Benjamin Ortner (born March 16, 1983) is a former Austrian professional basketball player who last played for Pallacanestro Reggiana of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA).

Benjamin Ortner
Ortner with Venezia in 2016
Personal information
Born (1983-03-16) March 16, 1983 (age 41)
Innsbruck, Austria
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight226.6 lb (103 kg)
Career information
CollegeMetro State (2001–2005)
NBA draft2005: undrafted
Playing career2000–present
PositionCenter
Career history
2000–2001Tirol Innsbruck
2005–2008Reggiana
2008–2009 Amatori Udine
2009–2011 Cantù
2011–2012Benetton Treviso
2012Gießen 46ers
2012–2014Montepaschi Siena
2014–2017Reyer Venezia
2017Sidigas Avellino
2017–2018Brescia Leonessa
2018–2019Pallacanestro Reggiana
Career highlights and awards

Early years and college career

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Ortner was born and raised in Innsbruck, Austria, where he attended primary and secondary school. Prior to his junior year of high school, he decided to study abroad for a year in the United States where he attended St. Joseph Notre Dame High School, a well-known basketball school based in Alameda (CA).[citation needed]

Due to unfounded allegations made by other competing schools in the region, CIF forced Ortner to sit out the majority of the 1999-2000 season, eventually clearing him to play in the final four games of the year. That year, Ortner and St. Joseph's advanced to regional semi-finals where they lost to eventual champions and USA Today's #10 ranked team in the country, De La Salle of Concord.[citation needed]

Ortner subsequently went on to play collegiately at Metropolitan State University of Denver, and for head coach Mike Dunlap, where he won a Division II National Championship in 2002.[citation needed]

Professional career

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In September 2012, he signed a three-month contract with Gießen 46ers of the German Basketball Bundesliga.[1] He left them after only 4 games and returned to Italy to sign with Montepaschi Siena.[2]

In July 2014, he signed a one-year deal with Umana Reyer Venezia.[3] One year later, both parties extended the contract through 2015-16.[4]

In October 2017, Ortner signed a deal with Sidigas Avellino.[5] On December 15, 2017, Ortner left Avellino and signed a deal with Germani Basket Brescia until the end of the season.[6]

On November 13, 2018, Ortner officially signed a deal with Pallacanestro Reggiana.[7]

References

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  1. ^ "Giessen 46ers land Benjamin Ortner to a three-month contract". Sportando.com. September 24, 2012. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
  2. ^ "Montepaschi inks big man Ortner". Eurocupbasketball.com. October 23, 2012. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
  3. ^ "L'Umana Reyer comunica ufficialmente l'ingaggio di Benjamin Ortner". reyer.it. Archived from the original on 30 June 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
  4. ^ "Reyer Venice re-signs big man Ortner". Eurocup Basketball. 14 July 2015. Archived from the original on July 14, 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  5. ^ "Scandone Avellino sings Benjamin Ortner". Sportando.com. 27 October 2017. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  6. ^ "Benjamin Ortner agreed to terms with Leonessa Brescia". Sportando.com. 15 December 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  7. ^ "Official: Ben Ortner returns to Reggio Emilia after 10 years". basketuniverso.it. 13 November 2018. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
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