Matt Bonner is known for his strong work ethic. Some would call him a workaholic. Bonner's dedication to his education (he earned straight A's from pre-school all the way through to high school) matches his devotion to the sport of basketball. He graduated first in his class from Concord High School in 1999. Throughout high school, basketball dominated the conversation at home; it didn't hurt that he played on a winning team. Concord High School were the NHIAA Champions three years in a row while he was there.
Bonner was born on April 5, 1980 to Dave and Paula Bonner in Concord. His father was a mailman and his mother a school teacher. Matt has a younger sister and brother. After high school, he attended the University of Florida, where he became a star athlete in the Florida Gators organization and graduated with a 3.96 GPA. Bonner was also named Verizon Academic All-American of the Year in 2002 and 2003.
He was acquired by the Toronto Raptors on June 26, 2003, after being drafted 45th overall by the Chicago Bulls. Although he played that summer, he failed to earn a spot on the team in the fall. So, he signed with an Italian A1 League team, Sicilia and moved to Italy where he averaged 19.2 points and 9.3 rebounds. The team ended up going bankrupt during the 2003-04 season, but Bonner fulfilled his commitment to them, despite not getting paid during the second half of the year. He was nearly evicted from his apartment, lived without heat and electricity for a time, and developed a severe case of salmonella poisoning as a result.
Bonner returned to North America to play with the Raptors in the 2004-05 season and averaged 7.2 points per game, ranking in the Top 10 in the NBA for rookie scoring. The following year, he averaged 7.5 points per game and 3.6 rebounds, with 44.8% of his shots coming from the field.
On June 21, 2006, he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs. The 6'10" 240-lb ball player had a left knee injury in January 2007 that put him on the disabled list for several games. Knee injury aside, Bonner's future looks bright!
Matt Bonner is known for his strong work ethic. Some would call him a workaholic. Bonner's dedication to his education (he earned straight A's from pre-school all the way through to high school) matches his devotion to the sport of basketball. He graduated first in his class from Concord High School in 1999. Throughout high school, basketball dominated the conversation at home; it didn't hurt that he played on a winning team. Concord High School were the NHIAA Champions three years in a row while he was there.
