Ben Strong (basketball)
Ben Strong | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 18, 1986 Manassas, Virginia, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Basketball coach, former professional basketball player |
| Years active | 2008–2016 (player), 2016–present (coach) |
| Known for | Professional basketball career; coaching roles with Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Long Island Nets |
Ben Strong (born September 18, 1986) is a former professional basketball player and current American coach, who is of Native American heritage, specifically from the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians.
College basketball
Strong was born in Manassas, Virginia but spent his formative years in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Following his graduation from Chapel Hill High School in 2004, he attended Guilford College, a Division III institution in Greensboro, North Carolina. During his time at Guilford, he secured second place in the school's history for both total points scored (2,231) and blocked shots (236), while ranking seventh in rebounds (927). His exceptional performance earned him several accolades, including the NCAA Division III Player of the Year. Strong contributed to one Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) title with the Quakers and guided the team to two appearances in the NCAA Division III tournament. Notably, he set a tournament scoring record by putting up 59 points in a triple-overtime victory against Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) in March 2007.
Professional basketball
Strong launched his professional journey in 2008 with Maccabi Haifa B.C. competing in the Israeli Premier League. His career took him to the Netherlands and back to Israel before entering the NBA Development League, where he participated in 183 regular season contests, averaging 7.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, along with two playoff games where he posted averages of 20.5 points and 11.5 rebounds. In 2015, he had a short stint with Atletico Welcome in Uruguay.
He wrapped up his playing days in New Zealand with the Nelson Giants, where he earned recognition as the Australiabasket.com All-New Zealand NBL Center of the Year. In 2018, Strong competed for the "We are D3" squad during The Basketball Tournament.
Coaching career
Following his retirement from playing in 2016, Strong took on an assistant coaching role for men's basketball at Huntingdon College. Two years later, he joined the Philadelphia 76ers organization as a player development specialist. On June 26, 2019, he was named player development coach for the Phoenix Suns.
In 2021, Strong was appointed head video coordinator and player development coach for the Long Island Nets of the NBA G League.