Tony Gaffney
Anthony " Tony" Joseph Gaffney Jr. ( born November 14, 1984 in Boston, Massachusetts) is an American professional basketball player. For the season 2011/2012 he moved to Germany and played at the Telekom Baskets Bonn. Previously, he played for the Utah Flash of the NBA Development League. After the season in Bonn Gaffney tried again to jump to the NBA and played for the Utah Jazz in the NBA Summer League.
Youth and College
Gaffney attended Somerset High School in Somerset. After high school, he went first for a preparatory year at the " Prep School " Northfield Mount Hermon School in Mount Hermon. For the study, he then remained in his native Massachusetts and went to Boston University, where he played for the high school team Terriers in the America East Conference of the NCAA Division I. After two years he transferred to the University and went back within the state to the University of Massachusetts Amherst. According to the rules of the NCAA, he was entitled to a year not participate in championship games. At UMass, the abbreviation of the university, he then completed two seasons with the Minutemen in Atlantic 10 Conference. In his final season, he was named " Defensive Player of the Year" ( German defensive player of the year) elected its Conference, after he was able to achieve more than 100 shot blocks and 50 steals in a season.
Professional career
Through the preparatory year and the change of university Gaffney was two years older than other players at the end of their college career after ending his college career. This contributed, among other things, that he was selected in the 2009 NBA Draft by any professional club in the NBA. However, he received an invitation for the NBA Summer League team of the former NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers. There he was able to convince and got a preliminary agreement for the professional team. At the end of the pre-season in late October but was still released as the last player for the limited season squad. Then Gaffney went to Israel Hapoel Gilboa Galil and played in conjunction with Jeremy Pargo and Isaiah Swann in a team. After only one season use, however, he suffered a foot injury. His contract was subsequently disbanded and he was treated in his home country. Gilboa Galil, however, later moved to the end of the season to the championship final and suggested there that otherwise belonged to Maccabi Tel Aviv.
After treatment for his foot injury Gaffney was still a contract in the NBA and signed in April 2010 with the Boston Celtics favored by himself in his native city. However, he remained with the Celtics until the end of the season without use. The Celtics, however, attracted one to the finals of the NBA where you calculated the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated, where Gaffney himself had been in the pre-season still under contract. For the following season, Gaffney was removed again from the squad of the Celtics and he again went to Europe, where he played in Ankara, Turkey for Turk Telekom. After only two months ended even this commitment prematurely, so he signed a contract in January 2011 with the Utah Flash of the NBA Development League. He knew again especially by its qualities in the defense to persuade and was elected to the selection of the five best defensive player of the season.
For the 2011/12 season he signed a contract with the then Telekom Baskets Bonn of the German Basketball Bundesliga. After first-class start to the season with five opening victories they moved only slightly in the play-offs for the German championship, where you defending champions and double winners Brose Baskets in Bamberg was defeated in the first round. During the summer break Gaffney went back to his homeland, where he played in the Summer League for the Utah Jazz. In the summer it was announced that Gaffney will not return to Bonn on other offers. Gaffney received several offers from Europe and eventually moved to the 2012/2013 season to Spain Joventut Badalona. There his contract was terminated in the spring of 2013 prematurely.
During the summer of 2013 Gaffney tried again to recommend for the NBA, but he could not prevail as desired. Gaffney then returned to Germany and joined the 2013/2014 season again the Telekom Baskets Bonn, for which he already played from 2011 to 2012. After a few weeks Gaffney left the baskets but seems to get around in the trial with the Memphis Grizzlies recommended for an NBA contract. This possibility had been promised him by the Baskets by clause in the contract. The Grizzlies, however, Gaffney received a contract for the regular season and was canceled teams on October 26 from the squad of the NBA. Thus he plays the 2013/14 season in Bonn.
Awards
- A-10 Defensive Player of the Year 2009
- 2010-11 NBA D -League All-Defensive First Team
- Beko BBL All-Star 2012