A well-traveled 7-footer, Bill Wennington has never been one to light up the scoreboard, but he has provided steady minutes at the center position since entering the NBA in 1985, and in 1996 he earned a championship ring as a reserve center with the Chicago Bulls. He played the same role for the Bulls the next two seasons, although an injured left foot cost him a spot on Chicago's playoff roster in 1997. A Montreal native and two-time member of Canada's Olympic basketball squad, he attended college at St. John's, where he was a teammate of Chris Mullin. As a senior in 1984-85, Wennington put up collegiate career highs of 12.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. The Dallas Mavericks chose Wennington with the 16th overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft. He spent the first five years of his pro career with the Mavericks but didn't make much of an impact. In his rookie campaign he averaged 3.4 points and 2.4 rebounds in 56 games. His best season with Dallas was 1988-89, when he contributed 4.6 points and 4.4 rebounds in 16.5 minutes per game. Dallas sent Wennington to Sacramento in the 1990 offseason, and he had a good year for the Kings in 1990-91. He spent the following two seasons in Italy, where he played for Knorr Bologna. Before the 1993-94 season got underway he returned to the United States to sign with the Chicago Bulls as a free agent. Wennington earned significant playing time after a series of injuries to the Bulls' other centers, and the extra minutes allowed him to post career highs of 7.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. He had a lesser role in 1994-95 and averaged 5.0 points, but in 1995-96 he started 20 games and appeared as a reserve in 51 more, contributing 5.3 points per game to the Bulls' 72-win championship season. In 1996-97 he appeared in 61 games, making 19 starts, but went on the injured list on April 2 due to a ruptured plantar fascia of the left foot, knocking him out of the postseason. He came back to play in 48 games in 1997-98 and appeared in 16 playoff contests as the Bulls won their third title in a row. In 1998-99, after the Bulls traded starting center Luc Longley to Phoenix, Wennington played in 38 games but made only three starts, as Chicago went primarily with a smaller, more mobile lineup.

1999-2000 REGULAR SEASON
Placed on the injured list with a right calf strain on 3/21 Activated from the injured list on 3/8, after missing 2 1/2 months with a bruised lower back Activated from the injured list on 12/8 after missing the first 15 games of the season

1998-1999 REGULAR SEASON
Registered 12 points (6-8 FG) and 4 rebounds, in 15 minutes, against the Orlando Magic on 5/5 Scored 10 points (4-8 FG, 2-2 FT) against the Orlando Magic on 4/2 On the injured list from 2/19 to 2/27 due to a strained back

1997-1998 REGULAR SEASON
On the injured list from 1/10 to 1/23 due to right elbow synovitis Registered 12 points (4-7 FG, 4-5 FT) and 4 rebounds in a 97-70 win over the Toronto Raptors on 12/13 Recorded 10 points and 7 rebounds an in 88-83 victory over the Washington Wizards on 11/29 On the injured list from 11/8 to 11/21 due to tendonitis in his right elbow

1996-1997 REGULAR SEASON
Wennington appeared in 61 games for the Bulls, making 19 starts, but missed much of the second half of the season and all of postseason due to an injured left foot. He was on the injured list from Feb. 24 to March 7 due to plantar fasciatis of the left foot, returned to action, then was placed on the injured list on April 2 due to a ruptured plantar fascia. That ended his season, and the Bulls did not include him on their playoff roster. Wennington averaged 4.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 12.8 minutes per game, scoring a season-high 18 points in a season-high 32 minutes during a 97-88 win at San Antonio on Nov. 30. He hauled down a season-high 10 rebounds, with 14 points, in a 102-86 loss at Houston on Jan. 19.

1995-1996 REGULAR SEASON
The veteran 7-footer was a valuable contributor for Chicago, providing depth and experience at center as well as the flexibility to play forward in certain matchups. He appeared in 71 games, including 20 starts, and averaged 5.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in 15.0 minutes per game, shooting a solid .493 from the field and .860 from the foul line. His best game came at Denver on Feb. 4 when he posted season highs of 18 points and 11 rebounds. Wennington played off the bench in all 18 playoff games, averaging 3.0 points in 9.4 minutes per game. He scored six points on three occasions, including Game 3 of the Finals at Seattle.

1994-1995 REGULAR SEASON
Part of the Chicago Bulls trio of centers, Wennington shared time in the pivot with Will Perdue and Luc Longley in 1994-95. Wennington was the third man in that rotation and saw his role reduced somewhat from the previous season. Appearing in 73 games and starting for 1, he averaged 5.0 points and 2.6 rebounds in 13.1 minutes per contest. He missed the first six games of the season with a sprained left ankle. Wennington s best outing of the season came against the Detroit Pistons on December 9, when he scored a season-high 16 points while pulling down a season-high-tying 9 rebounds. One of the highlights of that contest was Wennington s game-winning, buzzer-beating dunk off a Michael Jordan pass in Jordan s first appearance at Madison Square Garden since coming out of retirement. (Jordan lit up the New York Knicks for 55 points that night.) Wennington s role remained the same during the playoffs as the Bulls made it to the conference semifinals before falling to the Orlando Magic in six games. He came off the bench in each of Chicago s 10 postseason contests and averaged 4.8 points and 2.8 rebounds in 13.3 minutes per game. He struck for a career playoff high of 14 points in Game 1 of the Bulls second round matchup with Orlando.

1993-1994 REGULAR SEASON
With injuries sidelining Bill Cartwright, Will Perdue, and Scott Williams during the 1993-94 season, the Chicago Bulls were fortunate to have such an experienced and serviceable frontcourtman as Wennington, who had signed with the club as a free agent on September 29. He played in 76 games, averaging a career-high 7.1 points and hauling in 4.6 rebounds per contest. Wennington scored in double figures 27 times during the year. He notched his season high of 19 points against the Houston Rockets on November 23 and grabbed 11 boards against the Detroit Pistons on January 24.

1992-1993 REGULAR SEASON
Wennington played a second full season for Knorr Bologna of the Italian A1 League. He appeared in 29 games, averaging 12.2 points and 6.7 rebounds.

1991-1992 REGULAR SEASON
Wennington accepted an offer to play for Knorr Bologna of the Italian A1 League in 1991-92. In 27 games he averaged 11.1 points and 7.0 rebounds.

1990-1991 REGULAR SEASON
Shortly after the 1989-90 season the Dallas Mavericks traded Wennington and draft considerations to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Rodney McCray and other draft considerations. Wennington made solid contributions in Sacramento, playing a career-high 77 games and starting 23 times as part of a front line that also included Antoine Carr, Wayman Tisdale, and Duane Causwell. The six-year veteran set new career marks in scoring (5.7 ppg), rebounding (4.4 rpg), minutes played (18.9 per game), blocks (59), and steals (46).

1989-1990 REGULAR SEASON
Wennington appeared in 60 games in 1989-90, seeing spot duty behind James Donaldson, Sam Perkins, Herb Williams, and Roy Tarpley. Although he appeared in only 30 of the Mavericks first 51 games, he assumed a larger role in the second half of the year, playing in 30 of the last 31 contests and finishing with overall averages of 4.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Wennington scored in double figures six times in the final 15 games of the season, including a season-high 14 points in three of those games. In two starts as a replacement for Donaldson he averaged 11.5 points and 6.5 rebounds. The Mavericks returned to the NBA Playoffs but suffered a first-round sweep at the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers. Wennington appeared in all three games and totaled 2 points and 3 rebounds in 25 minutes.

1988-1989 REGULAR SEASON
Wennington assumed a more regular role in 1988-89 as Roy Tarpley and James Donaldson both missed significant time with injuries and, in Tarpley s case, a substance-abuse problem. Wennington appeared in 65 games, starting 9, and averaged 4.6 points and 4.4 rebounds in 16.5 minutes per game. He started seven straight games in April, averaging 8.9 points and 6.4 rebounds in 29.4 minutes per game. In the first game of that stretch Wennington had a team-high 21 points along with 10 rebounds against the Seattle SuperSonics on April 8. After falling one game short of the NBA Finals in 1988, the injury-riddled Mavericks stumbled to a 38-44 record in 1989 and missed the playoffs.

1987-1988 REGULAR SEASON
Wennington s role diminished even further in 1987-88, largely because of the emergence of Roy Tarpley as a premier sixth man. Wennington appeared in only 30 games, totaling 63 points in 125 minutes. He scored a season-high 10 points against the Jazz at Utah on November 11. Dallas marched all the way to the Western Conference Finals in 1988, eventually losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. Wennington appeared in 6 of 17 postseason games but failed to score in 14 total minutes.

1986-1987 REGULAR SEASON
The Mavericks drafted 6-foot-11 Roy Tarpley in 1986, pushing Wennington even further down the bench. The second-year big man saw spot time in 58 games, subbing at power forward and center for Tarpley, James Donaldson, and Sam Perkins. Wennington contributed 2.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in 9.7 minutes per game. Dallas advanced to the 1987 NBA Playoffs but lost to the Seattle SuperSonics in a four-game first-round series. Wennington appeared in all four games and averaged 3.8 points in 11.8 minutes per game.

1985-1986 REGULAR SEASON
As a senior at St. John s University in 1985, Bill Wennington teamed with Chris Mullin and Walter Berry to lead the Redmen to a 31-4 record and a berth in the NCAA Final Four. A native of Canada, Wennington averaged 12.5 points and 6.4 rebounds in his final collegiate season, earning a spot on the All-Big East Conference Second Team. The Dallas Mavericks owned 3 of the first 17 picks in the 1985 NBA Draft. They selected Detlef Schrempf at No. 8, Wennington at No. 16, and 7-foot-2 Uwe Blab at No. 17. None of the three made major contributions during his rookie season, although Schrempf would go on to become an NBA All-Star in 1993. Wennington appeared in 56 games for the Mavericks, waiting his turn in a Dallas frontcourt that included Sam Perkins and James Donaldson. He averaged 3.4 points and 2.4 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per game.

 

CAREER AVERAGES                 REBOUNDS PER GAME     YEAR TEAM G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% OFF DEF RPG APG SPG BPG TO PF PPG  85-86 DAL 56 3 10.0 .471 .000 .726 .60 1.80 2.40 .4 .20 .39 .38 1.50 3.4  86-87 DAL 58 0 9.7 .424 .000 .750 .90 1.30 2.20 .4 .22 .17 .67 1.60 2.7  87-88 DAL 30 0 4.2 .510 .500 .632 .50 .80 1.30 .1 .17 .30 .30 1.10 2.1  88-89 DAL 65 9 16.5 .433 .111 .744 1.30 3.10 4.40 .7 .25 .54 .83 3.20 4.6  89-90 DAL 60 2 13.6 .449 .000 .800 1.10 2.20 3.30 .7 .33 .35 .83 2.40 4.5  90-91 SAC 77 23 18.9 .436 .200 .787 1.30 3.10 4.40 .9 .60 .77 .66 3.00 5.7  93-94 CHI 76 0 18.0 .488 .000 .818 1.50 3.10 4.60 .9 .57 .38 .99 2.80 7.1  94-95 CHI 73 1 13.1 .492 .000 .810 .90 1.70 2.60 .5 .30 .23 .53 2.70 5.0  95-96 CHI 71 20 15.0 .493 1.000 .860 .80 1.60 2.50 .6 .30 .23 .52 2.40 5.3  96-97 CHI 61 19 12.8 .498 .000 .830 .80 1.40 2.10 .7 .16 .18 .51 2.20 4.6  97-98 CHI 48 8 9.7 .436 .000 .810 .70 1.00 1.70 .4 .08 .10 .33 1.60 3.5  98-99 CHI 38 3 11.9 .348 1.000 .818 .50 1.60 2.10 .5 .34 .32 .45 2.10 3.8  99-00 SAC 7 0 8.1 .316 .000 1.000 .70 2.00 2.70 .1 .29 .29 .14 1.90 2.0  Career 720 88 13.5 .459 .139 .787 1.00 2.00 3.00 .6 .31 .34 .61 2.30 4.6  Playoff 70 0 8.2 .459 .500 .679 .60 .90 1.40 .4 .20 .16 .40 1.70 2.5
	CAREER TOTALS                 REBOUNDS     YEAR TEAM G GS MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A OFF DEF TOT AST STL BLK TO PF PTS  85-86 DAL 56 3 562 72-153 0-4 45-62 32 100 132 21 11 22 21 83 189  86-87 DAL 58 0 560 56-132 0-2 45-60 53 76 129 24 13 10 39 95 157  87-88 DAL 30 0 125 25-49 1-2 12-19 14 25 39 4 5 9 9 33 63  88-89 DAL 65 9 1,074 119-275 1-9 61-82 82 204 286 46 16 35 54 211 300  89-90 DAL 60 2 814 105-234 0-4 60-75 64 134 198 41 20 21 50 144 270  90-91 SAC 77 23 1,455 181-415 1-5 74-94 101 239 340 69 46 59 51 230 437  93-94 CHI 76 0 1,371 235-482 0-2 72-88 117 236 353 70 43 29 75 214 542  94-95 CHI 73 1 956 156-317 0-4 51-63 64 126 190 40 22 17 39 198 363  95-96 CHI 71 20 1,065 169-343 1-1 37-43 58 116 174 46 21 16 37 171 376  96-97 CHI 61 19 783 118-237 0-2 44-53 46 83 129 41 10 11 31 132 280  97-98 CHI 48 8 467 75-172 0-0 17-21 32 48 80 19 4 5 16 77 167  98-99 CHI 38 3 451 62-178 1-1 18-22 20 59 79 18 13 12 17 79 143  99-00 SAC 7 0 57 6-19 0-0 2-2 5 14 19 1 2 2 1 13 14  Career 720 88 9,740 1,379-3,006 5-36 538-684 688 1,460 2,148 440 226 248 440 1,680 3,301  Playoff 70 0 572 79-172 1-2 19-28 41 60 101 25 14 11 28 122 178
	CAREER TRANSACTIONS Selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the first round (16th pick overall) of the 1985 NBA Draft. Traded by the Mavericks with two 1990 first-round draft choices to the Sacramento Kings for Rodney McCray and 1990 and 1991 second-round draft choices on 6/26/90. Played in Italy in 1991-92 and 1992-93. Signed as a free agent by the Chicago Bulls on 9/22/93.
	Season Highs / Career Highs   2001-02 HIGHS CAREER HIGHS  Points null 21 vs. Seattle 4/08/89  Field Goals Made null 9 3 Times  Field Goals Attempted null 21 @ Denver 2/04/96  Three Point Field Goals Made null 1 5 Times  Three Point Field Goals Attempted null 2 2 Times  Free Throws Made null 8 3 Times  Free Throws Attempted null 8 5 Times  Offensive Rebounds null 6 2 Times  Defensive Rebounds null 9 3 Times  Total Rebounds null 14 @ Golden State 3/10/91  Assists null 5 3 Times  Steals null 3 5 Times  Blocks null 4 2 Times  Minutes Played null 41 vs. Cleveland 3/08/91