Matt Bonner

Basketball

Served as envoy

  • 2008  –  Tanzania

Matthew Bonner also known as the Red Rocket is a retired NBA player who was drafted by the Chicago Bulls as their 45th overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft before being traded to the Toronto Raptors. Aside from the Toronto Raptors, Bonner played for the San Antonio Spurs and Sicilia Messina of the Italian league.

Bonner played overseas in Sicily for a year to hone his skills before joining the Raptors roster. He averaged 19.2 points and 9.3 rebounds at the end of year. In 2004-05, he played all 82 regular season games and averaged 7.2 points per game. He is the only Raptors rookie to play all 82 games in a season.

After being traded to the San Antonio Spurs, Bonner won his first NBA Championship in 2006. He recorded his career-highs of 25 points and 17 rebounds in 2007. During the 2013 NBA Three Point Shootout during All-Star Weekend, he recorded a score of 19 knocking out Ryan Anderson and Stephen Curry and advanced to the final round. On June 15, 2014, Bonner won his second NBA Championship after the Spurs defeated Miami Heat 4-1.

Bonner and his brother Luke run a nonprofit organization called “Rock On Foundation” where they support community involvement in arts and athletics.