Byron Dean Tolson (born November 25, 1951) is an American former professional basketball player. Tolson played three seasons for the Seattle SuperSonics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Arkansas Razorbacks.
 Tolson as a sophomore at Arkansas | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 25, 1951 Kansas City, Missouri |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Central (Kansas City, Missouri) |
| College | Arkansas (1971–1974) |
| NBA draft | 1974: 5th round, 80th overall pick |
| Selected by the Seattle SuperSonics | |
| Playing career | 1974–1981 |
| Position | Power forward |
| Number | 20 |
| Career history | |
| 1974–1975 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1975–1976 | Hazleton Bullets |
| 1976–1977 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1978–1979 | Anchorage Northern Knights |
| 1979 | Gilbey's Gin |
| 1979–1980 | Anchorage Northern Knights |
| 1980–1981 | Rochester Zeniths |
| 1981 | St. George's Whiskies |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Professional career
editTolson was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 5th round (8th pick, 80th overall) of the 1974 NBA draft, after completing his career at the University of Arkansas. He played three seasons for the SuperSonics, appearing in 80 games over his career.[1]
Tolson was also selected in the 7th round of the 1974 American Basketball Association Draft by the New York Nets.[2]
Following his NBA career, Tolson played eleven years internationally[3] before returning to school to complete his education at the University of Arkansas.[4] [5] [6] He played for Greek club AEK B.C. in the 1983–84 FIBA Korać Cup.
In 2023, Dean Tolson's book, ‘Power Forward: My Journey from Illiterate NBA Player to a Magna Cum Laude Master's Degree,’ was published. A motivational speaker, he moved from Tacoma, Washington, and lives in Scottsdale, Arizona.
References
edit- ^ "Dean Tolson". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
- ^ "1974 ABA Draft". basketballreference.com. Archived from the original on July 20, 2013. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
- ^ Schauffler, Allen (October 5, 2007), A new chapter in the Dean Tolson story, KING 5 News, archived from the original on October 15, 2007
- ^ Raley, Dan (July 31, 2007), "Ex-Sonic Tolson makes most of second-chance education", The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
- ^ Boling, Dave (July 4, 2016), "From illiterate to author, former Sonics forward Dean Tolson writes the story of his life", The News Tribune of Tacoma, Washington
- ^ Lieber, Jill (May 30, 1988), "Never Too Old To Learn: Dean Tolson, a former basketball star at Arkansas, earned his degree at 36", Sports Illustrated
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