Donnell Harvey
Donnell Harvey | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 26, 1980 Shellman, Georgia, U.S. |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player |
| Years active | 1999–2013 |
| Known for | NBA career with New Jersey Nets, Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns; international basketball career |
Donnell Eugene Harvey (born August 26, 1980) is a former American professional basketball athlete. Throughout his NBA tenure, he competed for the New Jersey Nets, Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Orlando Magic, and Phoenix Suns.
High school career
A native of Shellman, Georgia, Harvey attended Randolph-Clay High School located in Cuthbert, Georgia. He was widely recognized as the 1999 national high school player of the year, securing selections to the McDonald's All-America Game and the USA Today All-USA First Team. Additionally, he earned the prestigious Naismith Award as the nation’s top high school basketball player in 1999.
College career
Harvey enrolled at the University of Florida in Gainesville on an athletic scholarship, joining coach Billy Donovan’s Florida Gators men's basketball squad for the 1999–2000 season. He was a starter for most of the initial dozen games but relinquished his starting role to Brent Wright after returning home around New Year’s due to homesickness. During his sole collegiate season, he posted averages of 10.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game and earned a place on the SEC All-Freshman Team.
Professional career
In the 2000 NBA draft, Harvey was picked 22nd overall by the New York Knicks but was immediately traded to the Dallas Mavericks. He stayed with Dallas until February 2002 when he was traded to the Denver Nuggets. Harvey signed with the Orlando Magic in September 2003 but was dealt to the Phoenix Suns by December that year. After short periods with the Atlanta Hawks and Sioux Falls Skyforce (CBA), he was called up by the New Jersey Nets in February 2005, appearing in three games before being released.
His last NBA game took place on February 13, 2005, during which he recorded one rebound in two minutes in a victory over Denver.
Following his NBA career, Harvey pursued opportunities overseas. From September 2005 until March 2006, he played for Panionios in Greece. The subsequent season saw him with Beşiktaş in Turkey (2006–07) and then Rieti in Italy starting July 2007. In 2009, he competed for Banvitspor (Turkey) as well as the Carolina Giants (Puerto Rico). November 2010 marked his signing with KK Igokea from Bosnia.
Within the Chinese Basketball Association, Harvey represented Jiangsu during both the 2008–09 and 2009–10 seasons before joining Tianjin Ronggang for the 2011–12 campaign, where he averaged an impressive 24.7 points and 14.7 rebounds per contest.
In 2012, Harvey joined the Philippine Basketball Association’s Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters, stepping in for injured Omar Samhan during the Commissioner's Cup. He led the team to a finals appearance; however, they fell short in a seven-game series against B-Meg Llamados. Notably, Harvey fouled out late in Game 7 despite delivering a strong performance. Later that year, he returned to Tianjin Ronggang and rejoined Talk 'N Text in 2013 but departed midseason to attend to family matters following a car accident in the United States.