Basketball Sports Spectrum Podcast

SS PODCAST: Former NBA star James Donaldson on faith, mental health, depression

By Jason Romano Sep 14, 2022
James Donaldson in 1988. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST
WITH JASON ROMANO, FEATURING JAMES DONALDSON

James Donaldson is a former basketball player who spent 16 seasons in the NBA with Seattle, the San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas, N.Y. Knicks and Utah. He was originally selected in the fourth round of the 1979 NBA Draft by Seattle, and after playing one year of pro ball in Italy, he made his NBA debut on Oct. 10, 1980, with Seattle.

Donaldson led the NBA in field-goal percentage (.637) in 1984-85 with the Clippers, then spent much of the next seven seasons in Dallas, representing the Mavericks in the 1988 All-Star Game. He retired in 1995 and holds the record for most NBA games played without an attempted 3-point shot.

Today on the podcast, we talk to James Donaldson about his basketball career, why his game wouldn’t translate to today’s NBA, playing in the All-Star Game, and what it was like guarding Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, Shaquille O’Neal, Moses Malone, Hakeem Olajuwon and other legendary centers. Then the conversation turns to Donaldson’s post-playing career and his struggle with mental health and depression, and how God has helped him overcome it.

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