Gabe Muoneke
Nnadubem Gabriel Enyinaya Muoneke (born 7 February 1978, in Ann Arbor, Michigan) is a Nigerian American professional basketball player. Despite being born in the United States, Muoneke represents Nigeria internationally.
Muoneke attended Cypress Falls High School in northwest Houston, Texas. After graduation, he enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin, from which he graduated in 2000 with his degree in Petroleum Engineering. After starting for 4 years on the school's basketball team, Muoneke went undrafted out of college. He is ranked in the top 15 in the history of University of Texas basketball in both scoring and rebounding. He was a first round pick of the Columbus Riverdragons (now Austin Spurs) then the Roanoke Dazzle also of the NBDL. He has played in multiple NBA summer leagues including that of the Vancouver Grizzlies and the New Orleans Hornets. Muoneke also signed non-guaranteed NBA contracts with the Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Charlotte Bobcats and the Utah Jazz but was waived from all four teams.
Muoneke has played around the world, including with the Ponce Lions in Puerto Rico, Pınar Karşıyaka in Turkey, the Beijing Olympians in China, Busan KTF Magic Wings, Seoul SK Knights in South Korea, Caceres in Spain and Saba Battery in Iran, among other places.
Since November 2007, Muoneke has been maintaining a blog on Hoopshype.com, where he discusses his playing career, life in foreign countries, and politics.
In Winter 2007-08 he signed a contract with '07-'08 ACB Champion and Euroleague Final Four Participant, Saski Baskonia of the Spanish ACB to replace the injured James Singleton. When the contract expired, the team's renewal offer was not accepted by Muoneke and both parties mutually parted ways.
During his time in China, Muoneke broke many scoring records and was amongst the top scorers in China in all three of his seasons in the country. While playing for the Yunnan Running Bulls, Muoneke was physically attacked during a postgame confrontation between himself and Chinese national team captain and Shanghai Sharks player Liu Wei. After Muoneke and the Sharks' Cai Liang wrestled for the ball during the game, Cai, Liu and some Sharks players confronted Muoneke, his wife, children and mother-in-law as they were leaving the stadium. Muoneke had a water bottle thrown at him, before being chased and cornered by the players. Liu and Cai were subsequently fined and suspended. The Shanghai Sharks were also fined. Muoneke was not injured.[1]
He signed with ASVEL Villeurbanne for the 2008–09 season, but was released in September. He then signed with the Utah Jazz but was waived in October.
On his blog in 2009, he alluded to a retirement from professional basketball [2] and subsequently did retire at the age of 30.
Muoneke then continued his career in African oil and gas in 2010 and has apparently started his own company in his parents' home country of Nigeria.
Career
[edit]- Fort Wayne Fury (2000)
- Chicago Skyliners (2000)
- Trenton Shooting Stars (2000)
- Pınar Karşıyaka (2000–2001)
- Boca Juniors (2001)
- Columbus Riverdragons (2001–2002)
- Santurce Crabbers (2002)
- Purefoods TJ Hot Dogs (2002)
- Roanoke Dazzle (2002–2003)
- CB Cáceres (2003)
- Beijing Aoshen (2003–2004)
- Coamo Marathon Runners (2004)
- Busan KTF Magic Wings (2004–2005)
- Coamo Marathon Runners (2005)
- Seoul SK Knights (2005–2006)
- Ponce Lions (2006)
- Zhejiang Guangsha (2006–2007)
- Saba Battery (2007)
- Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2007)
- TAU Cerámica (2007–2008)
- Saba Battery (2008)
- ASVEL Villeurbanne (2008)
- Yunnan Bulls (2008–2009)
Notes
[edit]- ^ China player Liu Wei penalized after attacking former NBA forward Gabe Muoneke - ESPN
- ^ "HoopsHype.com NBA Blogs - Gabe Muoneke". Archived from the original on 3 March 2008. Retrieved 17 March 2008.
External links
[edit]- Gabe Muoneke NBA.com Player Profile
- Basketpedya.com Player Profile[permanent dead link]
- Gabe Muoneke NBA.com/D-League
- Muoneke Summer League Statistics 2006
- Gabe Muoneke Hoopshype.com
- [1] Muoneke's Blog On Hoopshype.com
- 1978 births
- Living people
- American expatriate basketball people in Argentina
- American expatriate basketball people in China
- American expatriate basketball people in France
- American expatriate basketball people in Iran
- American expatriate basketball people in Italy
- American expatriate basketball people in the Philippines
- American expatriate basketball people in South Korea
- American expatriate basketball people in Spain
- American expatriate basketball people in Turkey
- American basketball players of Nigerian descent
- ASVEL Basket players
- Basketball players from Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Beijing Olympians players
- Boca Juniors basketball players
- Suwon KT Sonicboom players
- Cangrejeros de Santurce basketball players
- Columbus Riverdragons players
- Fort Wayne Fury players
- Karşıyaka basketball players
- Leones de Ponce basketball players
- Liga ACB players
- Magnolia Hotshots players
- Maratonistas de Coamo players
- Nigerian expatriate basketball people in Turkey
- Nigerian men's basketball players
- Philippine Basketball Association imports
- Power forwards
- Rio Grande Valley Vipers players
- Roanoke Dazzle players
- Seoul SK Knights players
- Texas Longhorns men's basketball players
- Trenton Shooting Stars players
- Zhejiang Lions players
- 2006 FIBA World Championship players
- American men's basketball players
- Nigerian expatriate basketball people in the Philippines
- 21st-century African-American sportsmen
- 20th-century African-American sportsmen
- Yunnan Bulls players
- Iranian Basketball Super League players