Anthony Bennett

Early life and family background

Anthony Bennett was born on March 14, 1993, in Toronto, Ontario, and spent his formative years in the city's Jane and Finch neighbourhood. When he was ten years old, his family relocated to the nearby city of Brampton. He is the son of Edith Bennett, a nurse who immigrated to Canada from Jamaica, and Delroy Harris. Edith raised Anthony, his older sister Danielle, and his older brother Sheldon as a single mother. To support the family, she worked two nursing jobs, one at a hospital and another at a mental health facility. In her youth in Jamaica, Edith had been an athlete herself, participating in track and field and playing netball. Bennett attended Harold M. Brathwaite Secondary School in Brampton before his basketball potential prompted a major move at age 16 to Mountain State Academy in Beckley, West Virginia. After that academy closed after just one year, he transferred to the elite basketball program at Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nevada, a move that positioned him as a top national recruit for the class of 2012.

High school recruitment and college commitment

At Findlay Prep, Anthony Bennett developed into one of the most sought after high school basketball players in North America. Major scouting services consistently ranked him among the top ten players in his graduating class. ESPNU 100 listed him as the number seven player overall and the number one forward in the nation. Similarly, both Scout.com and Rivals.com ranked him as the number seven player in the country. This high profile recruitment led to interest from numerous NCAA Division I programs. Bennett eventually narrowed his college choices down to the University of Oregon and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). On May 12, 2012, he announced his commitment to play for the UNLV Runnin' Rebels under head coach Dave Rice, forgoing his final three years of high school eligibility to begin his college career.

College career at UNLV and draft declaration

Anthony Bennett's lone college season with the UNLV Runnin' Rebels during the 2012-13 campaign was statistically impressive. He appeared in 35 games, starting most at power forward while occasionally playing small forward. Despite averaging only 27.1 minutes per game, a figure limited by a shoulder injury that plagued him in the second half of the season, he posted averages of 16.1 points and 8.1 rebounds. His shooting efficiency was notable, with a 53.3 percent success rate from the field and a 37.5 percent mark from three point range. His player efficiency rating (PER) of 28.3 was among the highest in the nation that year. The injury led to reduced minutes and even a few games coming off the bench. UNLV finished the season with an at large berth to the NCAA tournament but lost in the Round of 64 to the University of California. Following the season, Bennett received several individual honours.

• Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year (2013).
• Associated Press Honourable Mention All American (2013).
• First team All Mountain West Conference (2013).

In April 2013, Anthony Bennett declared for the NBA draft, foregoing his final three years of college eligibility. In May 2013, he underwent elective surgery for sleep apnea and asthma. This surgery occurred before he began his professional basketball career. He was preparing for the demands of the NBA after his college season at UNLV.

NBA career: from first pick to league journeyman

Anthony Bennett was one of thirteen players invited to the green room for the 2013 NBA draft, indicating he was projected as a lottery pick. His selection first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers was described by CBC as a stunning turn of events that surprised even Bennett himself. He told media after the draft that he had no idea who was going first and that he had heard everything was up for grabs. He signed a two year rookie scale contract worth $10.9 million with the Cavaliers on August 20, 2013. His rookie season was historically poor. He did not make a field goal until his fifth NBA game, missing his first 16 shot attempts over 43 total minutes of play. It took him 33 games to score in double figures for the first time, recording 15 points and 8 rebounds on January 28, 2014, against the New Orleans Pelicans. Almost two thirds of all previous first overall picks had achieved double digit scoring in their very first game. His first career double double came on February 11, 2014, with 19 points and 10 rebounds against the Sacramento Kings. For the 2013-14 season, he averaged 4.2 points and 3.0 rebounds in 52 games. After participating in the 2014 NBA Summer League with the Cavaliers, where he averaged 13.3 points in four games, his time in Cleveland ended.

On August 23, 2014, Bennett was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a three team deal also involving the Philadelphia 76ers. The Timberwolves exercised their third year team option on his contract in October 2014. With Minnesota during the 2014-15 season, he set his NBA career highs, averaging 5.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in 57 games. He scored a career high 20 points against the San Antonio Spurs on November 21, 2014. An ankle injury in February 2015 sidelined him for two weeks, and after returning he appeared in only four more games. The Timberwolves waived him via a contract buyout on September 23, 2015. Bennett then signed a one year veteran's minimum deal with the Toronto Raptors on September 28, 2015. His tenure with his hometown team included a historic assignment to the NBA Development League affiliate, Raptors 905, on December 20, 2015, making him the first number one overall pick to play in the D League. He received three more assignments to the D League before the Raptors waived him on March 1, 2016, with reports indicating organizational frustration with his approach to the game and his inability to grasp the professional environment.

Bennett's final NBA contract was a two year deal worth $2.1 million with the Brooklyn Nets, signed on July 14, 2016. He debuted for the Nets on October 29, 2016, scoring nine points off the bench in a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. His season high of 12 points came on November 18 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He also received assignments to the Long Island Nets of the D League during this period, being assigned and recalled multiple times in late November 2016.

Global professional career after the NBA

Following his NBA career, Anthony Bennett began playing for professional clubs across the world. On January 13, 2017, he signed a one plus one contract with Fenerbahçe of the Turkish Basketball Super League. In ten EuroLeague games with the club, he averaged 1.2 points per game. Fenerbahçe won the 2017 EuroLeague championship, defeating Olympiakos 80-64 in the final, making Bennett a EuroLeague champion. He was released by Fenerbahçe on May 25, 2017. He returned to North America in September 2017, signing with the Phoenix Suns but was waived on October 11 before the NBA season began. He then joined the Northern Arizona Suns of the NBA G League. During this stint, he temporarily left the team in November 2017 to join the Canadian national team for FIBA World Cup qualification games. On December 28, 2017, he was traded to the Maine Red Claws of the G League in a deal that involved draft picks and player rights. In October 2018, he was traded again within the G League to the Agua Caliente Clippers in exchange for James Michael McAdoo and a draft pick.

After a brief training camp contract with the Houston Rockets in July 2019, which ended when he was waived in October after knee surgery, Bennett's career moved to other international leagues. In May 2021, he signed with Cangrejeros de Santurce in Puerto Rico, but his contract was terminated in July to make room for another player. On August 25, 2021, he signed with Hapoel Jerusalem of the Israeli Basketball Premier League. He made a strong debut on October 5, scoring a team high 22 points with 8 rebounds in 23 minutes. His contract was extended for the season, but he was waived on January 2, 2022, after eight games where he averaged 6.3 points. On February 9, 2022, he joined the Kaohsiung Steelers of Taiwan's P. League+, becoming the highest drafted NBA player to play professionally in Taiwan. For the 2022-23 season, he played for the Hsinchu JKO Lioneers in the same league. He signed with the Goyang Sono Skygunners of South Korea in August 2023 but left the team before the season started for personal reasons. On December 24, 2024, he signed with the Formosa Dreamers of the Taiwan Professional Basketball League, but his contract was terminated on March 26, 2025. His most recent move was signing with Al-Najma of the Bahraini Premier League on April 28, 2025.

International career with Team Canada

Anthony Bennett has a long history of representing Canada in FIBA competitions, beginning at the youth level. He played for Canada at the 2009 FIBA Americas Under 16 Championship, helping the team win a bronze medal. The following year, he was part of the Canadian squad at the 2010 FIBA Under 17 World Championship, where he won another bronze medal. At that 2010 tournament, his teammate was Andrew Wiggins, who would later become the number one overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft and a teammate of Bennett's on the Minnesota Timberwolves. Bennett's involvement with the senior national team included being named to the roster for the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto. Playing in his hometown, he was instrumental in Canada's run to the silver medal. The team recorded four victories, including a notable semi final upset over the United States, before losing the gold medal game to Brazil. Bennett's individual performance was outstanding, as he averaged a double double for the tournament with 15.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. He has also participated in qualification games for the FIBA Basketball World Cup, temporarily leaving his G League team in November 2017 to join the national team for such matches.

Player profile, statistics, and career earnings

When he entered the NBA, Anthony Bennett was often compared physically to former UNLV star and NBA All Star Larry Johnson, who was also a number one overall pick in 1991. Bennett stood 6 feet 8 inches tall and weighed 245 pounds during his playing days, with the ability to play both forward positions. His college statistics at UNLV indicated a highly efficient and productive player, but those numbers did not translate to the professional level. His NBA career totals of 4.4 points and 3.1 rebounds per game on 39.2 percent shooting from the field are the lowest for any first overall pick in the modern draft era. His single season career highs were all set with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2014 15 season. Over his professional basketball career, Bennett earned at least $16,507,172 from his NBA contracts alone, not including his salaries from international teams. His journey through the G League and multiple overseas leagues after his NBA departure is a record unique for a player of his draft stature. The nickname A Beast was sometimes used for him, reflecting the powerful athleticism he displayed in his youth which ultimately did not sustain a successful NBA career.

Legacy and place in basketball history

Anthony Bennett's legacy in basketball is defined by a series of historic firsts and a career path that diverged sharply from the norm for a number one draft pick. His selection in 2013 remains a landmark achievement for Canadian basketball, proving that a player developed in Canada could be viewed as the top talent available in the world's premier league. This moment inspired a generation of young Canadian players and coincided with a surge of NBA talent from the country. However, his subsequent performance has cemented his reputation as the most notable draft bust in NBA history. The statistical evidence supports this, as no other top pick has produced so little over multiple seasons. He also holds the unique and unenviable distinction of being the first and only number one overall selection to play in the NBA G League, a fact that highlights the unprecedented nature of his career trajectory. Despite his professional struggles, his contributions to the Canadian national team, particularly the silver medal at the 2015 Pan American Games, represent a positive and productive chapter. His continued willingness to play professionally across the globe, from Turkey to Taiwan to Bahrain, demonstrates a persistence in the sport long after the spotlight of the NBA faded. His story serves as a complex case study in the pressures of being a top draft pick and the globalized nature of modern professional basketball.

Questions about Anthony Bennett

Why is Anthony Bennett considered the biggest NBA draft bust?

Anthony Bennett is considered the biggest NBA draft bust due to the extreme disparity between his draft position and his professional output. Selected first overall in 2013, he played only four seasons and averaged 4.4 points and 3.1 rebounds per game, the lowest career averages for any number one pick. His slow start was historic, as he failed to score a field goal until his fifth game and took 33 games to record his first double digit scoring game. His rapid exit from the NBA and his status as the first top pick to play in the Development League solidify this assessment among basketball historians.

What teams did Anthony Bennett play for in the NBA?

Anthony Bennett played for four NBA teams. He began his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who drafted him in 2013. After one season, he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in August 2014. Following a buyout from Minnesota, he signed with the Toronto Raptors in September 2015. His final NBA stop was with the Brooklyn Nets, whom he joined in July 2016. His tenures with each team were brief, and he was waived by both the Raptors and the Nets during his contracts with them.

Did Anthony Bennett win any championships in his career?

Yes, Anthony Bennett won a EuroLeague championship in 2017 with Fenerbahçe of the Turkish Basketball Super League. He was on the roster during their playoff run and appeared in 10 EuroLeague games that season. Fenerbahçe defeated Olympiakos by a score of 80-64 in the championship game to secure the title. This represents the highest level professional club championship he won during his global career.

What did Anthony Bennett average in college at UNLV?

In his single college season at UNLV during 2012-13, Anthony Bennett averaged 16.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. He achieved these numbers in just 27.1 minutes per contest due to a shoulder injury. He shot 53.3 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from three point range, demonstrating high efficiency. These performances earned him Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year and Honourable Mention All American honours.

Where is Anthony Bennett playing basketball now in 2026?

Anthony Bennett is a professional basketball player for Al-Najma of the Bahraini Premier League. He signed with Al-Najma on April 28, 2025. Prior to that, his contract with the Formosa Dreamers in Taiwan was terminated in March 2025. His career has included playing for teams in the NBA, Turkey, Israel, Puerto Rico, Taiwan, South Korea, and Bahrain.

What medals has Anthony Bennett won with Team Canada?

Anthony Bennett has won three medals with Team Canada. At the youth level, he earned bronze medals at the 2009 FIBA Americas Under 16 Championship and the 2010 FIBA Under 17 World Championship. With the senior national team, he won a silver medal at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto. During that Pan Am Games tournament, he was a major contributor, averaging 15.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game as Canada beat the United States in the semi finals before losing to Brazil in the final.

Sources and further reading

• Anthony Bennett (Wikipedia)
• Anthony Bennett, Team Canada, Olympic.ca (olympic.ca)
• Anthony Bennett - Équipe Canada (olympique.ca)
• Anthony Bennett Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft ... (basketball-reference.com)

Checked by the Garbutt Disposal desk. Last updated 2026-10-28.