| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1970-09-01)1 September 1970 (age 54) Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Nationality | American / New Zealand |
| Listed height | 195 cm (6 ft 5 in) |
| Listed weight | 92 kg (203 lb) |
| Career information | |
| College | Central Arkansas (1988–1992) |
| NBA draft | 1992:undrafted |
| Playing career | 1997–2009 |
| Position | Small forward |
| Career history | |
| As a player: | |
| 1997 | Breiðablik |
| 1997–1999 | Canterbury Rams |
| 1997–1998 | Snæfell |
| 1999–2000 | KFÍ |
| 2000–2001 | Waikato Warriors/Titans |
| 2000–2001 | Þór Akureyri |
| 2001 | Estudiantes de Olavarría |
| 2002 | Manawatu Jets |
| 2002–2003 | Snæfell |
| 2003 | Canterbury Knights |
| 2004–2005 | Canterbury Rams |
| 2005–2006 | New Zealand Breakers |
| 2006 | Manawatu Jets |
| 2007–2009 | Hawke's Bay Hawks |
| As a coach: | |
| 2017 | Hawke's Bay Hawks (assistant) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Clifton Bush II (born 1 September 1970) is an American-New Zealand former professionalbasketball player. He played the majority of his career in the New ZealandNational Basketball League (NZNBL) and gained New Zealand citizenship in 2004. In 2001, he was the league's leading scorer, votedOutstanding Forward and was a member of theAll-Star Five while helping theWaikato Titans to the title. He also spent five seasons playing in Iceland, where he was named1. deild Foreign Player of the Year in 1998.
Bush was born inLittle Rock, Arkansas.[1][2]
Bush played four years ofcollege basketball for theCentral Arkansas Bears. As a sophomore in 1989–90, he started all 35 games for the Bears and averaged 16.8 points per game (587 total points) on .498 field goal shooting (220-of-442).[3]
As a junior in 1990–91, Bush started in 33 of the Bears' 34 games, and scored a school single-season high of 682 points, good for 20.1 points per game (ranked eighth in single-season scoring averages) on .560 field goal shooting (263-of-470) and .563 three-point shooting (58-of-103). He also recorded 280 rebounds (8.2 pg) and 62 steals (1.8 pg).[3]
As a senior in 1991–92, Bush started in all 33 games for the Bears and averaged 19.0 points per game (626 total points) on .499 field goal shooting (248-of-497). He also recorded 59 steals (1.8 pg).[3] He was first-team All-NAIA in 1991 and 1992.[2]
In 2004, Bush was inducted into the University of Central Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor.[4]
In January 1997, Bush joinedBreiðablik in Iceland for the second half of the1996–97 Úrvalsdeild season.[5] In 11 games, he averaged 24.7 points and 12.3 rebounds per game.[6]
Bush joined theCanterbury Rams for the1997 New Zealand NBL season.[7] In 20 games for the Rams, he averaged 24.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.6 steals per game.[1]
Bush joinedSnæfell for the 1997–98 season where he was named the1. deild Foreign Player of the Year after averaging a career-high 30.4 points[8] and leading the team to the 1. deild championship and promotion to the top-tierÚrvalsdeild karla.[9]
Bush returned to New Zealand and played in 40 games for the Rams in1998 and1999, helping the club reach the playoffs both years,[1] including the final in 1999.[2]
For the1999–2000 season, Bush returned to Iceland to play forKFÍ, where he averaged 26.3 points in 17 games.[6] On October 19, 1999, Bush played 59 minutes and scored 55 points in a quadrupleovertime victory againstSkallagrímur.[10][11] On February 13, 2000, he suffered a knee injury in a game againstNjarðvík and wound up missing the rest of the season.[12][13]
For the2000 New Zealand NBL season, Bush played for theWaikato Warriors and helped them finish second with a 12–4 record. In their semi-final against theNelson Giants, the team lost 105–100 with Bush scoring two points in 24 minutes off the bench.[14] In 14 games, he averaged 13.4 points per game.[1]
Bush again played in Iceland for the2000–01 season, averaging 21.8 points and 14.1 rebounds in 11 games forÞór Akureyri.[6]
With theWaikato Titans in the2001 New Zealand NBL season, Bush averaged 27.4 points per game and earned the league'sscoring title.[1] He also earnedMost Outstanding Forward honors, and was named to the league'sAll-Star Five. He led Waikato to their maidenchampionship with 26 points in a 112–97 win over theWellington Saints in the final.[15]
In October 2001, Bush had a five-game stint with Argentinean clubEstudiantes de Olavarría.[16][17]
For the2002 New Zealand NBL season, Bush joined theManawatu Jets. He appeared in all 16 regular season games for the Jets, averaging 23.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game[1] and helping the team reach the playoffs with a fourth-place finish and a 9–7 record. In their semi-final clash with the Nelson Giants, the Jets lost 83–64 despite Bush's 18-point game.[18] That year, Bush tried out for a spot on theTall Blacks as a naturalised player.[19]
His final Icelandic season came in2002–03 with Snæfell. He played in 22 games during the season, averaging 23.7 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.5 steals in 39.1 minutes per game.[6]
In 2003, Bush joined the Canterbury Knights of theConference Basketball League, New Zealand's second-tier competition. He helped the Knights reach the CBL final, where he recorded 13 points and 12 rebounds in an 80–69 win over Hutt Valley to win the championship.[20] He subsequently earned CBL All-Star Five honors.[21]
Bush returned to the Canterbury Rams for the2004 New Zealand NBL season and continued on in the2005 season.[1]
Bush joined theNew Zealand Breakers for the2005–06 NBL season. In November 2005, he was ruled out for the rest of the season with a back injury.[22] He played in seven games for the Breakers.[23]
For the2006 New Zealand NBL season, Bush re-joined the Manawatu Jets.[24] In 17 games for the Jets, he averaged 13.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.[25]
Between 2007 and 2009, Bush played for theHawke's Bay Hawks. The Hawks finished runners-up in 2007.[26] He averaged 2.9 points and 2.1 rebounds in 2008[27] and scored seven points in the team's quarter-final loss to the Nelson Giants.[28] He played in six games for the Hawks in 2009.[29]
In 2017, Bush served as an assistant coach for theHawke's Bay Hawks.[30][31]
Bush's father, the late Clifton Bush the First, also played basketball as a youth.[7] Bush has two children, Maria and Clifton III.[7]
Bush obtainedNew Zealand citizenship in 2004.[1]
After retiring from playing, Bush worked as a coach in Hawkes Bay's.[32][33]
