Lanky, flexible and possessing lightning reflexes, Burton stood head and shoulders above others as a "cornerman" for his team at the age of 12.
Luckily for Burton, a friend, Alonzo Holmes, lived down the road in his neighbourhood and introduced him to basketball.
[3][4] Following his senior season with Tennessee, Burton was selected in the sixth round of the 1984 NBA draft by the Denver Nuggets.
[2] In 1985, Burton moved to New Zealand and joined the Palmerston North Jets of the National Basketball League (NBL).
In 1991, he joined New Plymouth and played three seasons for the team before returning to Hawke's Bay in 1994 where he spent the next four years.
[7] Burton finished his NBL career as an eight-time All-Star Five honouree and a six-time rebounding champion.