View source for Don Buse

{{Short description|American basketball player (born 1950)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
 | name              = Don Buse
 | image             = Don Buse 1986-87.jpg
 | width             = 
 | caption           = Buse, circa 1986
 | height_ft         = 6
 | height_in         = 4
 | weight_lb         = 190
 | birth_date        = {{birth date and age|1950|08|10}}
 | birth_place       = [[Huntingburg, Indiana]], U.S.
 | nationality       = American
 | high_school       = Holland ([[Holland, Indiana]])
 | college           = [[Evansville Purple Aces men's basketball|Evansville]] (1969–1972)
 | draft_year        = 1972
 | draft_round       = 3
 | draft_pick        = 34
 | draft_team        = [[Phoenix Suns]]
 | career_start      = 1972
 | career_end        = 1985
 | career_number     = 10, 11
 | career_position   = [[Point guard]]
 | years1            = [[1972–73 ABA season|1972]]–{{nbay|1976|end}}
 | team1             = [[Indiana Pacers]]
 | years2            = {{nbay|1977|start}}–{{nbay|1979|end}}
 | team2             = [[Phoenix Suns]]
 | years3            = {{nbay|1980|start}}–{{nbay|1981|end}}
 | team3             = Indiana Pacers
 | years4            = {{nbay|1982|full=y}}
 | team4             = [[Portland Trail Blazers]]
 | years5            = {{nbay|1983|start}}–{{nbay|1984|end}}
 | team5             = [[Kansas City Kings]]
 | highlights        = 
* [[ABA champion]] ([[1973 ABA Playoffs|1973]])
* [[NBA All-Star]] ({{nasg|1977}})
* ABA All-Star ([[1976 ABA All-Star Game|1976]])
* [[All-ABA Second Team]] ([[1975–76 ABA season|1976]])
* [[American Basketball Association#Steals leaders|ABA steals leader]] ({{abay|1975|end}})
* 4× [[NBA All-Defensive First Team]] ({{nbay|1976|end}}–{{nbay|1979|end}})
* 2× [[List of American Basketball Association awards and honors#All-Defensive Team|ABA All-Defensive First Team]] ([[1974–75 ABA season|1975]], 1976)
* [[List of National Basketball Association annual assists leaders|NBA assists leader]] ({{nbay|1976|end}})
* [[List of National Basketball Association annual steals leaders|NBA steals leader]] ({{nbay|1976|end}})
* [[NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship|NCAA Division II champion]] (1971)
* No. 10 jersey [[Evansville Purple Aces men's basketball#Retired jerseys|retired by Evansville Purple Aces]]
 | stat1label        = [[Point (basketball)|Points]]
 | stat1value        = 6,890 (7.1 ppg)
 | stat2label        = [[Assist (basketball)|Assists]]
 | stat2value        = 4,425 (4.6 apg)
 | stat3label        = [[Steal (basketball)|Steals]]
 | stat3value        = 1,818 (2.0 spg)
}}
'''Donald R. Buse''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|uː|z|iː}} {{Respell|BOO|zee}};<ref>[https://vault.si.com/vault/1977/02/07/no-booboos-for-boo-boo Papanek, John. "No boo-boos for Boo Boo," ''Sports Illustrated'', February 7, 1977.] Retrieved November 17, 2020</ref> born August 10, 1950) is an American former professional [[basketball]] player. A {{convert|6|ft|4|in|m|adj=on}} [[point guard]] from the [[University of Evansville]], he played 13 seasons (1972&ndash;1985) in the [[American Basketball Association]] (ABA) and [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA) as a member of the [[Indiana Pacers]],<ref>{{cite news |author1=Jeff Grossman |title='Boo' full of surprises |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/116184374/boo-full-of-suprises/ |access-date=10 January 2023 |work=[[San Antonio Express]] |date=16 December 1976 |page=9G |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}{{open access}}</ref> the [[Phoenix Suns]],<ref>{{cite news |author1=Sid Bordman |title=Suns' Don Buse isn't obscure to Ford, Kings |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/116184078/suns-don-buse-isnt-obscure-to-ford/ |access-date=10 January 2023 |work=[[The Kansas City Star]] |date=1 April 1980 |page=11 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}{{open access}}</ref> the [[Portland Trail Blazers]], and the [[Kansas City Kings]].

==High school==
Named an Indiana All-Star in 1968, following a stellar career at [[Holland, Indiana|Holland]] High School, which consolidated with [[Huntingburg, Indiana|Huntingburg]] High School to become [[Southridge High School (Huntingburg, Indiana)|Southridge High School]].
He started from 1964 to 1968, and led the Dutchmen to Sectional Championships in 1967 and 1968.
They finished the 1968 season undefeated but lost the Regional Championship game<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indianassa.org/Historicihsaa/brackets/1968bracket.htm |title=1968 IHSAA final 64 |access-date=November 20, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224055227/http://www.indianassa.org/Historicihsaa/brackets/1968bracket.htm |archive-date=February 24, 2014 }}</ref> to perennial power [[Jefferson High School (Indiana)|Jeffersonville High School]]. Buse was selected to the Indiana All-Star Team in 1968.

==College==
[[File:Don_Buse_Evansville.jpg|thumb|right|Buse playing for Evansville in 1971]]
* Played for legendary [[Arad McCutchan]] at Evansville; leading the Purple Aces to a four-year record of 68–42 and the 1971 [[NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship]] title.
* Ranks # 13 all-time in scoring (1,426 pts.)
* Ranks # 9 all-time in scoring average (16.9)
* Ranks # 9 all-time in field goal percentage (.497)
* Ranks # 7 all-time in free throws (364)
* Ranks # 7 all-time in free throw percentage (78.5)
* Selected as 1st Team All-Indiana Collegiate Conference in 1970–71 and 1971–72.
* Selected as 1st Team All-District College Division (NABC) in 1972.
* Selected as 3rd Team All-American College Division (UPI) in 1972.
* Selected as 3rd Team All-American College Division (NABC) in 1972.
* Selected as Honorable Mention All-American College Division (AP) in 1972.
* Selected as 1st Team All-American College Division (Universal Sports) in 1972.
* Retired his number (#10)
* Selected to the [[USA Basketball]] Team in 1971; [[Pan-American Games]] participant.
* Invited to U.S. Olympic Trials in 1972; declined invitation for professional basketball career.

==Career==
Don Buse was selected for the NCAA squad to compete for positions on the 1972 U.S. Olympic basketball team, but he was replaced by Jim Forbes as he signed a professional contract.

Buse went on to play professionally for the [[Indiana Pacers]], the [[Phoenix Suns]], the [[Portland Trail Blazers]], and the [[Kansas City Kings]].

Buse was known for his dependable ball-handling, tight defense, and clutch-shooting, and he appeared in two [[All-Star]] games (one in the ABA in [[1976 ABA All-Star Game|1976]]; one in the NBA in [[1977 NBA All-Star Game|1977]])<ref>{{cite news |author1=Dick Mackey |title=Don Buse? He's the non-shooting star |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/116183602/don-buse-hes-the-non-shooting-star/ |access-date=10 January 2023 |work=[[The Kansas City Star]] |date=13 February 1977 |page=2S |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}{{open access}}</ref> during the course of his career. His best season occurred in 1975&ndash;76, when he led the ABA in both [[steal (basketball)|steals]] per game (4.12) and [[assist (basketball)|assists]] per game (8.2) while also contributing a career high 12.5 points per game. In the next season, his first in the NBA, Buse again led all players in steals per game (3.47) and assists per game (8.5).

In 1979, Buse helped take the Suns deep into the playoffs on a team with notable players, such as [[Paul Westphal]], [[Walter Davis (basketball)|Walter Davis]], [[Truck Robinson]] and [[Alvan Adams]].

Buse was an All-Defensive Team member six times, from the 1974–75 season through the 1979–80 season. The first two were in the ABA and the final four were in the NBA.

After Buse's career he was selected to several All-time teams, including:
* Selected to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame 'Silver Anniversary' Team in 1993.
* Selected to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998.
* Selected as one of Indiana's Greatest 50 players [http://hoopedia.nba.com/index.php?title=Indiana%27s_Fifty_Greatest_PlayersIndiana's_Fifty_Greatest_Players] in 1999.
* Selected to the All-Time [[University of Evansville]] Basketball Team in 2005.

==Career statistics==
{{NBA player statistics legend|leader=y}}
{|class ="wikitable"
|-
|style="background:#afe6fa; width:3em;"|†
|Denotes seasons in which Buse's team won an [[List of ABA champions|ABA championship]]
|-
| style="background:#E0CEF2; width:3em;" |*
|ABA record
|}

===Regular season===
{{NBA player statistics start}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6fa;"| {{abay|1972}}†
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1972–73 Indiana Pacers season|Indiana]] (ABA)
| 77 || {{sort|-|—}} || 19.3 || .453 || .208 || .752 || 2.7 || 2.9 || {{sort|-|—}} || {{sort|-|—}} || 5.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{abay|1973}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1973–74 Indiana Pacers season|Indiana]] (ABA)
| 77 || {{sort|-|—}} || 24.4 || .398 || .336 || .686 || 3.3 || 3.4 || 1.9 || .3 || 5.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{abay|1974}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1974–75 Indiana Pacers season|Indiana]] (ABA)
| 80 || {{sort|-|—}} || 29.6 || .432 || .309 || .797 || 3.4 || 4.2 || 2.1 || .2 || 6.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{abay|1975}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1975–76 Indiana Pacers season|Indiana]] (ABA)
| '''84''' || {{sort|-|—}} || style="background:#cfecec;"|'''40.2'''* || .451 || .346 || .814 || '''3.8''' || style="background:#cfecec;"|8.2* || style="background:#E0CEF2|'''4.1'''* || '''.4''' || '''12.5'''
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1976}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1976–77 Indiana Pacers season|Indiana]] (NBA)
| 81 || {{sort|-|—}} || 36.4 || .416 || {{sort|-|—}} || .786 || 3.3 || style="background:#cfecec;"|'''8.5'''* || style="background:#cfecec|3.5* || .2 || 8.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1977}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1977–78 Phoenix Suns season|Phoenix]] (NBA)
| 82 || '''82''' || 31.1 || .458 || {{sort|-|—}} || .824 || 3.0 || 4.8 || 2.3 || .2 || 8.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1978}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1978–79 Phoenix Suns season|Phoenix]] (NBA)
| style="background:#cfecec;"|82* || style="background:#cfecec;"|'''82'''* || 31.0 || '''.495''' || {{sort|-|—}} || .769 || 2.6 || 4.3 || 1.9 || .2 || 7.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1979}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1979–80 Phoenix Suns season|Phoenix]] (NBA)
| 81 || {{sort|-|—}} || 30.9 || .443 || .241 || .664 || 2.9 || 4.0 || 1.6 || .1 || 7.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1980}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1980–81 Indiana Pacers season|Indiana]] (NBA)
| 58 || {{sort|-|—}} || 18.9 || .397 || .328 || .769 || 1.4 || 2.4 || 1.3 || .1 || 5.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1981}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1981–82 Indiana Pacers season|Indiana]] (NBA)
| 82 || 78 || 30.8 || .455 || '''.386''' || .813 || 2.7 || 5.0 || 2.0 || .3 || 9.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1982}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1982–83 Portland Trail Blazers season|Portland]] (NBA)
| 41 || 1 || 15.7 || .396 || .257 || '''.891''' || 1.3 || 2.8 || 1.1 || .0 || 4.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1983}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1983–84 Kansas City Kings season|Kansas City]] (NBA)
| 76 || 10 || 17.5 || .426 || .305 || .788 || 1.5 || 4.0 || 1.1 || .0 || 5.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1984}}
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1984–85 Kansas City Kings season|Kansas City]] (NBA)
| 65 || 14 || 14.4 || .404 || .356 || .767 || .9 || 3.1 || .6 || .0 || 3.4
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan=2| Career
| 966 || 267 || 27.1 || .440 || .330 || .779 || 2.7 || 4.6 || 2.0 || .2 || 7.1
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan=2|All-Star
| 2 || 0 || 16.5 || .444 || .500 || {{sort|-|—}} || 1.5 || 4.0 || 2.0 || .0 || 4.5
{{S-end}}

===Playoffs===
{{NBA player statistics start}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6fa;"|[[1973 ABA playoffs|1973]]†
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1972–73 Indiana Pacers season|Indiana]] (ABA)
| 14 || {{sort|-|—}} || 11.6 || .356 || .000 || .619 || 1.8 || 1.2 || {{sort|-|—}} || {{sort|-|—}} || 3.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1974 ABA playoffs|1974]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1973–74 Indiana Pacers season|Indiana]] (ABA)
| 14 || {{sort|-|—}} || 23.6 || .441 || .318 || .667 || 2.6 || 2.6 || 2.1 || .1 || 5.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1975 ABA playoffs|1975]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1974–75 Indiana Pacers season|Indiana]] (ABA)
| '''18''' || {{sort|-|—}} || 32.0 || .379 || .231 || .533 || 3.2 || 4.4 || '''2.5''' || '''.3''' || 5.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1976 ABA playoffs|1976]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1975–76 Indiana Pacers season|Indiana]] (ABA)
| 3 || {{sort|-|—}} || '''46.0''' || '''.455''' || .333 || '''1.000''' || '''4.7''' || '''8.7''' || 2.3 || .0 || '''12.3'''
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1978 NBA playoffs|1978]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1977–78 Phoenix Suns season|Phoenix]] (NBA)
| 2 || {{sort|-|—}} || 38.0 || .364 || {{sort|-|—}} || {{sort|-|—}} || 2.5 || 2.0 || 2.0 || .0 || 4.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1979 NBA playoffs|1979]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1978–79 Phoenix Suns season|Phoenix]] (NBA)
| 15 || {{sort|-|—}} || 34.1 || .405 || {{sort|-|—}} || .727 || 3.7 || 3.5 || 1.5 || '''.3''' || 7.9
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1980 NBA playoffs|1980]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1979–80 Phoenix Suns season|Phoenix]] (NBA)
| 8 || {{sort|-|—}} || 29.5 || .438 || .385 || .636 || 2.6 || 5.5 || .8 || .0 || 8.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1981 NBA playoffs|1981]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1980–81 Indiana Pacers season|Indiana]] (NBA)
| 2 || {{sort|-|—}} || 17.5 || .125 || .250 || '''1.000''' || 2.5 || 3.5 || 1.5 || .0 || 2.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1983 NBA playoffs|1983]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1982–83 Portland Trail Blazers season|Portland]] (NBA)
| 5 || {{sort|-|—}} || 6.2 || .250 || {{sort|-|—}} || .750 || .4 || 1.4 || .0 || .0 || 1.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1984 NBA playoffs|1984]]
| style="text-align:left;"| [[1983–84 Kansas City Kings season|Kansas City]] (NBA)
| 3 || {{sort|-|—}} || 16.7 || .438 || '''.500''' || .667 || 1.0 || 3.7 || .3 || '''.3''' || 7.0
|-class="sortbottom"
|style="text-align:center;" colspan=2| Career
| 84 || {{sort|-|—}} || 25.6 || .400 || .287 || .658 || 2.7 || 3.4 || 1.7 || .2 || 5.7
{{S-end}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Sports}}
* [[List of NBA annual assists leaders]]
* [[List of NBA annual steals leaders]]
* [[List of NBA single-season steals per game leaders]]

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*{{basketballstats|bbr=b/busedo01}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100623055717/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1092036/index.htm "No Boo-boos For Boo Boo"], 1977 ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' article
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051118190110/http://lkwdpl.org/nworth/buse.htm "Buse Putting Go in Pacers"], 1982 ''[[The Sporting News|Sporting News]]'' article
*Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame [https://web.archive.org/web/20101126053904/http://hoopshall.com/hall/b/don-buse/]

{{navboxes|list=
{{ABA assists leaders}}
{{ABA steals leaders}}
{{NBA assists leaders}}
{{NBA steals leaders}}
{{Indiana Pacers 1972–73 ABA Champions}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buse, Don}}
[[Category:1950 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:ABA All-Stars]]<!--1976 ABA All-Star Team replacement member.-->
[[Category:American men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Basketball players at the 1971 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Indiana]]
[[Category:Evansville Purple Aces men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Indiana Pacers players]]
[[Category:Kansas City Kings players]]
[[Category:NBA All-Stars]]
[[Category:Pan American Games basketball players for the United States]]
[[Category:Phoenix Suns draft picks]]
[[Category:Phoenix Suns players]]
[[Category:People from Huntingburg, Indiana]]
[[Category:Point guards]]
[[Category:Portland Trail Blazers players]]
[[Category:Undrafted ABA players]]