Gary Francis Leonard (born February 16, 1967) 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. At 7'1" and 295 lbs, he played

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

. Leonard played

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

for the

Missouri Tigers The Missouri Tigers intercollegiate athletics programs represent the University of Missouri, located in Columbia. The name comes from a band of armed Union Home Guards called the "Fighting Tigers of Columbia" who, in 1864, protected Columbia ...

before being selected with the 34th pick in the

1989 NBA draft The 1989–90 NBA season, 1989 NBA draft took place on June 27, 1989, in New York City. Despite eight of the top ten picks being considered busts, including the first two picks Pervis Ellison and Danny Ferry, the draft produced many talented play ...

by the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...

. In the

NBA 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 ...

, Leonard played three seasons for the Timberwolves and the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...

College career

In 1989, Leonard emerged as one of the leading centers available for the

with a strong senior season at the

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou or MU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri, United States. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Univers ...

, posting career highs in points (10.4 ppg) and rebounds (5.5 rpg), shooting .593 from the field and totalling 42

blocked shots In basketball, a block or blocked shot occurs when a defensive player legally deflects a field goal attempt from an offensive player to prevent a score. The defender is not allowed to make contact with the offensive player's hand (unless the def ...

. He was the only Missouri player to start every game in 1988–89, after being a part-time starter during his first three years. His .628 field goal percentage as a junior was among the nation's leaders in 1987–88. He helped Missouri advance to the "Sweet 16" of the NCAA tournament that season, where they lost to

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...

Professional career

Drafted with the 34th overall pick by the

in 1989, Leonard spent one season in Minnesota and played from 1990 to 1992 with the

. He also played one season in the

Continental Basketball Association The Continental Basketball Association (CBA), originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association, was a men's professional basketball m ...

(CBA), splitting the 1990–91 season between the

Sioux Falls Skyforce The Sioux Falls Skyforce are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and are affiliated with the Miami Heat. The team has played its home games in the Sanford Pentagon since the 2013–14 ...

and

Cedar Rapids Silver Bullets The Cedar Rapids Silver Bullets were a professional basketball team based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa from 1988 to 1991. They played in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), the defunct minor league, development league for the National Basketbal ...

. Leonard averaged 3.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in 19 career CBA games. He also played in Greece for Peristeri Athens and Milon Athens.

References

External links

College & NBA stats
@ basketballreference.com
at esake.gr
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leonard, Gary 1967 births Living people American expatriate basketball people in Greece American men's basketball players Atlanta Hawks players Cedar Rapids Silver Bullets players Centers (basketball) Milon B.C. players Minnesota Timberwolves draft picks Minnesota Timberwolves players Missouri Tigers men's basketball players Peristeri B.C. players Sioux Falls Skyforce (CBA) players Sportspeople from Belleville, Illinois Basketball players from St. Clair County, Illinois 20th-century American sportsmen