Take 5 with Dr. Abdenour
Posted: November 14, 2014
Although a more recent ATSU graduate, Tom Abdenour, DHSc, MA, ATC, ’11, has nearly 40 years of experience in athletic training and has been honored with multiple awards including the NBA’s Athletic Trainer of the Year (1980) and the National Athletic Trainers’ Association’s Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award (2014). His 23-year tenure with the Golden State Warriors made him one of only five athletic trainers in the NBA who had been with a given team for an extended period of time.
Since 2011, Dr. Abdenour has called San Diego State home and currently serves as the university’s head athletic trainer. Here, Dr. Abdenour answers five questions about his experiences and journey to AT fame.
Q: You spent 24 seasons with the Golden State Warriors. What are some of your favorite highlights with the team?
A: I had a wonderful NBA career. It was a great opportunity to interact with some wonderful people as players, coaches, and administrators. Yes, there were a couple of buzzer beating wins (and losses), and I was fortunate to represent the United States as an athletic trainer in the 2000 Olympics. However, it’s truly all about the people.
Q: How did you land your current position at San Diego State University?
A: I knew moving to intercollegiate athletics was something I wanted to do when I left the NBA. The timing was good, and I was just about to wrap up the Doctor of Health Sciences program [at ATSU].
Q: Describe the transition from professional basketball to collegiate-level athletics.
A: I was at the collegiate level for nine years before going to the NBA, so the transition was easy. Much like life in the NBA, my time at San Diego State is focused on athletes who want to recover from an injury and return to their activity.
Q: What would you tell athletic trainers who are trying to achieve a career as successful as yours?
A: There is no secret to success. Work hard, expand your horizons, get your hands dirty, and position yourself to grab the brass ring if you can.
Q: What is your favorite sport to play and watch?
A: I grew up in a great sports town—Detroit, Mich. We had major league teams in baseball, football, basketball, and hockey. Plus, the University of Michigan and Michigan State University were not far away. It’s a good thing there were no cable sports networks back then because I would have not been able to finish any homework. I guess it’s most fair to define my favorite as “D: all of the above.”