 Blu in 2017 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1980-07-18)July 18, 1980 (age 45) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American / Israeli |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
|
| College | USC (1998–2002) |
| NBA draft | 2002:undrafted |
| Playing career | 2002–2014 |
| Position | Small forward /power forward |
| Number | 7, 13, 15, 33 |
| Career history | |
| 2002–2004 | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| 2004 | BC Dynamo Saint Petersburg |
| 2004–2005 | Benetton Treviso |
| 2005–2006 | Virtus Bologna |
| 2006–2007 | Fortitudo Bologna |
| 2007–2008 | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| 2008–2009 | Le Mans |
| 2009–2012, 2013-2014 | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| Career highlights | |
| |
David Blu (Hebrew:דיוויד בלו; bornDavid Bluthenthal; July 18, 1980) is an American–Israeli former professionalbasketball player, who spent 10 seasons playing in theEuroLeague. Standing at 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m), he played at thesmall forward andpower forward positions. He is considered to be one of the top three-point shooters in EuroLeague history.[1] He was also the 2011Israeli Basketball Premier League Finals MVP. He also represented the seniorIsraeli national team in 2010.
Blu was born in Los Angeles, California, and is Jewish.[2][3] His mother wasJewish, and hisAfrican American father converted toJudaism.[3][4][5] He represented the United States at the1997 Maccabiah Games, winning a gold medal.[6][7]
Blu attended Palms Middle School, andVenice High School andWestchester High School.[8][9]
Blu attended theUniversity of Southern California (USC), which was founded by his great-great-granduncle,Isaias Hellman.[10] A starter from his sophomore season on, he was consistently one of the top players in thePac-10.
In 2001–02, his senior season, Blu was named All-Pac 10 honorable mention.[3] He averaged 12.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. He left school in 2002, to pursue a career in professional basketball.[11]His most memorable performance remains the 27 points he scored againstKentucky, in an NCAA regional semifinal upset in 2001, made by theUSC Trojans team that was led by Blu.
After Blu completed his 4 years of college athletics eligibility, he decided to play professional basketball in Europe, and signed withIsraeli professional teamMaccabi Tel Aviv, of theEuroLeague. During two years with Maccabi Tel Aviv (2002–04), he helped the team to theEuroLeague championship in 2004, and to theIsraeli National Cup title twice. He scored 20 points off the bench, in the2004 EuroLeague Final, a 44-point Maccabi annihilation of one of the best team in Europe,Fortitudo Bologna.[12]
Following the 2004 season, Blu was signed by theNBA'sSacramento Kings, on August 7, 2004, but he was released in November, before the 2004–05 season started.
Following his release fromSacramento, Blu received an offer from the Russian teamBC Dynamo Saint Petersburg, that had just signedDavid Blatt, who was thehead coach of Maccabi Tel Aviv, during the time that Blu was there. In 8 games played in theRussian Basketball Super League A, he shot 69.6% from 2-point range.
After two months in Russia, Blu went to Italy, to play forBenetton Treviso. He shot over 60% from 2-point range, and over 51% from 3-point range, in theItalian League.[13]
In the summer of 2005, he signed withVirtus Bologna, and became one of their top players, with a scoring average of 20.2 points per game in the Italian League.
After the 2005–06 season, he signed with Virtus' intensecrosstown rivals,Fortitudo. During the 2006–07 season, for Fortitudo, he averaged 16 points and 4.2 rebounds in EuroLeague play, and also made 46.8% of his two-point shots, and 53.3% of his three-pointers.[14]
On June 15, 2007, Blu returned fromFortitudo, toMaccabi Tel Aviv.[15] He averaged 8.7 points and 2.4 rebounds in 25EuroLeague games for Maccabi, as they advanced to theEuroLeague Finals, against winnersCSKA Moscow.[12]
On July 10, 2008, Blu signed a one-year deal withLe Mans.[12] Over 10 games in theEuroLeague, he averaged 12.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.
In the summer of 2009, Blu yet again returned to Israel, and signed a one-year contract withMaccabi Tel Aviv. He finished the 2010–11 season with averages of 8.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game in the EuroLeague,[16] and 10.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game in theIsraeli Super League. He named the 2011Israeli Basketball Premier League Finals MVP. In July 2011, Maccabi extended Blu's contract for another year.[17]
In June 2012, Blu retired for the first time, in order to complete his college education in the USA.[18]
After graduating college in the summer of 2013, Blu signed a new contract withMaccabi Tel Aviv.[19] Following his comeback, after an up and down season, Maccabi won the2014 EuroLeague championship, the sixth in the club's history, and his second. Over the season, he averaged 10.1 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, over 30 games played in the EuroLeague. In the EuroLeague Final Four, he helped his team oustCSKA Moscow in the semifinals, by scoring 15 points, with some crucial three-pointers.[20] In the championship finals game, againstReal Madrid, he scored 14 points and grabbed 4 rebounds. Once the season ended, Blu announced his retirement from playing professional basketball.[21][22][23]
In the summer of 2010, Blu representedIsrael, and he made his first appearance with them againstPortugal, on July 19, 2010. Blu also competed with the senior Israeli national team at theEuroBasket 2011, where he averaged 12.8 points per game and 3.2 rebounds per game.
In 2006 he was inducted into theSouthern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.[24]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | PIR | Performance index rating |
| Bold | Career high |
| † | Denotes season in which Blu won theEuroLeague |
| * | Led the league |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002–03 | Maccabi | 14 | 0 | 11.1 | .522 | .368 | .700 | 1.8 | .4 | .3 | .0 | 4.4 | 4.3 |
| 2003–04† | 17 | 0 | 10.2 | .609 | .462 | .789 | 1.4 | .4 | .2 | .1 | 6.2 | 4.5 | |
| 2004–05 | Treviso | 10 | 0 | 18.1 | .393 | .276 | .500 | 2.5 | .9 | .8 | .3 | 5.8 | 4.7 |
| 2006–07 | Fortitudo Bologna | 14 | 10 | 31.7 | .491 | .533* | .828 | 4.2 | 1.2 | .6 | .1 | 16.0 | 13.4 |
| 2007–08 | Maccabi | 25* | 18 | 21.0 | .488 | .456 | .929 | 2.4 | .6 | .3 | .1 | 8.7 | 6.6 |
| 2008–09 | Le Mans | 10 | 8 | 32.9 | .413 | .360 | .913 | 3.8 | 1.1 | 1.2 | .0 | 12.5 | 11.2 |
| 2009–10 | Maccabi | 19 | 1 | 23.6 | .409 | .363 | .880 | 3.0 | 1.1 | .5 | .1 | 9.3 | 7.2 |
| 2010–11 | 22 | 1 | 23.0 | .448 | .432 | .727 | 3.1 | .6 | .8 | .1 | 8.9 | 6.6 | |
| 2011–12 | 20 | 6 | 24.6 | .447 | .375 | .880 | 2.5 | .5 | .6 | .0 | 9.3 | 6.4 | |
| 2013–14† | 30 | 6 | 24.8 | .433 | .406 | .816 | 3.2 | 1.0 | .6 | .0 | 10.1 | 8.2 | |
| Career | 181 | 50 | 22.1 | .457 | .411 | .833 | 2.8 | .8 | .5 | .1 | 9.1 | 7.2 | |
