Tony Costner

Former NBA player, European career

What is Tony Costner known for?

Tony Costner, an American former professional basketball player, was born on June 30, 1962 in Montclair, New Jersey. Following his high school career at Overbrook High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Costner went onto to have a notable college basketball stint at St. Joseph's University from 1980 to 1984. Here, he prominently played as a center and averaged 14.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game in his college career. He fully blossomed as a senior, averaging 18.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game, and set a St. Joseph's single-game scoring record with an impressive 47 points (St. Joseph's Hawks).

After his time in college, Costner was selected by the Washington Bullets in the second round of the 1984 NBA draft, picked 34th overall. Later, he went on to have an illustrious playing career in Europe and the Continental Basketball Association. Some of the teams he played for include Basket Napoli, Las Palmas, A.P.U. Udine, Tulsa Fast Breakers and Rockford Lightning among others. During his 1985–86 season with Las Palmas, Costner's stats were impressive with an average of 20.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 0.9 assists (Stats).

Throughout his career, Tony Costner earned multiple accolades including being a Greek League All-Star in 1994, an All-America Honorable Mention in 1983, a two-time First-team All-Atlantic 10 selection in 1983 and 1984 and a three-time All-Big 5 Selection from 1982 to 1984. Further, in 2012, Costner was recognized by the Philadelphia Daily News as a Third-Team All City member, on its list of the "Best high school hoops players of the past 35 years".

Adding to his legacy in basketball, Tony is the father of former professional basketball player Brandon Costner. Following his esteemed career, he continues to inspire many in the world of basketball.