Naples Classical athletic director Nahum St. Fort swung for the fences, quite literally, in his first year on the job.
Needing a boys basketball coach to help jumpstart the school into area relevance, St. Fort didn’t play it safe. He went out and hired a former NBA player with prior head coaching experience.
Anthony Bonner accepted Naples Classical’s offer to lead their basketball program heading into next season, marking a seismic shift in the Southwest Florida basketball landscape.
“It was really an opportunity to get back into coaching,” Bonner told the Naples Daily News. “… Brock (Bass-Bonner) was born, and God called me into full-time ministry that year. I walked away from basketball because Brock was born and God called me into ministry simultaneously. I just see it as fitting that God would give me the opportunity to finish what I started 17 years later now that Brock’s going to be a senior.”
Bonner played with the Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks, and Orlando Magic in the 1990s, spending six seasons in the league before spending the rest of his career in Europe. He also has prior head coaching experience at St. Louis Vashon, his alma mater. He spent his career at Saint Louis and was the NCAA rebounding leader in 1990.
“Meeting him was phenomenal,” St. Fort said. “He’s a great guy. “Our interview flowed pretty easy, and I knew he’s somebody I wanted in the building to lead our new program. This is a new start for us pretty much. We’ve been competing at the bare minimum. Now I feel like it puts us over the threshold of where we want to be. I’m looking forward to the success we have, beyond wins and losses.
“He made a statement that it’s not about the Xs and Os. It’s about treating the whole student. That’s our mission here, treating our student more than just that. We’re excited to have him.”
Bass-Bonner was a solid addition to First Baptist this past season, averaging 20.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.1 blocks in 14 games this year as a midseason transfer. He’ll be joining his father along with a handful of other pieces, as the program should start next season towards the top in Southwest Florida following the graduations of many key players from rival programs.
“All the work that I’ve been able to put in with him since fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth grade, I’m going to have an opportunity to really make sure he’s put in the best position and held accountable to the highest level to maximize this opportunity to play at the collegiate level,” Bonner said.
The hire of Bonner is just the start for Naples Classical, which is set to break ground on their new gym later this month. It’s expected to be ready by December, marking the next chapter in the school’s upward trend of gaining exposure off of Immokalee Road between Gulf Coast and Palmetto Ridge.
“As a first-year AD, it’s a dream,” St. Fort said. “I appreciate our admin team and our board taking my input. It’s been pretty cool. I’m not a measurement guy, but to see the size and measurements of how things go about, it was cool, the whole process. I’m excited for the program.”
Follow Sports Reporter Alex Martin on X at @NP_AlexMartin or via email: amartin@usatodayco.com. For the best sports coverage in Southwest Florida, follow @newspresssports and @ndnprepzone on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Former NBAer Anthony Bonner set to become Naples Classical basketball coach
Reporting by Alex Martin, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Naples Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
