Toney Douglas

Toney Bernard Douglas (born March 16, 1986) is an American professional basketball player for Benfica of the Liga Portuguesa de Basquetebol.

He played college basketball for Auburn for one year, eventually becoming frustrated with his role on the team as a shooting guard.

He subsequently transferred to Florida State University for the remainder of his collegiate career, where he switched to the point guard position.

Emerging as a defensive force in his junior season, Douglas set school and conference records for steals.

He stepped up as a team leader in his final season, breaking personal records in several statistical categories and helped lead the Seminoles to their first NCAA Tournament in 11 years.

He spent most of his freshman season (2000–01) on the junior varsity team.

In the 2001–02 season, when he was made a starter, Douglas averaged 21.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game, and became the first sophomore to earn first-team honors at the all-region and all-state levels.

In his junior season, Douglas averaged 28.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game, scoring 20 points or more 24 times.

He was named the Georgia Class 5A Player of the Year, and helped lead the team to the championship game of the state playoffs.

Douglas averaged 34 points per game as a senior, and the team advanced as far as the state semifinals.

He departed Jonesboro High as Clayton County's leading scorer, with 2,404 points.

He was subsequently named fourth-team Parade All-American and earned a McDonald's All-American nomination.

Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Douglas was listed as the No. 14 shooting guard and the No. 66 player in the nation in 2004.

Douglas committed to Auburn University during his junior year of high school.

Playing as the starting shooting guard in his freshman season (2004–05), he led the team in scoring, at 16.9 points per game, and scored a team season-high (as well as career high) 38 points against Nicholls State.

Douglas, who had the second-highest freshman scoring average in the nation, was voted to the All-SEC Freshman Team, third-team Freshman All-America, and third-team All-SEC—Douglas was the fourth Auburn freshman to be named to the latter.

Douglas submitted his name for the NBA draft in the 2005 offseason, but did not sign with an agent, therefore allowing him to stay eligible for college when he later withdrew from the process.

Despite Douglas' success at Auburn, he and his family were unhappy with his position on the basketball team.

Douglas wanted to be the team's point guard, which he believed was his more natural position and the one he would play in the NBA.

However, team management did not accede to his request, prompting him to request a transfer.

Then-coach Jeff Lebo granted Douglas his scholarship release on the condition that he transfer to a non-SEC university.

On June 29, 2005, Douglas enrolled at Florida State University, where coach Leonard Hamilton allowed him to play point guard.

Because National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules stipulate that players who transfer must sit out the following season, Douglas only began playing with the team in the 2006–07 season, although he still practiced with them during 2005–06.

Douglas initially struggled at the point guard position while adjusting to the Florida State offense, but continued to play well in other respects.

The early part of his sophomore season was highlighted by his shot block that helped to seal an upset victory against then-fourth-ranked University of Florida Gators, and a late-game period against Wake Forest in which he scored 10 consecutive points, leading Florida State to a win.

On February 7, 2007, Douglas injured the fourth metacarpal in his right (shooting) hand, forcing him to sit out six games (nearly a month)—of which Florida State lost five.

In his first game (against the University of Miami) after sustaining his injury, Douglas scored 13 points, including a three-pointer that tied the game and forced overtime; Florida State went on to win the game.

Douglas finished the season with averages of 12.7 points, 2.9 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game.

In three games of the 2007 National Invitation Tournament (NIT), he averaged 11.7 points and 3.7 rebounds, as Florida State won twice before losing to Mississippi State University in the semifinals.

In his junior season, Douglas continued his transition to point guard, creating offensive opportunities for others on the team in addition to scoring by himself.

Although Douglas still needed to work on polishing the distribution aspect of his game, coach Hamilton said in January 2008 that "he's done an exceptional job when you take into consideration this hasn't been his role prior to coming to Florida State."

Douglas' defense improved considerably; he accumulated 2.6 steals per game as a junior (compared to 1.2 steals in the previous season), the highest rate in the ACC.

His total of 48 steals in 16 games against ACC teams is the third-highest in league history.

In a game against the University of Virginia, Douglas' steal in the final minute (his sixth of the game) and subsequent free throws carried Florida State to a win that helped their chances of being selected to the 2008 NCAA tournament.

Douglas was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2009 NBA draft with the 29th overall pick, but was immediately traded to the New York Knicks.

He played for the Knicks, Houston Rockets, Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors before being traded to the Miami Heat in 2014.

After spending the 2014–15 season in China with the Jiangsu Dragons, he returned to the NBA in 2015, joining the New Orleans Pelicans.

Douglas was born to Harry and Stephanie Douglas in Tampa, Florida, but moved to Jonesboro, Georgia with his parents as a youth.

He attended Jonesboro High School, where he was starter for its basketball team for three years.

Douglas played alongside his brother, Harry, for the same amount of time.