Gary Leonard
Gary Leonard | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 16, 1967 United States |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player (retired) |
| Years active | 1989–1992 |
| Known for | NBA player for Minnesota Timberwolves and Atlanta Hawks |
| Height | 7 ft 1 in (216 cm) |
Gary Francis Leonard (born February 16, 1967) is a retired American professional basketball athlete. Measuring 7 feet 1 inch in height and weighing 295 pounds, he occupied the position of center. Leonard competed in college basketball representing the Missouri Tigers before being chosen as the 34th pick in the 1989 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. During his tenure in the NBA, he appeared in games over three seasons with both the Timberwolves and the Atlanta Hawks.
College career
Leonard established himself as a prominent center prospect during his senior year at the University of Missouri in 1989, posting career-best averages of 10.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per contest. He demonstrated remarkable efficiency with a .593 field goal percentage and recorded 42 blocked shots. Notably, he was the sole Missouri player to start every game in the 1988–89 season, having previously held a part-time starting role. His junior year field goal accuracy of .628 ranked among the nation's elite for the 1987–88 season. Leonard contributed significantly to Missouri’s advancement to the "Sweet 16" round of the NCAA tournament, where their run concluded against Syracuse University.
Professional career
Selected 34th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 1989 draft, Leonard spent one season with Minnesota followed by two seasons playing for the Atlanta Hawks from 1990 through 1992. During the 1990–91 season, he also competed in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), dividing his time between the Sioux Falls Skyforce and Cedar Rapids Silver Bullets, where he averaged 3.2 points and 3.8 rebounds across 19 games. Beyond his NBA and CBA experience, Leonard played professionally overseas in Greece with clubs including Peristeri Athens and Milon Athens.