) Cleveland Cavaliers (1995–1996) Miami Heat (1996–2001) |
| Awards | 3-Time NBA All-Star |
| Olympic medal record | |||
| Men's Basketball | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | 1988 Seoul | United States | |
| World Championships | |||
| Gold | 1994 Canada | USA | |
Daniel Lewis Majerle (surname pronounced ['mɑrliː]; born September 9, 1965, Traverse City, Michigan) is an American former professional basketball player.
Known by his fans as "Thunder Dan" or "Dan the Man" he played 14 years in the National Basketball Association, primarily with the Phoenix Suns, also with the Miami Heat and, briefly, the Cleveland Cavaliers. He played for the US national team in the 1994 FIBA World Championship, winning the gold medal.[1]
Majerle starred for Traverse City High School (now Traverse City Central High School) and nearby Central Michigan University.
During his time at Central Michigan, Majerle would often play in pick up games at Rose Arena and Finch Fieldhouse. He had some legendary battles with Paul Haluska in these games, with Haluska's team often getting the better of Majerle's. Haluska, a 6'6" swingman, equally adept at posting up, taking his defender off the dribble, or raining long jumpers, had a rare combination of size and quickness which gave Majerle fits, as he was more accustomed to guarding taller, slower Centers in the Mid American Conference.
The Phoenix Suns selected Majerle with the 14th pick of the 1988 NBA Draft, which the Suns acquired (along with Kevin Johnson) in a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers for Larry Nance. During the draft, he was promptly booed when his name was announced over the public address system. Suns coach Cotton Fitzsimmons publicly chastised the Suns fans and told them that they would be sorry they ever booed Dan Majerle. His prediction was evident throughout the years Majerle played in the NBA and was capped on April 17, 2002 when he officially retired in his second stint as a member of the Phoenix Suns.
His nickname originated from his "thunderous" dunks in his early career, but as he grew older his style of play transitioned to that of a perimeter shooter and defensive specialist. He was one of the Suns better 3-point threats during their 90s playoff runs. Whenever he scored on a three-point shot in a home game, a deafening clap of thunder was played over the arena's sound system.
Majerle was inducted into the Suns' "Ring of Honor" on March 9, 2003. In 2006, Majerle was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.
He currently provides color commentary as part of the Phoenix Suns broadcasting team and owns a popular bar and restaurant in downtown Phoenix named Majerle's.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Dan Majerle Info Page at NBA.com
- Dan Majerle Statistics at Basketball-Reference.com
- Majerle's
- Dan Majerle at the Internet Movie Database
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
