Shawn Dawson

Shawn Dawson was born in 1993 in Eilat

Dawson was born in Eilat in 1993. His father, Joe Dawson, is an American basketball player who played in Israel for many years, and his mother, Iris, is Israeli. After his parents divorced, he lived with his mother in Eilat and played in the Hapoel Eilat youth teams.

As a teenager he moved to Rehovot to live with his father and studied at the local Katzir high school. He joined the Maccabi Rishon LeZion youth team and won the national youth championship in the 2011/2012 season. He received an exemption from IDF service for health reasons.

Dawson began his professional career with Maccabi Rishon LeZion in 2012. He was named Most Improved Player in 2014 and Rising Star in 2015. In 2016 he scored 21 points in the final as the team won the Israeli League championship.

In 2016 he played for the Washington Wizards in the NBA Summer League and signed with the New Orleans Pelicans, who waived him before the season. He returned to Rishon LeZion and in 2017 signed with Bnei Herzliya. He later played for Joventut and Maccabi Ashdod, and was an All-Star 4 times.