Tolson was selected by the
Seattle SuperSonics in the 5th round (8th pick, 80th overall) of the
1974 NBA draft, after completing his career at the
University of Arkansas. He played three seasons for the SuperSonics, appearing in 80 games over his career. Tolson was also selected in the 7th round of the 1974
American Basketball Association Draft by the
New York Nets. Tolson played in the
Eastern Basketball Association (EBA) / Continental Basketball Association (CBA) for the Hazleton Bullets during the 1975–76 season, the Anchorage Northern Knights from 1977 to 1979 and
Rochester Zeniths during the 1980–81 season. He was selected to the All-EBA Second Team in 1976. before returning to school to complete his education at the University of Arkansas. He played for Greek club
AEK B.C. in the
1983–84 FIBA Korać Cup. In 2023, Dean Tolson's book, ‘Power Forward: My Journey from Illiterate NBA Player to a Magna Cum Laude Master's Degree,’ was published. A motivational speaker, he moved from Tacoma, Washington, and lives in Scottsdale, Arizona. ==Career statistics==