Ennis Whatley
Ennis Whatley is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Kansas City Kings in the first round of the 1983 NBA draft. Whatley played in ten National Basketball Association seasons. A, guard, he played for the Chicago Bulls, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Bullets, San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers.
Whatley's best year as a professional came during the 1986–87 season as a Bullet, when he appeared in 73 games and averaged 8.5 points per game. In 10 NBA seasons, Whatley played in a total of 385 games and scored 2,150 points, thus averaging 5.6 ppg.
He also holds the record for assists per game in Bulls history, averaging 7 assists per game.
Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Whatley attended Phillips High School and the University of Alabama. He was friends with NBA player Matt Fish growing up.
Whatley played in the Continental Basketball Association for the Mississippi Monarchs during the 1987–88 season, the Wichita Falls Texans during the 1988–89 and 1990–91 seasons, and the Connecticut Pride during the 1996–97 season. He was selected as the CBA Playoff/Finals Most Valuable Player in 1991 and named to the All-CBA Second Team in 1989.
Career in the Philippines
Whatley had experienced some success in the Philippines when he played as an import in the Philippine Basketball Association in 1989. In the Reinforced Conference of that season, he helped the San Miguel Beermen become only the second team in PBA history to achieve the Grand Slam by leading them to the third and final conference championship. He came in as a replacement for former Indiana University standout and future Sacramento Kings coach Keith Smart, who was sent home after five games.Whatley would return to the PBA in 1990, playing for Presto Tivoli.