![]() Lawson with South Carolina in 2020 | |||||||||||||||
No. 9–Dallas Mavericks | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Shooting guard | ||||||||||||||
League | NBA | ||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||
Born | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | July 15, 2000||||||||||||||
Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | ||||||||||||||
Listed weight | 179 lb (81 kg) | ||||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||||
High school |
| ||||||||||||||
College | South Carolina (2018–2021) | ||||||||||||||
NBA draft | 2021: undrafted | ||||||||||||||
Playing career | 2021–present | ||||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||||
2021–2022 | College Park Skyhawks | ||||||||||||||
2022 | Guelph Nighthawks | ||||||||||||||
2022 | College Park Skyhawks | ||||||||||||||
2022 | Minnesota Timberwolves | ||||||||||||||
2022 | →Iowa Wolves | ||||||||||||||
2022–present | Dallas Mavericks | ||||||||||||||
2022–2024 | →Texas Legends | ||||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Stats at NBA.com | |||||||||||||||
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |||||||||||||||
Medals
|
Anthony Randolph "A. J." Lawson (born July 15, 2000) is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Lawson grew up in Brampton, Ontario and attended GTA Prep in Mississauga, a basketball academy based out of Mississauga Secondary School where he was coached by David Cooper. In his grade 12 season, Lawson was named an National Preparatory Association First Team All-Star and led the team to second place in the NPA championships. [1] Originally set to graduate in 2019 and ranked 40th in his class by 247Sports as well as fourth-best Canadian prospect by North Pole Hoops, Lawson reclassified for the class of 2018. [2] Lawson committed to playing college basketball for South Carolina over offers from Tulane and Creighton. South Carolina head coach Frank Martin began recruiting Lawson after a late night workout in Columbia on the trip back from a tournament. [3]
Lawson averaged 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game in 29 games played and was named to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) All-Freshman team. [4] [5] He was named the SEC Freshman of the Week on November 19, 2018, after averaging 15.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists over a three-game stretch against Norfolk State, Providence and George Washington. [6] Following the season he initially entered his name into the 2019 NBA draft, but decided to withdraw and return to South Carolina for his sophomore season. [7] [8]
Lawson was named to the preseason first team All-SEC and to the Jerry West Award watchlist going into his sophomore year. [9] [10] He was also named the 41st-best collegiate basketball player going into the 2019–20 season by CBS Sports and the 29th-best prospect for the 2020 NBA draft by ESPN. [11] [12] Lawson scored a season-high 28 points on November 15, 2019, in a 90–63 win against Cleveland State. [13] Lawson led the team during the season in total points with 416 and points per game at 13.4 while also averaging 3.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game. [14] Following the season, he declared for the 2020 NBA draft but did not hire an agent. [15] Lawson decided to withdraw from the draft and return to South Carolina on July 29. [16] On January 6, 2021, Lawson scored a career-high 30 points in a 78–54 win over Texas A&M. [17] As a junior, he averaged 16.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He was named to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) All-Second Team. On April 19, 2021, he declared for the 2021 NBA draft and signed an agent. [18]
After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft, Lawson joined the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks for the 2021 NBA Summer League. [19] On September 22, 2021, Lawson signed with the Atlanta Hawks. [20] However, he was waived on October 7. [21] In October 2021, Lawson signed with the College Park Skyhawks [22] where he played 26 games and averaged 11.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game, while shooting 48.1% from the field. [23]
On April 26, 2022, Lawson signed with the Guelph Nighthawks of the CEBL. [23]
Lawson joined the Dallas Mavericks for the 2022 NBA Summer League. [24] In five games, he averaged 15.6 points and 6.0 rebounds, while shooting 51.9% from the field. [25] Later, on July 19, 2022, Lawson signed a two-way contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves. [26] On October 15, 2022, Lawson was waived by the Timberwolves. [27] On November 3, 2022, Lawson was named to the opening night roster for the College Park Skyhawks. [28] On November 16, Lawson signed another two-way contract with the Timberwolves, [29] but was waived on December 8. [30] Two days later, he returned to College Park. [31]
On December 26, 2022, Lawson signed a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks, splitting time with their NBA G League affiliate, the Texas Legends. [32] It was converted to a standard-contract on March 4, 2024. [33] Lawson reached the 2024 NBA Finals where the Mavericks lost to the Boston Celtics in five games. [34]
Lawson has competed internationally for the Canada men's national under-19 basketball team. He averaged 14.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game in the 2018 FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship as Canada finished second in the tournament. [35] Lawson posted team highs with 18 points and 12 rebounds in Canada's 113–74 loss to the United States in the tournament final. [36]
In the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup, Lawson averaged a team-best 16.7 points with 3.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game in seven games as Canada advanced to the quarterfinals. [37] He also had the highest scoring performance of the tournament with a 31-point game against Senegal. [38]
Lawson made his debut with Canada's senior men's national team during the first round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Americas Qualifiers. [39]
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 |
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022–23 | Minnesota | 1 | 0 | 1.8 | 1.000 | — | — | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 2.0 |
Dallas | 14 | 0 | 7.6 | .488 | .400 | .250 | 1.4 | .1 | .1 | .0 | 3.9 | |
2023–24 | Dallas | 42 | 0 | 7.4 | .446 | .260 | .652 | 1.2 | .5 | .2 | .1 | 3.2 |
Career | 57 | 0 | 7.4 | .461 | .307 | .548 | 1.2 | .4 | .2 | .1 | 3.4 |
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | Dallas | 10 | 0 | 3.0 | .444 | .333 | .500 | .3 | .0 | .0 | .1 | 1.1 |
Career | 10 | 0 | 3.0 | .444 | .333 | .500 | .3 | .0 | .0 | .1 | 1.1 |
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018–19 | South Carolina | 29 | 28 | 29.9 | .411 | .358 | .667 | 4.3 | 2.9 | 1.1 | .2 | 13.4 |
2019–20 | South Carolina | 31 | 31 | 29.1 | .414 | .339 | .724 | 3.7 | 1.9 | 1.2 | .1 | 13.4 |
2020–21 | South Carolina | 21 | 21 | 31.3 | .394 | .351 | .700 | 4.1 | 1.2 | 1.5 | .1 | 16.6 |
Career | 81 | 80 | 30.0 | .407 | .349 | .697 | 4.0 | 2.1 | 1.2 | .2 | 14.2 |
Corey Wayne Brewer is an American former professional basketball player who serves as a player development coach for the New Orleans Pelicans. He played college basketball for the Florida Gators, winning back-to-back NCAA national championships in 2006 and 2007. He was named Most Outstanding Player of the 2007 NCAA tournament.
The South Carolina Gamecocks men's basketball team represents the University of South Carolina and competes in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Gamecocks won Southern Conference titles in 1927, 1933, 1934, and 1945, and then they gained national attention under hall of fame coach Frank McGuire, posting a 205–65 record from 1967 to 1976, which included the 1970 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) championship, the 1971 ACC Tournament title, and four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances from 1971 to 1974. The program also won the 1997 SEC championship, National Invitation Tournament (NIT) titles in 2005 and 2006, and a share of the 2009 SEC East division title. Most recently, the Gamecocks won the 2017 NCAA East Regional Championship, reaching the Final Four for the first time in school history. Lamont Paris is the current head coach, and the team plays at the 18,000-seat Colonial Life Arena.
Hyland DeAndre Jordan Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for the Texas A&M Aggies.
Seth Adham Curry is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for one year at Liberty University before transferring to Duke. He is the son of former NBA player Dell Curry and the younger brother of NBA player Stephen Curry. He currently ranks eighth in NBA history in career three-point field goal percentage.
Brandon Emmanuel Knight is an American professional basketball player who last played for AEK Athens of the Greek Basket League. A two-time Gatorade National Player of the Year, Knight played one season of college basketball for Kentucky before being selected by the Detroit Pistons in the 2011 NBA draft. After two seasons with the Pistons, he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. He spent a season and a half in Milwaukee before being traded to the Phoenix Suns in February 2015. In August 2018, he was traded to the Houston Rockets. At the 2019 trade deadline, he was traded to the Phoenix Suns before being traded back to the Lakers at the 2020 trade deadline.
Nerlens Noel is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His collegiate basketball career ended in his first season with a tear of his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) at the University of Kentucky. Noel was drafted with the sixth overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft by the New Orleans Pelicans. His rights were later traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. He plays center and power forward, and was one of the top high school basketball players in the class of 2012.
Sindarius Thornwell is an American professional basketball player for Avtodor of the VTB United League. He played college basketball for the South Carolina Gamecocks. Thornwell was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 48th overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft before he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Dwight Harlan Powell is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Stanford Cardinal and is a member of the Canadian national team.
Justin Aaron Jackson is an American professional basketball player for the Texas Legends of the NBA G League.
Chris Silva Obame Correia Silva is a Gabonese professional basketball player for the Mets de Guaynabo of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). He played college basketball for the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Dorian Lawrence Finney-Smith is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Virginia Tech and Florida. After spending his first seven seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, he was traded to the Nets in February 2023.
Jalen Jones is an American professional basketball player for Chorale Roanne Basket of the LNB Pro A. He played college basketball for the SMU Mustangs and the Texas A&M Aggies.
Wendell "C. J." Williams Jr. is an American professional basketball player for CSM Corona Brașov of the LNBM. He played college basketball for North Carolina State.
Perry "PJ" Dozier Jr. is an American professional basketball player who last played for Partizan of the Basketball League of Serbia (KLS), the Adriatic League and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Daryl Macon Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Shenzhen Leopards of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played college basketball for Holmes Community College and the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Johnathan Hamilton is a Trinidadian professional basketball player for Shahrdari Gorgan of the Basketball Champions League Asia. He began his college career at Jacksonville College, before moving to NCAA Division I program Virginia Tech and playing his final season for UT Arlington. Standing 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m), he plays the center position.
Charles Brown Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Westchester Knicks of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Saint Joseph's Hawks.
McKinley Wright IV is an American professional basketball player for Budućnost VOLI of the Erste Liga and ABA League. He played college basketball for the Colorado Buffaloes.
Hassani Gravett is an American professional basketball player for Śląsk Wrocław of the PLK. He played college basketball for South Carolina.
The 2022–23 Dallas Mavericks season was the 43rd season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA).