Justin Kier

Last updated
Justin Kier
Justin Kier Arizona (cropped).jpg
Kier with Arizona in 2021
No. 1Heroes Den Bosch
Position Shooting guard
League BNXT League
Personal information
Born (1998-05-30) May 30, 1998 (age 27)
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High school Spotswood
(Penn Laird, Virginia)
College
NBA draft 2022: undrafted
Playing career2022–present
Career history
20222024 Austin Spurs
2024–present Heroes Den Bosch
Career highlights

Justin Kier (born May 30, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for Heroes Den Bosch of the BNXT League. He played college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats of the Pac-12 Conference. He also played for the George Mason Patriots and the Georgia Bulldogs.

Contents

High school career

Kier attended Spotswood High School. In his career, he scored 1700 points for Spotswood and earned Valley District Player of the Year honors. [1] He committed to George Mason over scholarship offers from Coastal Carolina, UNC Greensboro, Radford and Fairfield. [2]

College career

Kier with Georgia in 2021 Justin Kier.jpg
Kier with Georgia in 2021

Kier made an immediate impact at George Mason as a freshman, averaging 5.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. [2] He averaged 11.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game as a sophomore. [3] On December 3, 2018, he scored a career-high 32 points in a 72–67 loss to Vermont. [4] As a junior, Kier averaged 14.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while shooting 47.1 percent from the field. [5] He was named to the Second Team All-Atlantic 10 as well as the Atlantic 10 Most Improved Player. [6] He suffered a stress fracture in the offseason that caused him to miss the first six games of his senior season. Kier missed a game with an unrelated injury in December 2019. On January 15, 2020, he reinjured his stress fracture which caused him to miss the remainder of the season. [7] In nine games, he averaged 9.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. [8]

On April 8, 2020, Kier decided to enter the transfer portal after being granted a fifth season of eligibility. [6] He announced he was transferring to Georgia on April 26 and will be eligible immediately as a graduate transfer. [5] Kier chose the Bulldogs over offers from Minnesota and NC State. [8] He averaged 9.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 39.4 percent from the field. Kier transferred to Arizona Wildcats for his final season of eligibility. [9] Kier led his team to the Sweet 16 in the 2022 March Madnes, where they lost to the Houston Cougars 72–60.

Professional career

Austin Spurs (2022–2024)

After going undrafted in the 2022 NBA draft, Kier joined the Austin Spurs on October 24, 2022. [10]

Heroes Den Bosch (2024–present)

On July 18, 2024, Kier signed with Heroes Den Bosch of the BNXT League. [11] On March 23, 2025, Kier and Heroes won the 2024–25 Dutch Basketball Cup. [12]

Career statistics

Legend
  GPGames 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

College

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2016–17 George Mason 332927.7.428.386.7444.51.1.6.25.8
2017–18 George Mason 333233.2.451.174.7844.62.31.3.111.0
2018–19 George Mason 333134.8.471.371.7696.52.61.6.314.5
2019–20 George Mason 9222.6.464.458.8463.61.3.7.29.6
2020–21 Georgia 252531.0.394.366.7503.72.41.7.19.5
2021–22 Arizona 36620.1.444.358.8303.12.3.6.06.9
Career16912528.8.444.351.7814.42.11.1.29.5

Personal life

At the age of seven, Kier's mother Keley suffered a heart attack while driving a car, crashed into a tree and is now paralyzed, blind and cannot speak. Kier was in the automobile with her but was not injured, escaping through a window. As a consequence of the accident and with his father not in his life, Kier and his older brother, Rasheed, came into the custody of their grandmother, Evelyn. [13] Kier grew up in Grottoes, VA and is considered one of the best players to come out of the Shenandoah Valley in recent years.

See also

References

  1. Flum, Alex (April 26, 2020). "Former Spotswood star Justin Kier transferring to Georgia". WHSV. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  2. 1 2 Goff, Steven (December 28, 2017). "A small town in Virginia embraced a child. Now it cheers his rise in college basketball". Washington Post . Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  3. Sang, Orion (April 21, 2020). "Grad transfer Justin Kier includes Michigan basketball in final list of suitors". Detroit Free Press . Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  4. "Duncan, Lamb each score 19 as Vermont holds off George Mason". ESPN . Associated Press. December 3, 2018. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  5. 1 2 Wilson, Brent (April 26, 2020). "Former George Mason guard, Justin Kier commits to Georgia Basketball". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  6. 1 2 Byrum, Tyler (April 8, 2020). "George Mason grad transfer Justin Kier enters transfer portal, could return to Patriots". NBC Sports . Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  7. Byrum, Tyler (January 15, 2020). "George Mason loses senior Justin Kier to another foot injury". NBC Sports . Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  8. 1 2 Page, Fletcher (April 26, 2020). "George Mason transfer Justin Kier commits to UGA". Athens Banner-Herald . Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  9. Scheer, Jason (May 26, 2021). "Former Georgia guard Justin Kier headed to Arizona". 247 Sports. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  10. "Austin Spurs Announce 2022–23 Training Camp Roster". OurSportsCentral.com. October 24, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  11. "Justin Kier nieuwe point-guard Heroes Den Bosch". HeroesDenBosch.com (in Dutch). July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  12. "Basketballers Den Bosch winnen heerlijke bekerfinale van dapper Donar". nos.nl (in Dutch). 2025-03-23. Retrieved 2025-03-26.
  13. Cristodero, Damian (February 16, 2020). "For senior, 'some light coming into a dark place'". George Mason University . Retrieved April 27, 2020.