Jordan Walsh

Jordan Walsh

Walsh with the Boston Celtics in 2024
No. 27–Boston Celtics
Position	Small forward
League	NBA
Personal information
Born	(2004-03-03) March 3, 2004 (age 20) Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight	205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High school	Faith Family Academy (Dallas, Texas) Link Academy (Branson, Missouri)
College	Arkansas (2022–2023)
NBA draft	2023: 2nd round, 38th overall pick
Selected by the Sacramento Kings
Playing career	2023–present
Career history
2023–present	Boston Celtics
2023–2024	→Maine Celtics
Career highlights and awards
NBA champion (2024) McDonald's All-American (2022) Jordan Brand Classic (2022)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball Reference

Jordan E. Walsh (born March 3, 2004) is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Arkansas Razorbacks. He was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2022 class. As a rookie with the 2023–24 Boston Celtics, Walsh won an NBA championship as a reserve.

Early life and high school career

Walsh grew up in DeSoto, Texas and initially attended Faith Family Academy in Dallas, Texas. He averaged 18 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, 2.4 steals and 2.3 blocks per game and was named class 4A All-State as a junior. ^[1] Walsh transferred to Link Academy in Branson, Missouri prior to the start of his senior year. ^[2] He averaged 15.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in his only season at Link. ^[3] Walsh was selected to play in the 2022 McDonald's All-American Boys Game during the season. ^[4]

Recruiting

Walsh was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2022 class, according to major recruiting services. ^{[5] [6]} ESPN analyst Paul Biancardi rated him as the best two-way player in the 2022 class. ^[7] Walsh committed to playing college basketball for Arkansas over offers from Texas, Memphis, Arizona State, and Kansas. ^[8]

College recruiting information

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Jordan Walsh SF	DeSoto, TX	Link Academy (MO)	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	Oct 14, 2021
	Star ratings: Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 92
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 25   247Sports: 20   ESPN: 11
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: "Arkansas 2022 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 14, 2022. "2022 Arkansas Razorbacks Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 14, 2022. "2022 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 14, 2022.

College career

Walsh with Arkansas in 2023

Walsh entered his freshman season at Arkansas as starting wing. ^[9] Midway through the season he was moved to the bench as a key reserve. ^[10] Eventually, thanks to his length and athleticism, Walsh moved back to the starting lineup and became one of Arkansas' key defenders. In his lone season for Arkansas, Walsh averaged 7.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game. On April 19, 2023, he declared for the 2023 NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility. ^[11] Walsh later decided to remain in the draft. ^[12]

Professional career

Boston / Maine Celtics (2023–present)

Walsh was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the 38th overall pick in the second round of the 2023 NBA draft, then subsequently traded to the Boston Celtics ^[13] and on July 6, 2023, he signed a four-year, $7.6 million contract with Boston. ^[14] Throughout his first two-years in the league, he's been constantly assigned to the Maine Celtics of the NBA G League. ^{[15] [16]}

On January 17, 2024, Walsh made his NBA debut in a 117–98 victory against the San Antonio Spurs, collecting 4 rebounds in the final 3 minutes of play. ^[17] On February 4, 2024, Walsh scored his first two NBA points in a 131–91 victory against the Memphis Grizzlies at TD Garden. ^[18] Walsh became an NBA champion when the Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks in 5 games in the NBA Finals.

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
†	Won an NBA championship

NBA

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2023–24†	Boston	9	1	9.2	.400	.222	.500	2.2	.6	.6	.1	1.7
Career		9	1	9.2	.400	.222	.500	2.2	.6	.6	.1	1.7

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2024†	Boston	3	0	3.8	.333	.000	—	.7	.0	.0	.0	.7
Career		3	0	3.8	.333	.000	—	.7	.0	.0	.0	.7

College

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2022–23	Arkansas	36	22	24.4	.433	.278	.712	3.9	.9	1.1	.5	7.1

Personal life

Walsh has alopecia universalis, an autoimmune condition which prevents the growth of hair on the body. ^[19]

References

1. Munz, Jason (September 24, 2021). "Memphis basketball recruiting: 5-star Jordan Walsh taking official visit". The Commercial Appeal . Retrieved January 22, 2023.
2. "Four-star basketball recruit Jordan Walsh leaves Faith Family, now at prep academy in Missouri". Dallas Morning News . September 6, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
3. Divens, Jordan (March 24, 2022). "High school basketball: MaxPreps Player of the Year in all 50 states". MaxPreps.com . Retrieved February 5, 2023.
4. Orange, Alyssa (January 25, 2022). "Nick Smith Jr & Jordan Walsh named McDonald's All-Americans". FOX16.com . Retrieved January 22, 2023.
5. Choate, Mason (December 11, 2022). "Walsh shows potential in win over Oklahoma". Rivals.com . Retrieved February 10, 2023.
6. Boone, Kyle (October 14, 2021). "Arkansas basketball recruiting: Five-star SF Jordan Walsh commits to Razorbacks". CBS Sports . Retrieved February 10, 2023.
7. Davenport, Richard (May 23, 2022). "ESPN's Biancardi names Hog signee top 2-way player". The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette . Retrieved January 22, 2023.
8. Borzello, Jeff and Biancardi, Paul (October 14, 2021). "Jordan Walsh, ranked No. 7 in the 2022 class, announces commitment to Arkansas". ESPN.com . Retrieved January 22, 2023.
9. Murphy, Tom (January 22, 2023). "Hogs find their 'D' vs. Rebels". The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette . Retrieved January 30, 2023.
10. Smith, Kent (February 1, 2023). "Musselman's Unplanned Handling of Walsh Against A&M Unlocks Key to Future Wins". SI.com . Retrieved February 6, 2023.
11. Wayne, E. (April 19, 2023). "Arkansas forward Jordan Walsh declares for NBA Draft". USA Today . Retrieved June 30, 2023.
12. Goodson, Connor (May 31, 2023). "Jordan Walsh not returning to Arkansas, remaining in 2023 NBA Draft". USA Today . Retrieved June 30, 2023.
13. Rivera, Gio (June 23, 2023). "Celtics Select Jordan Walsh With No. 38 Pick In 2023 NBA Draft". NESN . Retrieved June 23, 2023.
14. "Boston Celtics Sign Walsh". NBA.com. July 6, 2023. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
15. "2023-2024 Maine Celtics Transaction History". RealGM.com. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
16. "2024-2025 Maine Celtics Transaction History". RealGM.com. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
17. Terada, Souichi (January 18, 2024). "Celtics rookie describes unforgettable NBA debut". MassLive.com. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
18. Himmelsbach, Adam (February 5, 2024). "Celtics rout depleted Grizzlies in what originally had the potential to be a battle of top teams". Boston Globe. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
19. Gosset, Brian (March 14, 2019). "Faith Family freshman, who won state on buzzer-beating dunk, not letting Alopecia stop him". Fort Worth Star-Telegram . Retrieved February 10, 2023.

External links

• Arkansas Razorbacks bio