David Henderson (basketball)
David Henderson | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 21, 1964 Drewry, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Basketball player, coach, scout |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Known for | Amateur talent evaluator for the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers; head coach at University of Delaware; assistant coach at Duke University; professional basketball player |
David McKinley Henderson (born July 21, 1964) serves as an amateur talent evaluator for the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers.
During his playing days, Henderson was the senior co-captain of Duke University's 1986 squad that advanced to the NCAA Final Four. Upon completing his collegiate career, he embarked on a decade-long professional playing tenure spanning the United States, Israel, France, and Turkey.
Transitioning from player to coach, Henderson spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Duke before taking on the head coaching role at the University of Delaware for six years. Since 2006, he has been engaged in scouting duties with the Cavaliers.
College career
Raised in Drewry, North Carolina, Henderson completed his high school education at Warren County High School in 1982. Recruited by Mike Krzyzewski, he consistently contributed either as a starter or important reserve throughout his time at Duke. In his senior year as co-captain, he started every one of the 39 games, averaged 14.2 points per contest, and played a pivotal role in guiding Duke to the national championship game, where they were defeated by Louisville.
He graduated from Duke in 1986 with a degree in economics.
Professional career
Following his graduation from Duke, Henderson pursued a professional basketball career lasting ten years. Selected by the Washington Bullets in the third round of the 1986 NBA draft, he spent his rookie season with the Albany Patroons of the Continental Basketball Association. During the 1987–88 season, he appeared in 22 games for the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers, averaging 5.7 points per game.
Subsequently, Henderson competed professionally for eight years across France, Israel, and Turkey, earning recognition as the Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP in 1991.
Coaching career
Henderson’s coaching journey began in 1997 as an assistant coach at Duke. Throughout his three-year tenure, the Blue Devils secured the ACC championship each season and finished as national runners-up in 1999.
In 2000, he was appointed head coach of the University of Delaware's men's basketball team, succeeding former Duke assistant Mike Brey. Over six seasons leading Delaware, his inaugural year concluded with a 20–10 record and a defeat in the America East championship game. After Delaware transitioned into the more challenging Colonial Athletic Association, his teams reached the tournament semifinals twice and advanced to the quarterfinals once. After two consecutive seasons with losing records, Henderson was relieved of his duties following the 2005–06 campaign.
Scouting career
Henderson began working as a scout for the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers in 2006 and remains active in assessing amateur players for the organization as of 2022. He has been involved in all Cavaliers’ drafts during this timeframe and earned an NBA championship ring with the team in 2015.