WSU Basketball great James Donaldson inducted into the Sacramento Sports Hall Of Fame

The former NBA all-star gets recognized

ZACH THUMMEL

February 8, 2024

James Donaldson hangs from the rim during a WSU men’s basketball game. Courtesy of WSU Athletics.

James Donaldson, a WSU basketball great, was inducted into the Sacramento Sports Hall of Fame Sunday at The Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, California.

The Hall also inducted Matt Barnes (NBA), Nick Johnson (MLB), and Leon Lee (MLB) along with Donaldson.

Donaldson, a 7-foot-2-inch center from Burbank High School in Sacramento, California, was a star player at WSU from 1976–79. He cemented himself as a legendary shot blocker.

Donaldson broke the career record for blocked shots in a career and the single-game record for blocks.

He averaged a double-double for points and rebounds during his junior and senior seasons for the Cougars (‘78 and ’79).

WSU elected Donaldson into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006 and the Pac-12 (Pac-10 at the time) inducted him into the Men’s Basketball Hall of Honor in 2006.

James Donaldson and the WSU men’s basketball team. Courtesy of WSU Athletics.

After his tenure with WSU, Donaldson did not go far from The Palouse as the Seattle SuperSonics selected the Sacramento native in the fourth round of the 1979 NBA Draft.

Donaldson played 14 seasons in the NBA. Three with Seattle, three with the Los Angeles Clippers, seven with the Dallas Mavericks, one with the New York Knicks and two with the Utah Jazz.

Donaldson led the NBA in field goal percentage during the 1984–85 season, shooting 63.7% from the field.

While with the Dallas Mavericks, Donaldson was selected as an NBA All-Star in 1988.

During his time in the NBA, Donaldson scored 8,203 career points, grabbed 7,492 rebounds, and blocked 1,267 shots.

Donaldson retired from the NBA in 1999 and moved back to the state of Washington in the Seattle area.

Donaldson started his own physical therapy business, ran for Mayor of Seattle in 2009 and 2021, and is a motivational speaker.

In 2015, Donaldson had open heart surgery, which led to the closure of his physical therapy clinic in the Seattle area in 2018.

Donaldson is a public speaker who speaks about mental health across the country, he even returned to the Palouse to speak to Colton High School, Nov. 8 2023.

Donaldson spoke about his journey and stressed the importance of mental health.

“Mental health is one of those things — you just can’t see it from the outside,” Donaldson said. “There is hope and there is tomorrow. Hang in there.”