Brett Wheeler
July 23, 2020
Jo Jo English
- Nationality: GER/USA
- Date of Birth: 4/02/70
- Place of Birth: Frankfurt (West Germany)
- Position: GRD
- Height (CM): 193
- Weight (KG): 86
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: South Carolina (1988–1992)
- NBL DEBUT: 9/06/95
- AGE AT DEBUT: 25
- LAST NBL GAME: 3/10/95
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 25
- NBL History: Adelaide 1995
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Stephen “Jo Jo” English was born in Frankfurt (West Germany) and starred at the University of South Carolina in the early 1990s. He later played for the Chicago Bulls in the NBA.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Jo Jo English made his NBL debut with the Adelaide 36ers at 25 years of age. He scored 14 points in his first game.
After his time with the Chicago Bulls, English joined the Adelaide 36ers as a mid-season acquisition in 1995. He would average 14.8 points in 21 games.
Jo Jo English played one season in the NBL. He averaged 14.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 21 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 25 | Adelaide | 17-9 (6) | 21 | 674.0 | 311 | 69 | 56 | 28 | 41 | 30 | 6 | 55 | 74 | 119 | 291 | 41% | 28 | 81 | 35% | 45 | 78 | 58% | 47% | 46% | 32 | Totals | 21 | 674 | 311 | 69 | 56 | 28 | 41 | 30 | 6 | 55 | 74 | 119 | 291 | 40.9% | 28 | 81 | 34.6% | 45 | 78 | 57.7% | 48% | 46% | 32 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 25 | Adelaide | 17-9 (6) | 21 | 32.1 | 14.8 | 3.3 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 5.7 | 13.9 | 41% | 1.3 | 3.9 | 35% | 2.1 | 3.7 | 58% | 47% | 46% | 32 | Total | 21 | 32.1 | 14.8 | 3.3 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 5.7 | 13.9 | 40.9% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 34.6% | 1.3 | 3.9 | 57.7% | 48% | 46% | 32 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 32 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
|---|
NBA EXPERIENCE
English played intermittently for the Chicago Bulls from 1992 to 1994. English is perhaps best remembered for being involved in a bench-clearing brawl with Derek Harper of the New York Knicks during a 1994 NBA Eastern Conference semi finals playoff game at Chicago Stadium with NBA Commissioner David Stern in attendance. English and Harper carried their fight into the stands and were subsequently punished with one and two-game suspensions, respectively.
May 13, 1994: The Knicks and Bulls brawl in Chicago during Game 3 of the ECSF.
— NBA Cobwebs (@NBACobwebs) May 13, 2024
New York's Derek Harper was suspended for 2 games & fined $15,000. Chicago's Jo Jo English was suspended for 1 game & fined $10,000. Fifteen other players were fined $2,500 each for leaving the bench. pic.twitter.com/8k6mWukd52
English hopped between both the NBA and the leagues feeder competition, the CBA (Continental Basketball Association), several times during that period. He played for the Tri-City Chinook (1992–1993, 1994), La Crosse Catbirds (1994) and the Pittsburgh Piranhas (1994–1995) before playing in Australia.
During his time playing in Europe, he also regularly returned to the CBA playing for the Yakima Sun Kings (1995–1996), La Crosse Bobcats (1998–1999) and the Rockford Lightning (2001–2002).
English played 50 games in the NBA. He averaged 3.6 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game over his NBA career.
NBA TRANSACTIONS:
- October 6, 1992: Signed as a free agent with the Chicago Bulls.
-
November 5, 1992: Waived by the Chicago Bulls.
-
December 2, 1992: Signed as a free agent with the Chicago Bulls.
-
December 15, 1992: Waived by the Chicago Bulls.
-
October, 1993: Signed as a free agent with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
-
November 4, 1993: Traded by the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Chicago Bulls for a future draft pick.
- The future draft pick traded to Minnesota was conditional and was not exercised.
-
January 5, 1994: Waived by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
-
March 8, 1994: Signed the first of two 10-day contracts with the Chicago Bulls.
-
March 28, 1994: Signed a contract for the rest of the season with the Chicago Bulls.
-
November 18, 1994: Waived by the Chicago Bulls.
| Season | Team | PTS | AST | STL | BLK | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 82% | 85% | 92% | 70% | ||||||
| 2 | 0 | 32 | 6 | 5 | 1 | ||||||
| Total | 119 | 291 | 40.9% | 28 | 81 | 34.6% |
NBA TOTAL STATISTICS
| YEAR | AGE | TEAM | POS | GP | GS | MINS | PTS | TRB | AST | ORB | DRB | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-95 | 24 | Chicago | SG | 8 | 0 | 127 | 43 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 19 | 15 | 39 | 3 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 48% | 42% | |||
| 1993-94 | 23 | Chicago | SG | 36 | 0 | 419 | 130 | 45 | 38 | 9 | 36 | 8 | 10 | 36 | 61 | 56 | 129 | 8 | 17 | 10 | 21 | 47% | 47% | |||
| 1992-93 | 22 | Chicago | SG | 6 | 0 | 31 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 28% | 30% | Total | 50 | 0 | 577 | 179 | 54 | 46 | 12 | 42 | 18 | 13 | 46 | 85 | 74 | 178 | 42% | 11 | 32 | 34% | 20 | 36 | 56% |
NBA PER GAME STATISTICS
| YEAR | AGE | TEAM | POS | GP | GS | MINS | PTS | TRB | AST | ORB | DRB | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-95 | 24 | Chicago | SG | 8 | 0 | 15.9 | 5.4 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 4.9 | 38% | 0.4 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 48% | 42% | ||
| 1993-94 | 23 | Chicago | SG | 36 | 0 | 11.6 | 3.6 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 3.6 | 43% | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 47% | 47% | ||
| 1992-93 | 22 | Chicago | SG | 6 | 0 | 5.2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 30% | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 28% | 30% | Total | 50 | 0 | 11.5 | 3.6 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 3.6 | 42% | 0.2 | 0.6 | 34% | 0.4 | 0.7 | 56% |
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- France - PSG Racing (1996–1997) | Japan - Mitsui (1997–1998) | Germany - Hamburg (2000–2001) | Portugal - Portugal Telecom (2001–2002) | Poland - Stal Ostrow Wielkopolski (2002–2003)
After his stint with Adelaide in the NBL, English played one game with the Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdogs in the 1996 PBA Governors Cup but was hobbled by an old injury.
He then played in Turkey for two seasons, once with Beşiktaş (1996–1997) and then a second season with Antalyaspor Muratpaşa (1997–1998).
He returned to the US and playing in the CBA for several seasons before again heading overseas to play in Israel with Maccabi Kiryat Motzkin, where he was the top scorer in the 1999–2000 Israel Basketball Premier League.
English then spent two seasons playing in Frace with Strasbourg IG (2000–2001) and Besançon BCD (2001) before returning to the CBA to finish his career in the USA.
COLLEGE
Jo Jo English suited up for South Carolina from 1988–1992, beginning his career on the 1988–89 Gamecocks team that went 19–11 overall (8–4 in the Metro Conference) under head coach George Felton and earned an at-large berth to the 1989 NCAA Tournament as a No. 12 seed in the East Region, which marked the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 15 years before South Carolina fell to NC State in the first round.
As a freshman in 1988–89, English was part of that NCAA Tournament roster and averaged 3.8 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game across the season.
In 1989–90, English made a major jump as a sophomore, averaging 15.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game, and the South Carolina record book lists him as the team’s minutes leader that season with 951 minutes played.
In 1990–91, English averaged 15.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game, while South Carolina produced a 20–13 campaign that included winning the Diet Pepsi Tournament of Champions with victories over North Carolina and Houston; during that junior year, he also recorded one of the program’s top single-game three-point makes by hitting seven threes against Temple on December 8, 1990.
As a senior in 1991–92, English averaged 15.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game during South Carolina’s first season competing in the Southeastern Conference, and he authored one of the school’s most prolific three-point games by going 10-for-22 from three versus Tennessee on March 12, 1992, a line that stands as the program’s SEC Tournament record for both most three-pointers made and most three-point attempts in a game.
Across his four South Carolina seasons, English finished with 1,439 career points, which ranks 10th on the program’s career scoring list, and he also ranked 10th in career field goal attempts (1,166) while placing 4th in career three-pointers made (139) and 5th in career three-point attempts (370), producing a 139-for-370 career mark from deep (37.6%) along with 136 career steals for the Gamecocks.
AWARDS
- Israeli League Top Scorer (2000)
- NBA champion (1993)
COACHING HISTORY
English has served as a high school basketball coach after his retirement.
English spent three seasons as the head coach of the boys basketball team at Sumter High School in Sumter, South Carolina, until his resignation on September 19, 2015.
On March 16, 2018, he was hired as the head coach at Richland Northeast High School in Columbia, South Carolina.
On June 3, 2021, English was appointed as the head coach at his alma mater, Lower Richland High School.
Related
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