NBA.com: Vinny Del Negro Bio

Vinny Del Negro is an outstanding shooter and adept passer who has earned starting roles at both guard positions in the NBA over the course of his NBA career.

1999-2000:
Scored 16 points in a 110-105 win over Washington on 4/19 ... Netted 16 points (7-10 FG) in a 135-112 loss in Denver on 2/2 ... Registered 15 points (7-10 FG) is a 111-89 loss to the L.A. Lakers on 1/28 ... Tallied 15 points (7-11 FG) in a 96-95 win in Miami on 12/16.

1998-99:
Placed on the injured list on 5/4 due to a sprained left ankle ... Scored 15 points (5-7 FG, 4-4 FT) and dished 4 assists in a 115-102 victory over the Toronto Raptors on 4/28 ... Recorded 16 points (7-10 FG, 2-2 FT), 3 assists and 3 rebounds against the New York Knicks on 3/15 ... Totaled 12 points and game-highs of 8 assists and 4 steals against the Indiana Pacers on 3/12.

1997-98:
Totaled 21 points (3-3 3FG), 3 rebounds and 3 assists against the Detroit Pistons on 3/25 ... Hit the game-winning baseline jumper with 3.3 seconds lift, posting 14 points and 4 rebounds, in an 86-85 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on 3/24 ... Scored a season-high 23 points (7-12 FG, 8-8 FT) in a 105-99 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on 2/24 ... On the injured list from 12/29 to 1/13 due to a right tricep tendon strain ... Totaled 22 points (8-14 FG) and 3 rebounds in a 102-87 victory over the L.A. Clippers on 12/10 ... On the injured list from 11/5 to 11/26 due to a sprained right ankle.

1996-97:
Del Negro appeared in 72 games, making 53 starts, missing 10 games due to an assortment of injuries. He averaged 12.3 points, 3.2 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 31.2 minutes, shooting .467 from the field, .868 from the line and .314 from three-point range. He led the Spurs in free-throw shooting and would have ranked 10th in the league if he had enough to qualify for the leader list. ... He scored 20 or more points on eight occasions and led the Spurs in scoring four times ... Del Negro tallied a season-high 29 points in a 120-106 loss at Sacramento on April 14. He had season-highs of nine assists in a 120-109 loss to Portland on Nov. 27 and eight rebounds in a 96-76 victory over Sacramento on Jan. 17.

1995-96:
Del Negro continued to develop as a solid NBA shooting guard, averging a career-high 14.5 ppg on .497 from the field, a team-high .832 from the line and .407 from three-point range. San Antonio's third-leading scorer and second-leading playmaker, he started all 82 games and averged 33.7 mpg, the most in his career. Overall he posted career highs in 11 statistical categories. ... He led the Spurs in scoring seven times and had 30 points or more twice. Scored 31 points at Houston on Feb. 15 and netted 30 on 12-for-18 shooting against Orlando on Jan. 13. He scored in double figures in 62 games, including 45 of the final 50. ... Grabbed 10 rebounds against Dallas on April 21 in the regular-season finale. ... Del Negro started all 10 playoff games for the Spurs and averaged 14.3 points in 37.9 minutes per game.

1994-95:
Del Negro enjoyed his best NBA season to date in 1994-95. The San Antonio Spurs reacquired Avery Johnson to start at point guard and installed Del Negro as the full-time starter at off guard. Those adjustments helped the Spurs to a 62-20 record, the best mark in the NBA. Del Negro filled his role well. With the opposition focusing on David Robinson inside, Del Negro was given open shots outside, and he responded by canning 66-of-162 three-point attempts for a .407 percentage, although he didn't hit enough to qualify for the league leaders. ... Early in the season Del Negro shot better than .500 from the field and ranked in the NBA's Top 20, but his overall field-goal percentage of .486 fell out of the league leaders late in the season. His scoring average of 12.5 points per game was a career high, although his .790 free-throw percentage was his lowest yet as a professional. ... Del Negro led the team in scoring four times, including back-to-back contests on February 18 (31 points) and February 21 (23 points). Del Negro's postseason performance was uneven. He wasn't much of a factor in the conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers, nor in the two opening losses to the Houston Rockets in the conference finals, but he was instrumental in the Spurs' wins in Game 3 and Game 4 against the Rockets. In Game 3 he scored 19 points and ran the team's pick-and-roll offense in the second half. The Spurs eventually lost the series in six games. Del Negro averaged 8.7 points in the playoffs, shooting .432 from the field, .450 from three-point distance, and .833 from the line.

1993-94:
With the departure of Avery Johnson to free agency, Del Negro became the San Antonio Spurs' starting point guard for much of the 1993-94 season. He logged 56 starts in 77 appearances, sharing the team's playmaking duties with Negele Knight, Chris Whitney, and Willie Anderson. Del Negro finished the year with averages of 10.0 points and 4.2 assists per game. ... The four-year veteran set a Spurs record when he canned 50 consecutive free throws between November 29 and February 4. Del Negro had his best game of the year on March 2 against the Utah Jazz, tallying 22 points and a season-high 13 assists; he had notched his season scoring high with 24 points against the Los Angeles Lakers on February 26.

1992-93:
The San Antonio Spurs brought Del Negro back to the NBA when they signed him as a free agent in summer 1992. Jerry Tarkanian opened the season as the Spurs' new coach, and he made Del Negro his starting point guard. ... Tarkanian started Del Negro in 19 games, during which the former North Carolina State standout averaged 11.3 points and 7.1 assists in 32.7 minutes per contest. However, when the Spurs replaced Tarkanian with John Lucas after 20 games, Del Negro's playing time dropped because Lucas preferred Avery Johnson in the starting role. ... Del Negro started only 12 times the rest of the season, playing 16.7 minutes per game and averaging 6.1 points and 2.9 assists. He finished the year with a career-high .507 shooting percentage from the floor. He scored a season-high 24 points on opening night against the Sacramento Kings, and he dished for 11 assists versus the New Jersey Nets on December 4. ... Del Negro tasted the NBA postseason for the first time, appearing in 8 of 10 playoff games as San Antonio dumped the Portland Trail Blazers in a first-round series before losing a six-game series to the Phoenix Suns in the conference semifinals. In Game 2 of the semifinals against the Suns, Del Negro poured in 19 points, all in the second half, while adding 6 assists in 17 minutes.

1991-92:
Del Negro played a second straight season with Benetton Treviso of the Italian A1 League. He averaged 25.2 points and 3.4 assists in 30 games, leading Benetton to the league title and earning playoff MVP honors. Del Negro ended his two-year stint overseas with a .586 field-goal percentage and an .854 free-throw percentage.

1990-91:
Del Negro signed on July 29 with Benetton Treviso of the Italian A1 League. In 35 games he averaged 25.5 points and shot .596 from the floor. During his time in Italy, Del Negro teamed with Croatian star Toni Kukoc, who would join the Chicago Bulls in 1993-94.

1989-90:
Del Negro started in 29 of his 76 games, raising his production to 9.7 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.6 rebounds per game. Playing behind starting point guard Kenny Smith for most of the season, Del Negro took on a larger role after the Kings traded Smith to the Atlanta Hawks on February 13. ... He led the team in scoring three times in the the season's final eight games, tying a career high with 28 points against the Portland Trail Blazers in the season finale on April 21. Del Negro handed out 13 assists in two games and shot a career-best .871 from the foul line. ... The Portland game was Del Negro's last in the NBA for two seasons. (He would play for Benetton Treviso of the Italian A1 League during the next two years.)

1988-89:
The Sacramento Kings selected Del Negro with the 29th overall pick in the 1988 NBA Draft. The Kings had found themselves a serviceable rookie, as Del Negro played in 80 games while averaging 7.l points, 2.6 assists, and 2.1 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per contest. Although his playing time was reduced after the Kings' acquisition of Danny Ainge on February 23, he knocked down a season-high 28 points in the final game of the season against the Trail Blazers at Portland on April 23.

COLLEGE:
Vinny Del Negro played for the late Jim Valvano at North Carolina State, earning selection to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference Team as a senior after averaging 15.9 points, 3.6 assists, and 4.9 rebounds. At various times during his four-year career with the Wolfpack, Del Negro teamed with fellow NBA guards Spud Webb and Nate McMillan. ... A 6-4 native of Springfield, Massachusetts, Del Negro starred at North Carolina State. As a junior in 1986-87 he helped lead the Wolfpack to the Atlantic Coast Conference championship. As a senior he averaged 15.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists while shooting .515 from the floor and .839 from the line to earn a berth on the all-conference first team.