Kent Benson is a former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for ten seasons. He was born on December 27, 1954, in New Castle, Indiana, and attended Indiana University, where he played college basketball for the Hoosiers.
Benson was a dominant force in college basketball, leading the Hoosiers to the NCAA championship in 1976. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four that year and was also a consensus first-team All-American. Benson was selected as the first overall pick in the 1977 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks.
Benson played for the Bucks for four seasons, where he was a solid contributor, averaging 12.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. He was traded to the Detroit Pistons in 1980, where he played for three seasons. Benson's best season with the Pistons was in 1981-82, where he averaged 16.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.
After his stint with the Pistons, Benson played for the Utah Jazz for one season before being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He played for the Cavaliers for two seasons before being traded to the Golden State Warriors in 1987. Benson played his final season in the NBA with the Warriors, where he was a backup center.
Benson's NBA career was not without controversy. In 1978, he was involved in a fight with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during a game, which resulted in a broken hand for Benson. In 1985, he was involved in a brawl with the Boston Celtics, which resulted in a suspension for Benson and several other players.
After retiring from the NBA, Benson became a successful businessman, owning several car dealerships in Indiana. He also became involved in politics, running for Congress in 1998 as a Republican candidate but was unsuccessful.
In conclusion, Kent Benson was a dominant force in college basketball and had a solid NBA career, playing for four different teams over ten seasons. Despite some controversial incidents during his career, Benson was a respected player and went on to have a successful career in business and politics after retiring from basketball.
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