Dante Cunningham has become one of the leading figures in the NBA after his stints with several teams. The incredible basketball forward turned pro in 2009 and was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2009 draft. He completed his youth career at Villanova University and his high school career at Potomac High School , Maryland. Find out more about the newly signed Spurs below.
Who is Dante Cunningham?
Dante Cunningham is a pro-American basketball star playing the role of future for the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs. He was chosen by the Portland Blazers as the 33rd player overall in the NBA in 2009. Interestingly, the player has been linked with other NBA teams including Charlotte Bobcats, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans and Brooklyn Nets, among others.
Born as Dante Lamar Cunningham in Clinton, Maryland; Dante came into this world on April 22, 1987. He was born to African American parents Ron Cunningham and his wife Searcy Blankenship. He has a sister called Davalyn who also played professionally in the WNBA. Meanwhile, Dante’s passion for the game didn’t start today, he developed a keen interest in the game early on. His nationality is American while he is of black ethnicity.
The basketball forward went to St John’s College High School located in Washington D.C. There he started his prep career averaging 7.4 rebounds and 10 points per game as a junior. At the time, he was a teammate with Dwayne Anderson. During his senior year, Cunningham transferred to Potomac High School in Maryland, where he completed high school. In his senior year, the player helped the school team go 27-0 while averaging 20 points and 13.0 rebounds per game. At the end of his high school career, he won the Washington Post Metropolitan Player of the Year award.
For his college career, Dante Cunningham went on to attend Villanova University. In his first year 2005/06, Dante played in all 33 games for the Villanova team. He won Philadelphia’s “Big Five Rookie of the Year” after his impressive freshman year. As a sophomore, Dante had 5.4 rebounds and 8.7 points per game as he led the team to the Big East Tournament. In his junior year, the incredible player recorded 6.6 rebounds and 10.2 points per game while appearing in 30 games for Villanova.
Rante his college career, Dante was named the 2009 Men’s Basketball Banquet Most Outstanding Player as well as the Big East’s Most Improved Player. He led the team in scoring and rebounding this season averaging 7.5 rebounds and 16.1 points per game. He was selected to the All-Big East Second Team while a finalist for the Oscar Robertson Trophy.
NBA Career
After recording his breakout season in his senior year, Dante joined the 2009 NBA Draft. During the drafting, he was chosen by Portland Trail Blazers as the 33rd overall pick that year. Dante made his first professional stint with the team at the Las Vegas Summer League where he finished with an average of 5 rebounds and 18 points. He signed his rookie contract again on August 21, 2009.
During his rookie year, the baller played most games from the bench averaging 2.5 rebounds and 3.9 points per game for the Blazers. The following season, he averaged 3.4 rebounds and 5.1 points per game before being traded to the Charlotte Bobcats in February 2011. Dante Cunningham was traded alongside Sean Marks and Joel Przybilla in exchange for Gerald Wallace. At the end of the 2010/11 season, he had 4.0 rebounds and 9 points per game for the Bobcats.
The extremely athletic forward signed up for the Memphis Grizzlies in December 2011. Dante was offered a three-year contract worth $7 million. However, the Bobcats matched their offer to keep the player. He was then traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for two seasons in exchange for Wayne Ellington. He ended his stint with the Timberwolves in 2014. From 2014 to 2018 Dante was committed to the New Orleans Pelicans and in the 2017/18 season the player was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Rashad Vaughn.
In July 2018, Cunningham signed with the San Antonio Spurs and will appear for the team in the 2018/19 season.
His wife and girlfriend
The basketball prodigy has been active both on and off the court. He had a relationship with a woman named Miryah Herron. The duo began their whirlwind romance in 2013. There is not much information regarding Miryah Herron, however, it is already known that she had two daughters from her previous marriage.
After starting their relationship, Dante adopted her two children one of whom is named Kaliyah. Their relationship has been full of ups and downs, nonetheless, the pair have been together. Dante and Herron haven’t made it down the aisle yet and we hope they will soon.
His height and weight
Dante Cunningham is a very big striker and very energetic in his game. Although he did not record his breakout season in the league; Dante has improved his game considerably. He stands at a height of 6ft 8in and 2.03m and weighs 104kg. He has black hair and brown eyes.