Tanoka Beard

Tanoka Dwight Beard (born September 29, 1971) is an American former[1] professional basketball player and coach.[2] During his career, he was able to play both the power forward and center positions. He earned an All-EuroLeague Second Team selection in 2005, while leading the competition in rebounds, with an average of 10.6 per game. He won various European national domestic league championships and national domestic cup titles, in three different European countries.

Tanoka Beard
Beard in Vilnius, Lithuania, in 2007
Personal information
Born (1971-09-29) September 29, 1971
Ogden, Utah
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight267 lb (121 kg)
Career information
High schoolBonneville
(Washington Terrace, Utah)
CollegeBoise State (1989–1993)
NBA draft1993 / Undrafted
Playing career1993–2009
PositionCenter / Power forward
Number6
Coaching career2012–present
Career history
As player:
1993–1994Lottomatica Roma
1994Leche Río Breogán
1994–1995Ülkerspor
1995–1996Besançon BCD
1996–1998Joventut Badalona
1998–1999Real Madrid
1999–2000Pamesa Valencia
2000–2001Fenerbahçe
2001–2002Joventut Badalona
2002Lokomotiv MV
2003–2007Žalgiris Kaunas
2007–2008Hapoel Holon
2008Guayama Wizards
2008Fajardo Cariduros
2008–2009Tartu Ülikool/Rock
As coach:
2012–2014Layton Christian Academy (assistant)
2014–2018American Preparatory Academy (assistant)
2018–2019Layton Christian Academy (assistant)
2019–Ben Lomond High
Career highlights and awards
As player:
Beard's former Žalgiris #6 jersey (left)

High school

Beard attended Bonneville High School, in Washington Terrace, Utah, where he played high school basketball.

College career

After high school, Beard played college basketball at Boise State University, with the Boise State Broncos, from 1989 to 1993. He was named the Big Sky Conference's Freshman of the Year in 1990. He was named to the Big Sky Conference's First Team in 1991, 1992, and 1993. He was also named the MVP of the Big Sky Conference Tournament in 1993.

Over his four year college career, Beard averaged 17.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game. In his senior season, he averaged 21.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.[3] Beard was named to the school's all-time basketball team in 2007.[4]

Professional career

Beard was twice named the Liga ACB's (Spain's top-tier level league) Most Valuable Player, in 1999 and 2002. He also holds the EuroLeague record, for the highest Performance Index Rating (PIR), in a single game, with 63. He achieved the record while he was a member of Žalgiris Kaunas, in a EuroLeague 2003–04 season game against Fortitudo Bologna, on 22 January, 2004. In that game, Beard recorded 35 points, 19 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks, in 38 minutes of playing time.[5]

Coaching career

After he retired from playing pro club basketball, Beard began working as a basketball coach in 2012.[6] In 2013, he opened up a basketball academy youth club called Ogden Pride Youth Basketball Club, in Ogden, Utah.

Awards and achievements

Ülkerspor

Joventut Badalona

Žalgiris Kaunas

Personal

Musical career

During 2005–06 season with Žalgiris, Beard recorded a track and a music video, with duo Linas and Simona, named "I Love U". This song was released on the album with the same name, on 22 July 2005, and in two weeks, it reached number 1 on the Lithuanian M-1 radio station. The lead singer of the duo, Linas Adomaitis, produced Beard's album, which has never been released.

EuroLeague career statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  PIR  Performance Index Rating
 Bold  Career high

Note: The EuroLeague is not the only competition in which the player participated for the team during the season. He also played in domestic competition, and regional competition if applicable.

Led the league
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG PIR
2002–03 Žalgiris Kaunas 3230.0.629.000.87513.31.71.7.317.027.3
2003–04 Žalgiris Kaunas 201026.0.561.000.6967.6.71.1.814.617.4
2004–05 Žalgiris Kaunas 202032.5.578.333.77110.61.31.5.418.021.9
2005–06 Žalgiris Kaunas 141327.8.429.130.7818.12.1.9.313.615.4
2006–07 Žalgiris Kaunas 141431.0.547.214.6679.91.6.9.614.518.3
2007–08 Žalgiris Kaunas 2019.7.308.000.5004.0.51.5.55.54.0
Career 735929.1.536.188.7309.11.31.1.515.218.5

References
  1. "Former pro basketball player strives to be role model for young athletes". Standard-Examiner. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  2. "Week 11 MVP: Tanoka Beard, Zalgiris Kaunas". Welcome to EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  3. Tanoka Beard Position: Center 6-9 (206cm) School: Boise State.
  4. Beard Selected To All-Time Basketball Team.
  5. 2003-04 Regular Season Round 10 JANUARY 22, 2004 CET: 20:40.
  6. Ben Lomond hires former pro player, Bonneville alum Tanoka Beard as boys hoops coach.
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