Mario Donaldson on THAT 1994 NBL Dunk Contest and his time playing with Sydney & Canberra
September 11, 2026
Mario Donaldson
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 3/11/68
- Place of Birth: Greenville, Mississippi (USA)
- Position: G/F
- Height (CM): 200
- Weight (KG): 90
- Junior Assoc:
- College: Drake (1988-1990)
- NBL DEBUT: 9/04/94
- AGE AT DEBUT: 25
- LAST NBL GAME: 10/07/97
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 28
- NBL History: Sydney 1994 | Canberra 1997
- Championships: 0
- None
NICKNAME/S: Super Mario, Smooth Operator
BIO: Mario Donaldson was born in Greenville, Mississippi (USA).
NBL EXPERIENCE
Mario Donaldson made his NBL debut with the Sydney Kings at 25 years of age. He scored 28 points in his first game.
After three seasons of import duo Dwayne McClain and Ken McClary, Kings coach Bob Turner chose to go in a different direction in 1994. With rumours of McClain’s rise in popularity leading to difficulties in coaching the star, the decision was made not to re-sign McLain and McClary and find younger talent to replace them. Coach Bob Turner signed swingman Mario Donaldson, who he spotted playing with Omaha during the 1993 CBA championship season.
He paired Donaldson with a relatively unknown forward, Leon Trimmingham, who had played at Briar Cliff University and was recommended to Turner by former Hobart coach Dr David Atkins.
The majority of the remaining roster was retained, with the only major loss being Tony De Ambrosis (to Gold Coast), who was replaced with young guns Neil Turner and Brad Williams.
Sydney came out on fire to start the season. With Trimmingham, whose nightly pyrotechnics drew crowds to the Kingdome like moths to a flame, leading the team in scoring and Donaldson’s deadly outside scoring and lockdown defence, Sydney defeated South East Melbourne Magic on opening night and won three games in a row before losing their first game of the season in Perth.
At the halfway mark (8-3), the Kings looked like a title contender, but the lack of experience amongst the roster started to show, and Sydney went 8-7 for the remainder of the year and narrowly scraped into the playoffs in seventh place (16-10).
Donaldson’s best game of the season came against Melbourne at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on April 23, where Donaldson (41 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists) delivered career highs in scoring and rebounding while matching his career high in assists as Sydney defeated the Tigers 123-102.
Another stellar effort came on 25 June 1994 against Brisbane, Donaldson scored 37 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals, shooting 15/28 FG and 3/5 from three.
Trimmingham (27.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.2 blocks) led the team in points, rebounds and blocks while becoming a fan favourite across the league. He also finished the season second in scoring behind league MVP Andrew Gaze. Donaldson (22.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals) and Greg Hubbard (18.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists) provided the additional scoring as Sydney drew second-placed North Melbourne in the first round of the playoffs. Sydney entered the series as decided underdogs, especially given that North Melbourne had whipped them in two regular-season meetings. However, in Game One of the series, the Kings had other ideas. In front of a disbelieving Monday night crowd of 9,092, Sydney rocketed out of the blocks, taking advantage of some fatigue from the Giants, who were playing their third road game in four days. But the home team showed no mercy, hitting one long bomb after another, going on an 11–0 run in the first 71 seconds. At the end of the first period, the Kings were up 43-25 and the Giants simply didn’t know what had hit them. The Kings kept firing away from the outside and kept knocking them down, and by halftime, the game was over. The Kings received a standing ovation as they returned to the changing rooms with a 26 point lead at halftime (77-51).
The second half was a mere formality as the purple and gold cruised to the win, but the biggest story to come out of the game was Sydney’s unbelievable performance from the perimeter, with the team setting a franchise playoff record by knocking down 15 three-pointers from just 18 attempts – a success rate beyond the arc of a absurd 83.3%. It was arguably the greatest three-point shooting exhibition ever by a team in a NBL playoff game.
The Kings finished the game having hit 15 of 18 three-point shots. Greg Hubbard was the chief destroyer, going eight of nine from long distance and finishing with 32 points in just 28 minutes of court time, and he had plenty of help. Mario Donaldson went three of four from the outside as part of his 27-point performance, and co-captain Damian Keogh chipped in with four threes at 80% in his near triple-double of 18 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.
Once the series returned to Melbourne the Giants returned to their winning ways, defeating the Kings in game two (112-91) and game three (104-95). North Melbourne would then go on to win the NBL Championship.
Donaldson was released after the 1994 season as Bob Turner reshaped the roster, subsequently bringing in veterans including Phil Smyth and Bruce Bolden.
CANBERRA CANNONS
1997
Following their 1996 semifinal appearance, Canberra reshaped its roster when Darnell Mee (to France), David Close, Nick Proud and John Gladwin departed. Mee had battled a serious knee injury throughout the previous season and was not offered another contract, spending 1997 in France rehabilitating, while head coach Brett Flanigan retained Robert Rose, Simon Dwight, Ray Borner, Chris Blakemore, Jamie Pearlman, Brendan Mann and Troy Pilon before signing former Sydney import Mario Donaldson and adding Matt Scalzi (via Geelong), Paul Denman and Daniel Richardson.
Canberra opened the season against North Melbourne at the AIS Arena on April 12, where the former Sydney import (34 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists) made 13-of-21 field goals in his Cannons debut, with Rose (18 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Dwight (11 points, 19 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, and 3 blocks) providing support, but Darryl McDonald (27 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals) led the Giants to a 97-83 win. The 34 points remained his highest-scoring game of the season.
Donaldson (18.9 points and 4.2 rebounds across 33 games) appeared in every game and played 39.9 minutes per game, providing Canberra with a second major scoring option while shooting 49 per cent from the field, 40 per cent from three-point range and 89 per cent from the free-throw line.
On May 7, Donaldson (19 points) moved into the starting lineup in place of Chris Blakemore, who was out with a recurring elbow injury, as Canberra defeated South East Melbourne 89-78 at Melbourne Park. Rose (27 points) led the Cannons in scoring as Canberra won at the venue for the first time since 1991 and defeated the Magic for the first time under Flanigan, recovering after giving up a 20-point lead and falling five behind late before closing the game on a 16-0 run. Flanigan called it “a very significant win” as Canberra improved to 2-0 on the road.
Donaldson (24 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal) also played a major role against eventual champions Melbourne on May 29, with Rose (40 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists) and Dwight (15 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, and 6 blocks) leading Canberra to a 113-99 victory at the AIS Arena, while Andrew Gaze (36 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 block) led the Tigers.
Rose (23 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.3 steals across 33 games) again led Canberra in scoring and playmaking and was selected to the All-NBL First Team, while Dwight (16.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4.3 blocks across 33 games) delivered his best season with the Cannons, led the NBL in blocks and earned All-NBL Second Team selection. Borner (9.3 points and 6 rebounds across 29 games), Pilon (7.3 points and 3.7 rebounds across 32 games), Mann (6.8 points across 33 games), Blakemore (6.7 points and 3.3 rebounds across 18 games) and Pearlman (4.9 points and 3.1 rebounds across 32 games) provided the other main contributions. Canberra won its final three regular-season games and finished sixth with a 15-15 record, going 11-4 at home and 4-11 away after Brisbane claimed fifth place on the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Canberra opened its elimination final series against third-seeded North Melbourne at the AIS Arena, where Donaldson (15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block), Rose (22 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 steals) and Borner (18 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals) led the Cannons to a 104-93 win, while Pat Reidy (25 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals) was North Melbourne’s best.
Game two moved to the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre, where Donaldson (25 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal), Dwight (17 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 blocks) and Rose (16 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists) led Canberra, but Pat Reidy (26 points and 4 rebounds) helped North Melbourne win 108-98 and level the series.
Game three remained at the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre, where Donaldson (8 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist) was held to 4-of-11 shooting as Rose (23 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 block) and Pilon (20 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists) led Canberra, while David Stiff (16 points) helped North Melbourne defeat the Cannons 102-75 and win the series 2-1.
Mario Donaldson played two seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Canberra Cannons and the Sydney Kings. He averaged 20.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 62 NBL games.
HIGHLIGHTS:
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 28 | Canberra | 15-15 (6) | 33 | 1,318 | 623 | 138 | 71 | 31 | 107 | 23 | 8 | 75 | 95 | 261 | 535 | 49% | 47 | 118 | 40% | 54 | 61 | 89% | 55% | 53% | 34 |
| 1994 | 25 | Sydney | 16-10 (7) | 29 | 1,255 | 640 | 151 | 111 | 40 | 111 | 52 | 18 | 116 | 87 | 257 | 516 | 50% | 50 | 107 | 47% | 76 | 97 | 78% | 57% | 55% | 41 | Totals | 62 | 2573 | 1263 | 289 | 182 | 71 | 218 | 75 | 26 | 191 | 182 | 518 | 1051 | 49.3% | 97 | 225 | 43.1% | 130 | 158 | 82.3% | 56% | 54% | 41 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 28 | Canberra | 15-15 (6) | 33 | 39.9 | 18.9 | 4.2 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 3.2 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 2.3 | 2.9 | 7.9 | 16.2 | 49% | 1.4 | 3.6 | 40% | 1.6 | 1.8 | 89% | 55% | 53% | 34 |
| 1994 | 25 | Sydney | 16-10 (7) | 29 | 43.3 | 22.1 | 5.2 | 3.8 | 1.4 | 3.8 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 8.9 | 17.8 | 50% | 1.7 | 3.7 | 47% | 2.6 | 3.3 | 78% | 57% | 55% | 41 | Total | 62 | 41.5 | 20.4 | 4.7 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 3.5 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 8.4 | 17.0 | 49.3% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 43.1% | 1.6 | 3.6 | 82.3% | 56% | 54% | 41 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 41 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 0 |
|---|
NBA EXPERIENCE
Was drafted by the Rockford Lightning in the 1990 CBA draft. Played for Rockford during the 1990-1992 season.
In 1993 he was a part of the Omaha Racers CBA championship winning team. Donaldson averaged 16.8 ppg during the Racers’ championship postseason (269 points in 16 playoff games).
During the 1996–97 CBA season he played for the Connecticut Pride, leading the team in scoring with 983 points.
Donaldson played games in the NBA. He averaged 0 points, 0 rebounds, and 0 assists per game over his NBA career.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Canada - Saskatchewan (1990), Saskatoon (1993) | Israel - Elitzur Rishon LeZion (1995–1996) | Venezuela - Marinos de Oriente (1998, 2001), Cocodrilos de Caracas (2000) | Cyprus - Keravnos KEO (1998–1999) | Greece - Irakleio (1999) | Philippines - Barangay Ginebra (1999) | Argentina - Obras Sanitarias (1999–2000, 2001) | Puerto Rico - Mayagüez (2000)
Donaldson joined the Saskatchewan Storm for the 1990 World Basketball League season in Canada and won the WBL Slam Dunk Contest while representing the Storm, with Saskatchewan finishing the regular season 19–27 before losing its first-round playoff series to the Las Vegas Silver Streaks 2–0.
Donaldson later played for the franchise after it became the Saskatoon Slam and was part of the clubs 1993 Canadian National Basketball League championship season, when Saskatoon finished the regular season 25–21, defeated the Winnipeg Thunder 3–2 in the semi-finals and beat the Cape Breton Breakers 3–1 in the championship series.
The Slam clinched the 1993 title with a 109–107 victory over Cape Breton on 8 September, completing a finals series that also included 122–114 and 120–89 Saskatoon victories.
Donaldson joined Elitzur Rishon LeZion for the 1995–96 season in Israel and scored 33 points against Hapoel Eilat in the opening leg of their Israeli State Cup first-round matchup.
In the return leg against Hapoel Eilat, he scored another 22 points for Elitzur Rishon LeZion during his Israeli stint.
Donaldson joined Marinos de Oriente for the 1998 Venezuelan LPB season and played 37 games, scoring 676 points for 18.3 per game while also collecting 93 rebounds and 103 assists.
During the 1998 championship series against Trotamundos de Carabobo, he scored 19 points in Game 1 and 33 points in a 98–85 Game 2 victory before Marinos eventually won the series 4–2, with former teammate Leon Trimmingham also part of the championship roster.
Donaldson was named the 1998 Venezuelan Finals MVP after helping Marinos de Oriente secure the championship.
He joined Keravnos KEO for the 1998–99 season in Cyprus and played eight games in the Korać Cup, averaging 25.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 39.2 minutes per game while scoring 204 points.
Donaldson shot 54.3 per cent from the field, 51.4 per cent from three-point range and 84.6 per cent from the free-throw line during the 1998–99 Korać Cup, finishing second in the entire competition in scoring at 25.5 points per game.
He moved to Irakleio during the 1998–99 Greek A1 season and played alongside Antonio Harvey, scoring 12 points while Harvey added 14 in an 85–70 playoff loss to Marousi on 30 March 1999.
Donaldson joined Barangay Ginebra for the 1999 PBA Governors’ Cup in the Philippines and recorded 113 points, 55 rebounds, 18 assists, four steals and five blocks across five games, averaging 22.6 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists.
Across 243 minutes with Ginebra, he made 17 of 18 free throws for 94.4 per cent and recorded a high of 32 points, but the Kings opened the Governors’ Cup 0–5 and replaced him with Monty Wilson after his fifth appearance.
Donaldson joined Obras Sanitarias during the 1999–2000 Liga Nacional season in Argentina and scored 26 points with 12 assists in his debut on 8 November 1999 as Obras defeated Estudiantes de Olavarría 97–95.
Obras finished fifth in the 1999–2000 Liga Nacional regular season with Donaldson among its imports before being eliminated 3–0 by Quilmes in the opening playoff round.
Donaldson played for Mayagüez during the 2000 Baloncesto Superior Nacional season in Puerto Rico after completing his full season in Argentina.
He returned to Venezuela during the 2000 LPB playoffs and ultimately joined Cocodrilos de Caracas for the championship series against Gaiteros del Zulia.
Cocodrilos defeated Gaiteros 4–3 in the 2000 championship series and Donaldson was named Finals MVP, giving him two Venezuelan Finals MVP awards with two different clubs after also receiving the honour with Marinos de Oriente in 1998.
Donaldson remains the only player to have won the Venezuelan Finals MVP award with two different teams, with his honours coming for Marinos de Oriente in 1998 and Cocodrilos de Caracas in 2000.
Donaldson returned to Obras Sanitarias during the 2000–01 Argentine Liga Nacional season and scored 17 points in his first game back on 29 January 2001 as Obras defeated Pico FC 90–87 on a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer.
He later returned to Marinos de Oriente for the 2001 Venezuelan LPB season and played 39 games, scoring 580 points for 14.8 per game while adding 74 rebounds and 136 assists.
During that 2001 stint, Donaldson scored 15 points as Marinos defeated defending champion Cocodrilos de Caracas 89–77, while Marinos completed the regular season with a 34–22 record before its postseason ended against Gaiteros del Zulia.
COLLEGE
Mario Donaldson played college basketball at Drake from 1988 to 1990, competing under the name Alessandro Donaldson during his two NCAA Division I seasons with the Bulldogs. He was a forward who wore No. 23, entered the program as a junior from Greenville, Mississippi, and remained with Drake through his senior season.
As a junior in 1988–89, Donaldson played 22 games with 15 starts under head coach Tom Abatemarco and averaged 6.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 23.2 minutes per game. He shot 51.4 percent from the field, an excellent 45.5 percent from three-point range and 55.0 percent from the free-throw line, finishing with 143 points, 54 rebounds, 25 assists, nine steals, four blocks and 41 turnovers while making 20 of his 44 three-point attempts.
His role increased during the second half of that junior season. On January 30, 1989, Donaldson came off the bench to score 22 points as Drake defeated Indiana State 89–72, one of the highest-scoring performances of his college career. He also contributed 10 points on February 20 as the Bulldogs edged Tulsa 62–61 on Terrell Jackson's buzzer-beating three-pointer.
Drake finished the 1988–89 regular season 12–17 overall and 6–8 in the Missouri Valley Conference, receiving the No. 5 seed for the MVC Tournament. The Bulldogs defeated fourth-seeded Bradley 77–75 in the quarterfinals before their run ended with a 54–49 loss to eventual conference champion Creighton in the semifinals.
During his two seasons at Drake, Donaldson competed against a number of players who would go on to notable professional careers, including B.J. Armstrong, Roy Marble and Ed Horton of Iowa, Victor Alexander of Iowa State, Willie Burton of Minnesota, Bob Harstad and Chad Gallagher of Creighton, and Kevin Bradshaw of US International.
Donaldson moved into a much larger role as a senior in 1989–90, appearing in all 31 games and starting 29 while averaging 31.5 minutes per game. His final averages were 12.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.9 steals, and he shot 45.6 percent from the field, 31.1 percent from three and 68.0 percent from the line.
He finished his senior season with 371 points, 141 rebounds, 54 assists, 29 steals, 10 blocks and 62 turnovers, making him Drake's third-leading scorer behind Sam Roark and Kevin Sams. His production nearly doubled from 6.5 points per game as a junior to 12.0 as a senior, while his playing time increased from 23.2 to 31.5 minutes per game.
One of his best games came against Texas Southern on December 16, 1989, when Donaldson matched his collegiate career high with 24 points and led Drake to a 78–71 victory. He was also part of a 117–114 overtime loss to Iowa State on December 12 in what was then the highest-scoring game in the history of either program, contributing 15 points as six Bulldogs reached double figures.
Donaldson again scored 24 points on February 15, 1990, making 10 of 17 field goals, one of three three-pointers and all three of his free throws while adding four rebounds in an 87–77 road loss to Southern Illinois. The performance confirmed 24 points as his Drake career high and came during the closing weeks of his senior season.
The 1989–90 season also included significant disruption within the Drake program. After players boycotted practice for two days, Abatemarco was reassigned from coaching duties on February 7 and assistant Eddie Fields became interim head coach. Abatemarco subsequently resigned on February 20, with Drake going 11–12 under Abatemarco and 2–6 under Fields during Donaldson's senior year.
Drake finished 13–18 overall and 5–9 in Missouri Valley Conference play, placing seventh in the league. As the No. 7 seed in the MVC Tournament, the Bulldogs were eliminated 77–62 by second-seeded Illinois State in the quarterfinals on March 3, with Donaldson finishing his final college game with seven points, two assists and a steal in 28 minutes.
Across his two seasons at Drake, Donaldson played 53 games with 44 starts and logged 1,487 minutes. He accumulated 514 points, 195 rebounds, 79 assists, 38 steals and 14 blocks while averaging 9.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 28.1 minutes per game.
For his Drake career, Donaldson shot 47.0 percent from the field, 36.4 percent from three-point range and 64.3 percent from the free-throw line, making 213 field goals, 43 three-pointers and 45 free throws. His two-year progression was marked by a move from a rotation player and part-time starter as a junior to a 29-game starter and one of Drake's three leading scorers as a senior.
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