Donald R. Buse ( ; born August 10, 1950) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player. A

point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the Basketball positions, five positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position and is usually the shortest player ...

from the

University of Evansville The University of Evansville (UE) is a private university in Evansville, Indiana. It was founded in 1854 as Carnegie Hall of Moores Hill College, Moores Hill College. The university operates a satellite center, Harlaxton Manor, Harlaxton College ...

, he played 13 seasons (1972–1985) in the

American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major professional basketball league that operated for nine seasons from 1967 to 1976. The upstart ABA operated in direct competition with the more established National Basketball Association thr ...

(ABA) and

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

(NBA) as a member of the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

, the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...

, the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...

, and the

Kansas City Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...

High school

Named an Indiana All-Star in 1968, following a stellar career at

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...

High School, which consolidated with Huntingburg High School to become Southridge High School. He started from 1964 to 1968, and led the Dutchmen to Sectional Championships in 1967 and 1968. They finished the 1968 season undefeated but lost the Regional Championship game to perennial power

Jeffersonville High School Jeffersonville High School is a public high school located in Jeffersonville, Indiana, United States. The school serves students in grades 9 through 12 from Jeffersonville, Utica, and sections of Clarksville not covered by that town's own hig ...

. Buse was selected to the Indiana All-Star Team in 1968.

College

* Played for legendary

Arad McCutchan Arad A. McCutchan (July 4, 1912 – June 16, 1993) was a collegiate basketball coach. The Evansville, Indiana, native coached his hometown University of Evansville from 1946 to 1977, guiding the Purple Aces to a 514–314 record. McCutchan spent ...

at Evansville; leading the Purple Aces to a four-year record of 68–42 and the 1971

NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship The NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament (officially styled by the NCAA as a "Championship" instead of a "Tournament") is an annual championship tournament for colleges and universities that are members of NCAA Division II, a grouping of ...

title. * Ranks # 13 all-time in scoring (1,426 pts.) * Ranks # 9 all-time in scoring average (16.9) * Ranks # 9 all-time in field goal percentage (.497) * Ranks # 7 all-time in free throws (364) * Ranks # 7 all-time in free throw percentage (78.5) * Selected as 1st Team All-Indiana Collegiate Conference in 1970–71 and 1971–72. * Selected as 1st Team All-District College Division (NABC) in 1972. * Selected as 3rd Team All-American College Division (UPI) in 1972. * Selected as 3rd Team All-American College Division (NABC) in 1972. * Selected as Honorable Mention All-American College Division (AP) in 1972. * Selected as 1st Team All-American College Division (Universal Sports) in 1972. * Retired his number (#10) * Selected to the

USA Basketball USA Basketball (USAB) is a non-profit organization and the governing body for basketball in the United States. The organization represents the United States in FIBA, and the men's and women's national basketball teams in the United States ...

Team in 1971;

Pan-American Games The Pan American Games, known as the Pan Am Games, is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas. It features thousands of athletes participating in competitions to win different summer sports. It is held among athletes from nations of th ...

participant. * Invited to U.S. Olympic Trials in 1972; declined invitation for professional basketball career.

Career

Don Buse was selected for the NCAA squad to compete for positions on the 1972 U.S. Olympic basketball team, but he was replaced by Jim Forbes as he signed a professional contract. Buse went on to play professionally for the

, the

, and the

. Buse was known for his dependable ball-handling, tight defense, and clutch-shooting, and he appeared in two

All-Star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...

games (one in the ABA in

1976 Events January * January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 18 – Full diplomatic ...

; one in the NBA in

1977 Events January * January 8 – 1977 Moscow bombings, Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (no ...

) during the course of his career. His best season occurred in 1975–76, when he led the ABA in both steals per game (4.12) and assists per game (8.2) while also contributing a career high 12.5 points per game. In the next season, his first in the NBA, Buse again led all players in steals per game (3.47) and assists per game (8.5). In 1979, Buse helped take the Suns deep into the playoffs on a team with notable players, such as Paul Westphal, Walter Davis,

Truck Robinson Leonard Eugene "Truck" Robinson (born October 4, 1951) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Washington Bullets (1974–77), Atlanta Hawks (1977), New Orl ...

and Alvan Adams. Buse was an All-Defensive Team member six times, from the 1974–75 season through the 1979–80 season. The first two were in the ABA and the final four were in the NBA. After Buse's career he was selected to several All-time teams, including: * Selected to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame 'Silver Anniversary' Team in 1993. * Selected to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998. * Selected as one of Indiana's Greatest 50 player

in 1999. * Selected to the All-Time

Basketball Team in 2005.

Career statistics

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6fa;", † , style="text-align:left;", 1972–73 Indiana Pacers season, Indiana (ABA) , 77 , , , , 19.3 , , .453 , , .208 , , .752 , , 2.7 , , 2.9 , , , , , , 5.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

(ABA) , 77 , , , , 24.4 , , .398 , , .336 , , .686 , , 3.3 , , 3.4 , , 1.9 , , .3 , , 5.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

(ABA) , 80 , , , , 29.6 , , .432 , , .309 , , .797 , , 3.4 , , 4.2 , , 2.1 , , .2 , , 6.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

(ABA) , 84 , , , , style="background:#cfecec;", 40.2* , , .451 , , .346 , , .814 , , 3.8 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 8.2* , , style="background:#E0CEF2, 4.1* , , .4 , , 12.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

(NBA) , 81 , , , , 36.4 , , .416 , , , , .786 , , 3.3 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 8.5* , , style="background:#cfecec, 3.5* , , .2 , , 8.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Phoenix (NBA) , 82 , , 82 , , 31.1 , , .458 , , , , .824 , , 3.0 , , 4.8 , , 2.3 , , .2 , , 8.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Phoenix (NBA) , style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , 31.0 , , .495 , , , , .769 , , 2.6 , , 4.3 , , 1.9 , , .2 , , 7.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Phoenix (NBA) , 81 , , , , 30.9 , , .443 , , .241 , , .664 , , 2.9 , , 4.0 , , 1.6 , , .1 , , 7.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

(NBA) , 58 , , , , 18.9 , , .397 , , .328 , , .769 , , 1.4 , , 2.4 , , 1.3 , , .1 , , 5.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

(NBA) , 82 , , 78 , , 30.8 , , .455 , , .386 , , .813 , , 2.7 , , 5.0 , , 2.0 , , .3 , , 9.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...

(NBA) , 41 , , 1 , , 15.7 , , .396 , , .257 , , .891 , , 1.3 , , 2.8 , , 1.1 , , .0 , , 4.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...

(NBA) , 76 , , 10 , , 17.5 , , .426 , , .305 , , .788 , , 1.5 , , 4.0 , , 1.1 , , .0 , , 5.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

(NBA) , 65 , , 14 , , 14.4 , , .404 , , .356 , , .767 , , .9 , , 3.1 , , .6 , , .0 , , 3.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan=2, Career , 966 , , 267 , , 27.1 , , .440 , , .330 , , .779 , , 2.7 , , 4.6 , , 2.0 , , .2 , , 7.1 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan=2, All-Star , 2 , , 0 , , 16.5 , , .444 , , .500 , , , , 1.5 , , 4.0 , , 2.0 , , .0 , , 4.5

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6fa;",

1973 Events January * January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...

† , style="text-align:left;", 1972–73 Indiana Pacers season, Indiana (ABA) , 14 , , , , 11.6 , , .356 , , .000 , , .619 , , 1.8 , , 1.2 , , , , , , 3.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...

, style="text-align:left;",

(ABA) , 14 , , , , 23.6 , , .441 , , .318 , , .667 , , 2.6 , , 2.6 , , 2.1 , , .1 , , 5.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 – Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

, style="text-align:left;",

(ABA) , 18 , , , , 32.0 , , .379 , , .231 , , .533 , , 3.2 , , 4.4 , , 2.5 , , .3 , , 5.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

(ABA) , 3 , , , , 46.0 , , .455 , , .333 , , 1.000 , , 4.7 , , 8.7 , , 2.3 , , .0 , , 12.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...

, style="text-align:left;", Phoenix (NBA) , 2 , , , , 38.0 , , .364 , , , , , , 2.5 , , 2.0 , , 2.0 , , .0 , , 4.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

, style="text-align:left;", Phoenix (NBA) , 15 , , , , 34.1 , , .405 , , , , .727 , , 3.7 , , 3.5 , , 1.5 , , .3 , , 7.9 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...

, style="text-align:left;", Phoenix (NBA) , 8 , , , , 29.5 , , .438 , , .385 , , .636 , , 2.6 , , 5.5 , , .8 , , .0 , , 8.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...

, style="text-align:left;",

(NBA) , 2 , , , , 17.5 , , .125 , , .250 , , 1.000 , , 2.5 , , 3.5 , , 1.5 , , .0 , , 2.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1983 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...

, style="text-align:left;",

(NBA) , 5 , , , , 6.2 , , .250 , , , , .750 , , .4 , , 1.4 , , .0 , , .0 , , 1.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

, style="text-align:left;",

(NBA) , 3 , , , , 16.7 , , .438 , , .500 , , .667 , , 1.0 , , 3.7 , , .3 , , .3 , , 7.0 , -class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan=2, Career , 84 , , , , 25.6 , , .400 , , .287 , , .658 , , 2.7 , , 3.4 , , 1.7 , , .2 , , 5.7

References

External links

*
"No Boo-boos For Boo Boo"
1977 ''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...

'' article
"Buse Putting Go in Pacers"
1982 ''

Sporting News ''The Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a ...

'' article *Indiana Basketball Hall of Fam

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buse, Don 1950 births Living people ABA All-Stars American men's basketball players Basketball players at the 1971 Pan American Games Basketball players from Indiana Evansville Purple Aces men's basketball players Indiana Pacers players Kansas City Kings players NBA All-Stars Pan American Games basketball players for the United States Phoenix Suns draft picks Phoenix Suns players People from Huntingburg, Indiana Point guards Portland Trail Blazers players Undrafted ABA players

High school

College

Career

Career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

See also

References

External links