Background and career
Desmond Tremaine Mason (born October 11, 1977) is an American painter and former professional basketball player. He played as a shooting guard and small forward. Mason has also found success as an artist, working in a variety of media. He has served as an NBA analyst and sports radio co-host for The Franchise, a sports talk station in Oklahoma City.
Desmond Mason was drafted out of Oklahoma State University by the Seattle SuperSonics with the 17th pick of the 2000 NBA draft. In 2001, he became the first SuperSonics' player in franchise history to win the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. He also finished in second place in the 2003 contest behind Jason Richardson.
In 2003, Mason and Gary Payton were traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Ray Allen, Ronald Murray, and Kevin Ollie. The trade would be remembered as one of the worst trades in Milwaukee sports history, Payton left as a free agent the following offseason and while Mason showed improvement from his Seattle days, he was no replacement for all-star-level Allen. At least one life-long Milwaukee fan, the noteworthy JPC, has been quoted on Mason's tenure with the Bucks, "Yeah, but man could he fly!" On November 30, 2004, Mason led all scorers with 32 points in a 95–90 loss against the Los Angeles Lakers.
On October 26, 2005, Mason was traded, along with a first-round draft pick in the 2006 NBA draft, to the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for Jamaal Magloire. On January 6, 2007, Mason scored 28 points in a Hornets loss against the Indiana Pacers.
On July 23, 2007, Mason signed a contract with the Bucks after a two-season absence. Initially angry with Bucks general manager Larry Harris for trading him in 2005, Mason said he was happy to be back in Milwaukee.
On August 13, 2008, Mason was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder (the relocated Seattle SuperSonics franchise) in a three-team, six-player deal involving the Thunder, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Cleveland Cavaliers, that sent Milwaukee's Mo Williams to Cleveland, Mason and Cleveland's Joe Smith to Oklahoma City, and Cleveland's Damon Jones and Oklahoma City's Luke Ridnour and Adrian Griffin to Milwaukee.
