James Wiseman

American basketball player (born 2001)

James Wiseman
Wiseman in a youth game in 2017
No. 13 – Detroit Pistons
PositionCenter
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (2001-03-31) March 31, 2001 (age 23)
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
High school
  • The Ensworth School
    (Nashville, Tennessee)
  • East
    (Memphis, Tennessee)
CollegeMemphis (2019–2020)
NBA draft2020: 1st round, 2nd overall pick
Selected by the Golden State Warriors
Playing career2020–present
Career history
2020–2023Golden State Warriors
2022→Santa Cruz Warriors
2023–presentDetroit Pistons
Career highlights and awards
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at NBA.com
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at Basketball-Reference.com

James Monteinez Wiseman (born March 31, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Memphis Tigers. Listed at 6 feet 11 inches (2.11 m),[1] he plays the center position.

Wiseman began high school at The Ensworth School in his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee before transferring to Memphis East High School, where he was coached by former NBA player Penny Hardaway for his first year. As a senior, Wiseman was a consensus five-star recruit, with most recruiting services ranking him number one in the 2019 class. He claimed multiple national player of the year awards and played in the McDonald's All-American Game after his final season.

In college, Wiseman joined Memphis to play for Hardaway, who had become the Tigers' coach. Early into his freshman season, he was suspended by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which deemed that Hardaway had acted as a booster by facilitating Wiseman's move to Memphis, Tennessee in 2017. He served part of the suspension before withdrawing from school to prepare for the 2020 NBA draft, where he was drafted with the second overall pick by the Golden State Warriors. He won an NBA championship with the team in 2022, despite being injured and not appearing in any games during the season.

High school career

Entering his freshman season for The Ensworth School in Nashville, Tennessee, Wiseman stood 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) and weighed 200 pounds (91 kg). He was a teammate of future NBA player Jordan Bone.[2] By June 2016, ESPN ranked Wiseman among its top 25 players in the 2020 recruiting class.[3] In 2016, he played for the St. Louis Eagles Amateur Athletic Union team.[4][5] As a sophomore in 2016–17, he guided Ensworth to the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) Division II-AA semifinals.[6] He averaged about 20 points and 10 rebounds per game and was named MaxPreps Sophomore All-American honorable mention.[7]

In May 2017, Wiseman joined Team Penny, founded by former NBA player Penny Hardaway, on the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) circuit. In August, he announced his transfer to Memphis East High School in Memphis, Tennessee, where Hardaway was promoted to head coach.[8] On November 16, 2017, the TSSAA ruled Wiseman ineligible for his junior season because an "athletic coaching link" existed between him and Hardaway.[9] However, on December 13, he was cleared to play because the TSSAA rule was "not clear in its application".[10] During the season, Wiseman rose to become the number one overall recruit by ESPN in the 2019 class. On March 17, 2018, he led Memphis East to a TSSAA Class AAA championship, leading all scorers with 19 points.[11] He averaged 18.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game, earning MaxPreps Junior All-American third team recognition.[12]

Entering his senior season, Wiseman remained at Memphis East instead of transferring to a prep school, citing "the East High tradition" and the improvements he made as a junior with the program.[13] On March 1, 2019, he recorded a triple-double of 27 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 blocks to help his team win the Region 8AAA championship.[14] Memphis East finished as TSSAA Class AAA runners-up to Bearden High School, even though Wiseman posted 24 points, 11 rebounds, and five blocks in his final high school game.[15] After averaging 25.8 points, 14.8 rebounds, and 5.5 blocks as a senior, he was named Gatorade National Player of the Year and Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year.[16][17] Wiseman also won the Tennessee Class AAA Mr. Basketball award while appearing in the McDonald's All-American Game, the Jordan Brand Classic, and the Nike Hoop Summit.[18][19] He shared most valuable player (MVP) accolades with Cole Anthony at the Jordan Brand Classic.[20]

In October 2019, after Wiseman had moved on to the University of Memphis, the TSSAA's original ruling of ineligibility for the 2017–18 season was upheld by a Memphis judge, who ruled that the TSSAA coaching link rule was not too vague and did not violate Wiseman's property rights as an athlete.[21]

Recruiting

Wiseman was a consensus five-star recruit out of high school and was considered the top recruit in the 2019 class by 247Sports and ESPN.[22][23] On November 20, 2018, he committed to Memphis despite strongly considering Kentucky. As a result, he reunited with former high school coach Penny Hardaway, who had become the team's head coach in the previous season.[24] On November 29, Wiseman signed a National Letter of Intent to play college basketball for Memphis.[25]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
James Wiseman
C 		Nashville, TN Memphis East (TN) 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) 230 lb (100 kg) Nov 20, 2018 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars   ESPN grade: 97
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 1  247Sports: 2  ESPN: 1
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Memphis 2019 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  • "2019 Memphis Tigers Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  • "2019 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 5, 2019.

College career

Wiseman was projected to be the first overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. In August 2019, a minor shoulder injury kept Wiseman from joining Memphis for a series of preseason exhibition games in Nassau, Bahamas.[26] He missed his team's two preseason games in October after sustaining an ankle injury.[27] On November 5, Wiseman made his regular season debut with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks in 22 minutes as the Tigers defeated South Carolina State, 97–64.[28]

On November 8, Wiseman's lawyers announced that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) ruled him ineligible to play for Memphis. The University of Memphis stated that head coach Penny Hardaway had paid for $11,500 in moving expenses to help him and his family move to the city of Memphis in 2017.[29] According to Wiseman's lawyer, Leslie Ballin, the NCAA deemed that Hardaway, a Memphis alumnus, had acted as a booster.[30] On the same day, a Shelby County judge granted Wiseman a temporary restraining order against the NCAA's ruling, allowing him to keep playing.[29][31] Less than two hours later, he had 17 points and nine rebounds to lead Memphis past UIC, 92–46.[32] Wiseman's lawyers filed a lawsuit against the NCAA to restore his eligibility before withdrawing the case six days later in hopes of reaching an agreement.[33] On November 20, the NCAA ruled that Wiseman would be eligible to return on January 12 after serving a 12-game suspension if he donated $11,500 to a charity of his choice.[31][34]

On December 19, 2019, after missing seven games due to suspension, Wiseman announced that he would leave Memphis, hire an agent and prepare for the 2020 NBA draft, effectively ending his college career. He was one of the highest-rated prospects in his class, according to draft analysts.[35][36] Wiseman was considered a potential number one pick.

Professional career

Golden State Warriors (2020–2023)

Wiseman was selected with the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors.[37] On December 22, 2020, he made his NBA debut with 19 points, six rebounds, and two steals in a 125-99 loss to the Brooklyn Nets.[38][39] On January 27, 2021, Wiseman scored a season-high 25 points, along with six rebounds, in a 123–111 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.[40] On April 11, it was revealed that Wiseman suffered a torn right meniscus.[41] On April 15, he underwent successful surgery to repair his torn meniscus and was subsequently ruled out for the remainder of the season.[42]

On March 9, 2022, Wiseman was assigned to the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State's NBA G League affiliate team, to play games before returning to the NBA.[43] On March 16, he was recalled by Golden State, but was assigned to Santa Cruz again a day later.[44] However, on March 19, Wiseman suffered a setback in his rehab and was shut down by Golden State.[45] On March 25, he was ruled out for the remainder of the season.[46] Despite being injured during the season, Wiseman won an NBA championship with the Warriors when they defeated the Boston Celtics in six games.[47][48]

On July 10, 2022, Wiseman made his return from injury in the 2022 NBA Summer League, putting up 11 points, two rebounds, and two blocks in an 86–85 win over the San Antonio Spurs.[49] On December 21, Wiseman scored a career-high 30 points in a 143–113 loss to the Brooklyn Nets.[50] On December 30, 2022, Wiseman sprained his ankle during a 3-on-3 scrimmage and subsequently did not play in the following games for Golden State.[51]

Detroit Pistons (2023–present)

On February 9, 2023, Wiseman was traded to the Detroit Pistons in a four-team trade involving the Portland Trail Blazers and Atlanta Hawks, with Golden State reacquiring Gary Payton II from Portland.[52][53] He made his Pistons debut on February 15, recording 11 points and five rebounds in a 127–109 loss to the Boston Celtics.[54]

National team career

Wiseman averaged 11.4 points and five rebounds per game for the United States at the 2017 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Formosa, Argentina.[55] He helped his team win the gold medal over Canada.[56] Wiseman was unable to join the United States for the 2018 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup because he was injured.[57]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

NBA

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2020–21 Golden State 39 27 21.4 .519 .316 .628 5.8 .7 .3 .9 11.5
2022–23 Golden State 21 0 12.5 .628 .500 .684 3.5 .7 .1 .3 6.9
2022–23 Detroit 24 22 25.2 .531 .167 .712 8.1 .7 .2 .8 12.7
2023–24 Detroit 63 6 17.3 .613 .000 .706 5.3 .9 .2 .6 7.1
Career 147 55 19.0 .560 .267 .681 5.6 .7 .2 .7 9.1

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2019–20[58] Memphis 3 3 23.0 .769 .000 .704 10.3 .3 .3 3.0 19.7
Career 3 3 23.0 .769 .000 .704 10.3 .3 .3 3.0 19.7

References

  1. ^ "2020 Draft | Prospect Index | NBA.com". www.nba.com. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  2. ^ Bossi, Eric (December 5, 2015). "Wiseman, Bone impress in Nashville". Rivals. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  3. ^ "17 EYBL players ranked in ESPN 2019 Top 25". D1Circuit. June 9, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  4. ^ Borzello, Jeff (December 19, 2019). "Penny Hardaway, James Wiseman and the Memphis Tigers: A timeline". ESPN. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  5. ^ Borzello, Jeff; Medcalf, Myron; Merrill, Liz (December 20, 2019). "James Wiseman, Penny Hardaway and the high-stakes collision of two stars". ESPN. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  6. ^ McGaw, Sam (March 2, 2017). "Strong defense pushes BA basketball past Ensworth in state semifinal". Brentwood Home Page. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  7. ^ "2016-17 MaxPreps Boys Basketball Sophomore All-American Team". MaxPreps. April 13, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  8. ^ Giannotto, Mark (August 21, 2017). "James Wiseman, a top 2019 basketball recruit, has transferred to Memphis East High School". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  9. ^ Varlas, John (November 16, 2017). "Why Memphis East, a national power coached by Penny Hardaway, has 2 ineligible players". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  10. ^ Ostrander, Lynden (December 13, 2017). "Memphis East basketball transfers Wiseman, Boyce ruled eligible". MaxPreps. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  11. ^ Varlas, John (March 17, 2018). "James Wiseman, the top player in Class of 2019, caps rough season with coveted title for East". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  12. ^ Divens, Jordan (April 13, 2018). "2017-18 MaxPreps Boys Basketball Junior All-American Team". MaxPreps. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  13. ^ Thompson, Khari (March 16, 2019). "'From Day 1, James could have left': Why Wiseman stayed at Memphis East". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  14. ^ Greer, Jarvis (March 1, 2019). "Wiseman leads East to region championship". WMC-TV. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  15. ^ Varlas, John (March 16, 2019). "Bearden ends East's run in Class AAA despite stellar play by Wiseman". The Daily Memphian. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  16. ^ Zagoria, Adam (March 20, 2019). "Memphis commit James Wiseman named Gatorade National Player of the Year, not done recruiting". ZagsBlog. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  17. ^ Gallant, Jacob (March 16, 2019). "Wiseman wins Morgan Wootten Player of the Year". WMC-TV. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  18. ^ Fowler, Christian (March 6, 2019). "James Wiseman wins Tennessee Class AAA Mr. Basketball Award". 247Sports. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  19. ^ "James Wiseman Player Profile". RealGM. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  20. ^ Nelson, Ryne (April 20, 2019). "Cole Anthony & James Wiseman Win MVP of 2019 Jordan Brand Classic!". Slam. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  21. ^ Kreager, Tom (November 12, 2019). "Memphis judge rules in favor of TSSAA regarding James Wiseman, Ryan Boyce coaching link". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  22. ^ "James Wiseman, East, Center (BK)". 247Sports. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  23. ^ "James Wiseman". ESPN. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  24. ^ Borzello, Jeff (November 20, 2018). "No. 1 recruit James Wiseman joining coach Penny Hardaway at Memphis". ESPN. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  25. ^ Updahyay, Sudu (November 29, 2018). "James Wiseman officially signs with U of M". WMC-TV. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  26. ^ Munz, Jason (August 13, 2019). "Penny Hardaway updates James Wiseman's status, says Precious Achiuwa will not make trip to Bahamas". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  27. ^ Munz, Jason (October 28, 2019). "James Wiseman will not play vs. LeMoyne-Owen". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  28. ^ "Wiseman has 28 and 11 in winning debut for No. 14 Memphis". ESPN. Associated Press. November 5, 2019. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  29. ^ a b Pickman, Ben (November 8, 2019). "Memphis' James Wiseman Ruled Ineligible by NCAA, Will Play Friday After Court Order". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  30. ^ Borzello, Jeff (November 8, 2019). "NCAA rules Memphis' James Wiseman ineligible; top prospect gets stay to play Friday". ESPN. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  31. ^ a b Walker, Teresa M. (November 13, 2019). "Memphis, James Wiseman have 1 more game, then it's back to court". The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  32. ^ "Wiseman gets restraining order to play; Memphis wins". ESPN. Associated Press. November 8, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  33. ^ Parrish, Gary (November 14, 2019). "Memphis' James Wiseman withdraws lawsuit against the NCAA, will sit in hopes of having eligibility restored". CBS Sports. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  34. ^ Witz, Billy (November 20, 2019). "James Wiseman of Memphis Can Return From Suspension in January". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  35. ^ ESPN News Services (December 19, 2019). "James Wiseman leaves Memphis, to enter NBA draft". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  36. ^ Boone, Kyle (April 10, 2020). "2020 NBA Draft: The top four prospects who have a realistic shot at being the No. 1 overall pick". CBS Sports. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  37. ^ Quinn, Sam (November 18, 2020). "2020 NBA Draft: Warriors select James Wiseman with No. 2 overall pick". CBS Sports. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  38. ^ Witt, Brian (December 22, 2020). "James Wiseman's NBA debut was bright spot in Warriors' loss vs. Nets". Yahoo Sports. Archived from the original on May 14, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  39. ^ Villanueva, Virgil (December 22, 2020). "Stephen Curry speaks out on James Wiseman's huge NBA debut". ClutchPoints. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  40. ^ "Warriors beat Timberwolves 123-111 to sweep 2-game series". NBA. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  41. ^ "Reports: Warriors rookie James Wiseman has torn meniscus in right knee". NBA.com. April 11, 2021. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  42. ^ Quinn, Sam (April 15, 2021). "Warriors rookie James Wiseman will miss rest of season after surgery to repair torn meniscus in right knee". CBS Sports. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  43. ^ "Golden State Warriors' James Wiseman cleared to play in two G League games". ESPN. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  44. ^ "James Wiseman to return to G-League for Sunday game after being recalled by Warriors". The Athletic. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  45. ^ "Wiseman will be shut down after recent setback with knee". NBC Sports. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  46. ^ "Wiseman ruled out for rest of Warriors' 2021-22 season". NBC Sports. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  47. ^ Johnson, Dalton (June 18, 2022). "Championship DNA, eager youth leave Dubs' title window wide open". NBC Sports. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  48. ^ McDaniel, Mike (June 16, 2022). "Warriors Beat Celtics in Game 6 to Clinch Seventh NBA Championship". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  49. ^ Guinhawa, Angelo (July 10, 2022). "James Wiseman's instant reaction after first NBA action with Warriors in 526 days". ClutchPoints. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  50. ^ Winter, Jack (December 21, 2022). "James Wiseman's career night with Warriors gets reality check from Steve Kerr". ClutchPoints. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  51. ^ "Wiseman sprains ankle during 3-on-3, will miss Blazers game". RSN. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  52. ^ "DETROIT PISTONS ACQUIRE JAMES WISEMAN FROM GOLDEN STATE IN FOUR-TEAM DEAL". NBA.com. February 9, 2023.
  53. ^ "C.J. Holmes 🚀 on Twitter: "Full terms of the Warriors' multi-team deal"". Twitter. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  54. ^ "TATUM'S 38 POINTS HELP CELTICS ROLL PAST PISTONS 127-109". NBA.com. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  55. ^ "James Wiseman's profile". FIBA. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  56. ^ "USA claim FIBA U16 Americas Championship 2017". FIBA. June 19, 2017. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  57. ^ "Roster Announced for 2018 USA Basketball Men's U17 World Cup Team". USA Basketball. June 21, 2018. Archived from the original on June 21, 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  58. ^ "James Wiseman College Stats". Sports Reference. Retrieved March 24, 2020.

External links

  • Career statistics and player information from NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com
  • USA Basketball bio
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