Dwight Powell of the Dallas Mavericks belongs to the current group of Canadian basketball players who have at least one immigrant parent who came to the country in search of greener pastures. Today, the 6’2″ Stanford University graduate, along with others such as Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett, was able to pay the country back by contributing to its revival on the international basketball scene and putting the traditionally hockey-loving country almost on a par with its southern neighbor.
Early Life and Career
Dwight Harlan Powell was born as the son of Jacqueline Weir and Harlan Powell on July 20, 1991, in Toronto, Canada, where he also grew up. From a very young age, Powell was an outstanding athlete among his peers, although his mother was more concerned about his education.
He attended Earl Haid Secondary School, known as one of the strongest academic public schools in the country, but the sports department was lacking. His mother understood that a sports scholarship gave her son a better chance of attending an Ivy League university, so the family pressed for him to attend the prestigious IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, which had previously offered him a scholarship and was known as an elite sports school.
As a senior at IMG, Powell averaged 23.2 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game, earning him offers from Harvard, Stanford, and Georgia Tech. Although his mother urged him to go to Harvard, which was close to where she lived, Powell decided instead to go all the way to Stanford in California.
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In his first year, after averaging 8.1 points and 5.2 rebounds in 31 games, Dwight Powell was honored to join the Pac-10 All-Freshman Team. In his second year, he was awarded Pac-12 All-Academic Honorable Mention after averaging 5.8 points and 4.6 rebounds in 35 games when his team won the 2012 National Invitational. In his junior year, Powell enjoyed an early college basketball season, averaging 14.9 points and 8.4 rebounds in 34 games, earning him the Pac-12 Most Improved Player of the Year award. He also received the award for first-team All-Pac-12, second-team Pac-12 All-Academic, and second-team NABC All-District. Powell continued his accomplishments both on and off the court by being re-elected All-Pac-12 First Team, winning the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, and being honored with the Pac-12 All-Academic Honorable Mention.
Upon graduation, Dwight Powell was chosen by the Charlotte Hornets to be the 45th overall winner in the 2014 NBA Draft, although his rights were sold soon thereafter to the Cleveland Cavaliers and later again to the Boston Celtics. Powell spent about 3 months at the Celtics and managed only 5 appearances, as he was mainly performing for their development league partners, the Maine Red Claws.
In December 2014 he was rejoined by the Dallas Mavericks where he finally settled, although he initially had to prove himself through several assignments with the Mavs’ own Development League subsidiary, the Texas Legends.
Dwight Powell Family – Parents
It is not clear whether Dwight Powell’s parents were ever married or whether they actually just split up when he was very young. His mother, Jacqueline Weir, was a West Indian Island-born banker in Boston, while his father, Harlan Powell, is a white Canadian living in Toronto.
Jacqueline Weir was primarily responsible for her son’s education. When she grew up, she had no formal education but was able to get a good education through night school before she was able to fight for the heights she reached. Her struggles led her to instill in her son the value of an academic, whom she promised would meet the requirements for a degree before following his dreams of playing professional basketball.
Mrs. Weir died of breast cancer on September 13, 2013, in a hospital in Melrose, Massachusetts. His teammates and coaches from Stanford University flew to Boston in particular to attend her funeral.
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Height, Weight, Body Measurements
Dwight Powell has a very impressive height of 6 feet (2.11 m) and an alleged body weight of 240 pounds (109 kg). His other body measurements are wingspan – 7 feet 0.5 inches, standing range – 8 feet 9 inches, hand length – 9 cm, and hand width – 9.25 cm.