Mario Bennett

From Hoopedia

Mario Marcell Bennett (born August 1, 1973 in Denton, Texas) is an American professional basketball player. He is currently playing in France for Dijon Bourgogne.

In 1995, Bennett was selected was the 27th pick of the first round in the NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns. Besides the Suns, Bennett has also played in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers, the Chicago Bulls, and the Los Angeles Clippers, as well as professional leagues in Spain and Kosovo.

Overseas Career

He began to make a name in Europe at Montpellier in 2001. He later left for to suit up for San Miguel Beer in the Philippine Basketball Association. He went back to France to have a superb season with Paris Basket Racing.

Afterwards, the man with a tattooed body from top to bottom (eyes in the back, Mario bros on the arm, a basketball player on the calf), turned his services east for the Russian team, Autodor Saratov. After a few games in Russia, Bennett leaves his team amicably.

After a stint in the CBA again, he joined the Fastlink Aman team (Jordan). Knee problems cut his stint there and he went to seek treatment for that. After a knee operation, he came back to play with Mabetex Pristina in Kosovo.

Finally, at the age of 32, he joined Dijon, whose coach Monclar knew his qualities. The stint, where he averaged 10 points and 9 rebounds, resulted a selection for the All Star game. A broken metatarsal halted Bennett's season in January 2007.