International Career:

Having delayed his senior GB debut until after graduation from university, Mensah-Bonsu had an immediate impact when he joined the GB team in 2008, helping to earn a first-ever place in a major tournament. At EuroBasket 2009 in Poland, he averaged 13.3 points. In European Division A in 2010, he led all players in rebounding with 13.5 per game as GB qualified for EuroBasket 2011 and scored a career-high 32 points against Bosnia and Herzegovina. However he missed the Finals in Lithuania a year later through injury.

Year by Year Stats:

Club career:

Besiktas, Turkey (2011- ), Asvel Villeurbanne, France (2011), New Orleans Hornets (2010-11), CSKA Moscow (2010), Toronto Raptors (2009–10), Houston Rockets (2009), Toronto Raptors (2009), San Antonio Spurs (2009), Austin Toros (2009), Joventut Badalona (2008), Granada (2008), Benetton Treviso (2007–08), Dallas Mavericks (2007), Fort Worth Flyers (2006–07), George Washington University, USA (2002-6), St. Augustine College Prep (2004-6), Hun School of Princeton, USA (2002-4), Hackney White Heat, UK (2000-2)

Starting out as a junior at Hackney White Heat in London, Mensah-Bonsu went to high school in the USA to foster his basketball career before earning a scholarship to George Washington University in Washington DC. He played for the Colonials to the 2005 and 2006 NCAA Tournaments, making the Atlantic-10 All Conference First Team in his senior season.

Since his professional bow in 2006, Pops has played for five NBA teams (Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, Toronto and New Orleans) with stints in five different countries. His rookie season was primarily spent in the NBA D-League with Fort Wayne and he was named as MVP of the league’s All Star Game. It earned him a call-up to the Dallas Mavericks but his most successful NBA spell came in 2008-9 with Toronto where, over 19 games, he averaged 5.1 points and 5.4 rebounds.

He has spent two short spells in the Spanish ACB with Granada and Joventut Badalona while his longest tenure came with Benetton Treviso in 2007-8. He joined CSKA Moscow mid-way through the 2009-10 campaign and helped the Russian club to reach the Euroleague Final Four. He sustained a season-ending shoulder injury during his lone year in France with Asvel Villeurbanne in Lyon but joined Turkey’s Besiktas in 2011, winning the MVP of the league’s All Star Game in 2012.

Personal:

A talented high and long jumper in his youth who also played schools football, Mensah-Bonsu discovered his love for basketball through the Hackney White Heat club and never looked back. However he remains a rabid Tottenham Hotspur fan. His elder brother Kojo is a former England international who played both in the British Basketball League and overseas. Pops majored in Psychology at George Washington University in Washington DC. He has one daughter.

Trivia:

Mensah-Bonsu’s full name is Nana Papa Yaw Dwene Mensah-Bonsu. In the Twi language, it means King (Nana) Father (Papa) Thursday Born (Yaw) Three (Mensah) Whale (Bonsu).

Twitter:

@PopsMBonsu