Stephen Bardo

Stephen Bardo

Bardo at the 2014 World Basketball Festival
Personal information
Born April 5, 1968
Henderson, Kentucky
Nationality American
Listed height 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight 190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school Carbondale (Carbondale, Illinois)
College Illinois (1986–1990)
NBA draft 1990 / Round: 2 / Pick: 41st overall
Selected by the Atlanta Hawks
Pro career 1990–2000
Position Guard
Number 42, 23, 25
Career history
1990–1991 Quad City Thunder (CBA)
1991 Atlanta Eagles (USBL)
1991 San Antonio Spurs
1991–1992 Quad City Thunder (CBA)
1992 San Antonio Spurs
1992–1993 Dallas Mavericks
1993 Wichita Falls Texans (CBA)
1993 Levallois (France)
1993–1994 Teamsystem Fabriano (Italy)
1994 Wichita Falls Texans (CBA)
1994–1995 Chicago Rockers (CBA)
1995 Joventut Badalona (Spain)
1995–1996 Detroit Pistons
1996 Chicago Rockers (CBA)
1996–2000 Toshiba Brave Thunders (Japan)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Stephen Dean "Steve" Bardo (born April 5, 1968) is a retired American professional basketball player.

Basketball career

During his standout career at the University of Illinois, 6'5" Bardo scored 909 points and compiled 495 assists. He was part of the Flyin' Illini team that qualified for the 1989 NCAA men's basketball tournament Final Four. That Fighting Illini team gained the moniker "Flyin' Illini" by Dick Vitale while broadcasting a game during the 1988-89 season. Bardo was named Big Ten defensive player of the year in 1989. Along with Bardo, the other starting members of that team included Nick Anderson, Kendall Gill, Lowell Hamilton, Kenny Battle, and key reserve Marcus Liberty.

Bardo was selected in the 1990 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks, but never played for the team, playing one game (one minute) with the San Antonio Spurs during the 1991–92 NBA season. He also appeared for the Dallas Mavericks and Detroit Pistons, amassing 32 more regular season games, and leaving the National Basketball Association with averages of 2 points, 2 rebounds and one assist.

Bardo also played in France, Italy, Japan, Spain, Venezuela overseas as well as the CBA (Quad City, Wichita Falls, Chicago). He enjoyed a 10-year professional playing career.

College stats

Season Games Points PPG Assists APG Steals Big Ten
Record
Overall
Record
Postseason
1986–87 31 119 3.7 85 2.7 23 13–2 23–8 NCAA First Round
1987–88 33 216 6.5 125 3.8 41 11–7 21–10 NCAA Second Round
1988–89 36 293 8.1 148 4.4 34 14–4 31–5 NCAA Final Four
1989–90 29 281 9.7 137 4.7 37 11–7 21–8 NCAA First Round
Totals 129 909 7.0 353 3.0 203 49–20 96–31 4 appearances

Post-retirement

Since retiring in 2000, Bardo has worked in broadcasting. He has served as a color analyst for the Illini Sports Network, a sports reporter for WBBM-TV in Chicago, an analyst and reporter for CBS Sports, and a color analyst for college basketball on ESPN[1] and Big Ten Network. He has also participated on ESPN First Take. Additionally, he works as a motivational speaker,[2][3] and authored the book How To Make The League Without Picking Up The Rock.[1]

References

External links