Willie Burton, born in Detroit, MI on May 26th, 1968, was a 6'8" small forward for Saint Martin De Porres High in his hometown. He played four seasons with the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. His last two seasons with the school would see him average 19 points, seven rebounds, and two assists per game. Miami selected him in the first round of the 1990 draft with the ninth overall pick. He signed a five year contract with Miami for $6,258,000.
Burton's rookie season was his best with Miami. He averaged 12 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game.