Donaldson inducted into Pac-10 Hall of Fame

James Donaldson doesn’t look back at his basketball career in terms of individual accomplishments.

So this past fall’s announcement that he was one of 10 inductees into the Pac-10 Basketball Hall of Fame took the Washington State University graduate by surprise.

The ceremony took place earlier this month in Los Angeles during the Pac-10 tournament.

“I was flattered,” said Donaldson, the owner of the Donaldson Clinic in Mill Creek. “It’s a prestigious honor … it’s always a little bit surprising when people single me out and say he did a good job over the years.”

The other inductees included Damon Stoudamire (Arizona), Lionel Hollins (Arizona State), Andy Wolfe (California), Jim Loscutoff (Oregon), Ralph Miller (Oregon State), Adam Keefe (Stanford), Don Barksdale (UCLA), Dennis “Mo” Layton (USC) and Steve Hawes (Washington).

Donaldson credited his coach, George Raveling, another member of the Hall of Fame, for believing in him and providing guidance throughout his time at WSU.

“George is a masterful motivator and an inspirational person,” Donaldson said. “He was a very good basketball coach, but I took more from him on the way to live and be a young man. He became that mentor, that role model. He really encouraged me to be all that I could be. He saw the potential in me before I began to see the potential in myself.”

Donaldson only started playing basketball during his senior year in high school. He saw little action his freshman and sophomore seasons as a Cougar.

He blossomed during his junior and especially his senior year.

“It was through a lot of hard work and great people surrounding me and supporting me,” Donaldson said. “By the time I was a senior, I was really starting to feel that I can do this. I can make a career out this.”

Though he has been out of school for more than a quarter of a century, Donaldson’s name is still prominent in the WSU men’s basketball record books, including: blocked shots in a game (10), season (82 in 1978) and career (176).

His 3.03 blocks per game in 1978 and his 2.10 rate in his career also are all-time Cougar bests.

Donaldson holds nine other positions on either the school’s single-season or career top-10 lists. He attended WSU from 1976-1979 and was an all-Pac 8 second-team selection in 1978. He twice earned Washington State’s Jud Heathcote Award for inspiration and was named team captain his senior season.

During his college career, the Cougars averaged 18 wins and finished in the upper division of the Pac-8 Conference each season.

Donaldson was drafted in the fourth round with the 73rd overall pick by Seattle in the 1979 NBA draft. He is one of 13 Washington State alumni to have played in the NBA.

During his 14-year NBA career, the 7-foot-2 center played with Seattle, San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas, New York, and Utah. He was named to the all-star team in 1988 as a Maverick.

Donaldson scored more than 8,000 points, grabbed almost 7,500 rebounds and blocked more than 1,400 shots in his career. Donaldson’s 57.1 career field goal percentage still ranks sixth all time.

Dallas fans recently voted Donaldson as the center for the franchise’s all-time team. He played all or part of seven seasons with the Mavericks during the latter half of the 1980s and early 1990s. His top season there was in 1986-87 when he averaged 10.8 points and 11.9 rebounds per game.

During his rehabilitation from an injury, Donaldson developed a passion for physical therapy, which led him to open The Donaldson Clinic in Mill Creek in 1990. He has since opened branches in Seattle, Tacoma and Mukilteo.

Donaldson continues to work for the Sonics on various community projects and speaking engagements. He also had a weekly radio show on KJR 950.

“I’m a busy guy,” Donaldson said. “I keep on pushing myself to be the best I can be.”