Donald Sloan (basketball)
Donald Sloan | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 15, 1988 United States |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player (retired) |
| Years active | 2010–2021 |
| Known for | NBA player for Atlanta Hawks, New Orleans Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Brooklyn Nets; also played in NBA D-League and Chinese Basketball Association |
Donald Wayne Sloan (born January 15, 1988) is a retired American professional basketball athlete. He competed collegiately for the Texas A&M Aggies and participated in parts of five seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with teams including the Atlanta Hawks, New Orleans Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, and Brooklyn Nets. Between his NBA engagements, Sloan also played in the NBA D-League and the Chinese Basketball Association.
High school career
Sloan was a student-athlete at Seagoville High School near Dallas, Texas, where his squad amassed a 93–10 record throughout three seasons. As a senior, he guided Seagoville to the regional championship game and earned all-state honors twice.
Ranked as a four-star prospect by Rivals.com, Sloan was positioned as the No. 8 point guard and ranked No. 55 nationally in the class of 2006.
He drew recruiting interest from Kansas, Oklahoma, Marquette, SMU, and Georgia Tech before committing to Texas A&M under Coach Billy Gillispie in November 2005.
College career
From 2006 through 2010, Sloan represented Texas A&M University on the basketball court. He belonged to a senior class that set a school record with 100 victories by the conclusion of the 2009–10 season. In his senior year, Sloan led the team in scoring with an average of 17.8 points per game and was named to the first team All-Big 12 Conference.
Freshman year
During the 2006–07 season, Sloan played in all 34 games, posting averages of 5.2 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per contest. He earned ESPN player of the game recognition after scoring 15 points in an upset at Oklahoma State. Texas A&M concluded the season with a 27–7 record and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.
Sophomore year
Starting every one of the 36 games, Sloan averaged 9.5 points per game and ranked second on the team with 123 assists. Texas A&M finished with a 25–11 record but fell in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Junior year
Sloan appeared in all 34 games during his junior season, averaging 11.8 points and 3.6 rebounds while leading his team with 108 assists. The Aggies ended their campaign at 24–10 following another second-round exit from the NCAA tournament.
Senior year
As team leader in his final year, Sloan propelled Texas A&M to a 22–8 regular season finish and an 11-5 mark within conference play, tying for second place in the Big 12 standings. He recorded a personal best of 29 points against New Mexico and ranked third among Big 12 scorers overall. Sloan received first team All-Big 12 accolades from coaches and major media outlets, along with second team honors from both the Associated Press and Austin American-Statesman. Additionally, he earned national player of the week distinctions and was considered a top candidate for Big 12 Player of the Year. During this season, Sloan paid tribute to injured teammate Derrick Roland by shaving Roland’s #3 into his hair.
Following the conference tournament, Sloan was selected for the all-tournament team. He concluded his collegiate tenure seventh on Texas A&M’s all-time scoring list with 1,522 points and eighth in career assists with a total of 370.
Reno Bighorns (2010–2011)
After not being selected in the 2010 NBA draft, Sloan joined the Sacramento Kings for their participation in the 2010 NBA Summer League and subsequently signed a one-year contract without guaranteed terms. He was released on October 4, 2010, before being picked up by the Reno Bighorns of the NBA D-League as an affiliate player.
Barangay Ginebra Kings (2011)
In July 2011, Sloan joined the Barangay Ginebra Kings competing in the Philippine Basketball Association for the 2011 Governors' Cup.
Erie BayHawks (2011)
After being reacquired by the Reno Bighorns on November 2, 2011, Sloan was traded just two days later to the Erie BayHawks.
Atlanta Hawks (2011–2012)
Sloan inked a deal with the Atlanta Hawks on December 9, 2011, but was released on January 27, 2012.
New Orleans Hornets (2012)
On February 8, 2012, he secured a 10-day contract with the New Orleans Hornets. Once the contract ended, no extension was offered.
Return to Erie (2012)
Sloan made his way back to the Erie BayHawks on March 5, 2012.
Cleveland Cavaliers (2012)
He signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 16, 2012. Sloan participated in their 2012 NBA Summer League squad but was waived on December 25, 2012. Reflecting later, he noted that his role as a backup to rookie Kyrie Irving, whose injury and rehabilitation impacted his time with the Cavaliers.
Return to New Orleans and Sioux Falls (2013)
On January 3, 2013, Sloan was acquired by the Sioux Falls Skyforce. After appearing in two games, he signed a 10-day contract with the New Orleans Hornets on January 7, 2013. Following its conclusion, he returned to Sioux Falls.
Guangdong Southern Tigers (2013)
In February 2013, Sloan departed from the Skyforce to join the Guangdong Southern Tigers in the Chinese Basketball Association.
Indiana Pacers (2013–2015)
Sloan agreed to a two-year contract with the Indiana Pacers on July 3, 2013, and took part in the 2013 NBA Summer League. He also played for them in the 2014 NBA Summer League. On November 5, 2014, Sloan achieved a career-best scoring performance with 31 points during a narrow 96–94 overtime defeat to the Washington Wizards.
Brooklyn Nets (2015–2016)
On August 10, 2015, Sloan signed with the Brooklyn Nets. He came close to a triple-double on January 15, 2016, posting 15 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists in a loss against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Return to Guangdong (2016–2017)
Sloan rejoined the Guangdong Southern Tigers for the 2016–17 season by signing on July 20, 2016. The team advanced to the 2017 CBA Finals but were swept four games to none by the Xinjiang Flying Tigers.
Texas Legends (2017–2018)
After participating in training camp with the Washington Wizards, Sloan was waived on October 14, 2017. Subsequently, he signed with the Texas Legends of the NBA G League. On January 22, 2018, Sloan was named NBA G League Player of the Week after averaging 29.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, and nine assists across three contests.
Third stint with Guangdong (2018)
Sloan returned for a third tenure with the Guangdong Southern Tigers on February 21, 2018. Later that year, he signed a training camp contract with the Denver Nuggets but was waived on October 13.
Telekom Baskets Bonn (2020)
On February 26, 2020, Sloan joined Telekom Baskets Bonn competing in Germany's Basketball Bundesliga (BBL). He appeared in three games and averaged 11.7 points before the season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Adelaide 36ers (2020–2021)
On August 20, 2020, Sloan agreed to a contract with the Adelaide 36ers, a team competing in Australia's National Basketball League (NBL). He made his first appearance on January 15, 2021, facing Melbourne United and contributing three points. Transitioning to a reserve position behind Josh Giddey, Sloan achieved a personal best of 20 points on January 22 in a matchup against the New Zealand Breakers. The 36ers released him on February 7 to allow him to explore other international playing opportunities.
Regular season
|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Atlanta | 5 || 0 || 4.0 || .375 || .000 || .000 || 1.0 || 1.0 || .2 || .0 || 1.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| New Orleans | 3 || 0 || 13.7 || .357 || .000 || .500 || 1.0 || 2.7 || .7 || .0 || 4.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Cleveland | 25 || 11 || 24.3 || .403 || .091 || .808 || 2.4 || 3.7 || .4 || .1 || 6.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Cleveland | 20 || 0 || 12.9 || .346 || .368 || .800 || 1.4 || 1.9 || .3 || .0 || 4.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| New Orleans | 3 || 0 || 2.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || .0 || .3 || .0 || .0 || .0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Indiana | 48 || 1 || 8.2 || .376 || .238 || .600 || .9 || 1.0 || .2 || .0 || 2.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Indiana | 53 || 21 || 20.9 || .408 || .313 || .779 || 2.7 || 3.6 || .4 || .0 || 7.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Brooklyn | 61|| 33||21.6|| .440|| .384|| .750|| 2.8|| 4.4|| .5|| .1||7.0 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career |218||66||17.2||.409||.310||.754||2.1||3.0||.4||.0||5.5
Playoffs
|- | style="text-align:left;" | 2014 | style="text-align:left;" | Indiana |4||0||3.8||.286||.250||.500||.3||.8||.3||.0||1.8 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career |4||0||3.8||.286||.250||.500||.3||.8||.3||.0||1.8