Ghana Forward Ben Bentil has padded his list of first after becoming the first native of the West African nation to play in the NBA after playing for Dallas Mavericks in a 95-100 loss to Atlanta Hawks.
The 6 foot 8 inch player played a total of four minutes but went scoreless on the historic night. He recorded a shooting foul on Paul Millsap in his time on the court.
The player who was raised in the port city Sekondi in the West African nation before moving to the United States has created a list of firsts along the way from his days at Providence College to playing in the world’s greatest basketball league.
Here are some his highlight firsts:
• First Ghanaian to score 38 points in the NCAA postseason. He recorded the feat in last year’s Big East Tournament against Butler University
• First to be named Most Improved Player in the Big East
• First to lead the Big East in scoring
• First to be drafted into the NBA; selected 51st overall by Boston Celtics
• First to play in China; played in the Chinese Basketball Association for Xinjiang Guanghui Flying Tigers
• First to sign NBA contract; signed 10 day contract with Dallas Mavericks
• First player to play in the NBA; played four minutes in Dallas’ 95-100 loss to Atlanta Hawks on March 2.
By Yaw Adjei-Mintah
@ YawMintYM on Twitter
