Kyle O'Quinn

Last updated

Kyle O'Quinn
Kyle O'Quinn Washington at Orlando 034.jpg
O'Quinn with the Magic in 2012
Free agent
Position Center / power forward
Personal information
Born (1990-03-26) March 26, 1990 (age 34)
Jamaica, New York
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
High school Campus Magnet
(Queens, New York)
College Norfolk State (2008–2012)
NBA draft 2012: 2nd round, 49th overall pick
Selected by the Orlando Magic
Playing career2012–present
Career history
20122015 Orlando Magic
20152018 New York Knicks
2018–2019 Indiana Pacers
2019–2020 Philadelphia 76ers
2021 Fenerbahçe
2021–2022 Paris Basketball
2022 SeaHorses Mikawa
2022–2023 San-en NeoPhoenix
2023 Sichuan Blue Whales
Career highlights and awards
Stats   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg at NBA.com
Stats   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg at Basketball-Reference.com

Kyle Brandon O'Quinn (born March 26, 1990) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Sichuan Blue Whales of the Chinese Basketball Association. He played for the Norfolk State Spartans, and led them to a victory over the #2 seed Missouri Tigers in the second round of the 2012 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. He was drafted in the second round of the 2012 NBA draft with the 49th overall pick, by the Orlando Magic.

Contents

Early and personal life

O'Quinn was born in Queens, New York, and grew up in South Jamaica, Queens. [1] His parents are Tommie (who moved to New York from Mississippi in 1963, worked for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and died in a car accident in September 2015) and Regina O’Quinn. [2] [3] [4] He has an older sister, Rasheena Moss, who earned a degree in broadcast journalism from Hampton University in 2008. [3]

While playing for the Knicks, O'Quinn moonlighted by booking gigs in New York as a bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah entertainer; dancing with the teenagers, signing autographs, joining in selfies with the kids, and chatting with the parents. [5] [6]

High school career

O'Quinn first attended Holy Cross High School for his first two years of high school, playing only a limited amount on the school's junior varsity team. [7] [8] He then attended Math, Science Research & Technology High School at the Campus Magnet Complex in Queens, originally to play football, and almost quit basketball when he didn't play as a junior. In his senior year, he averaged 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game, but his only scholarship offer was to Norfolk State University. [9] He was a first-team All-Queens and third-team All-Public School Athletic League (PSAL) selection in his senior year. [10]

College career

O'Quinn originally planned on pursuing a career in football even after receiving a scholarship from Norfolk State mainly because of his basketball ability. O'Quinn could have given up basketball the way he had with football, but this time chose the other choice and focused on pursuing a career in the NBA. He graduated with a degree in interdisciplinary studies. [11]

In his Norfolk State career, he played in 129 games, averaging 12.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.19 blocks, and shot .553 (610-1,104) from the field. [4] Norfolk State Retired his number 10 jersey on February 16, 2019. [12] [13]

Freshman season

In O'Quinn's freshman season at Norfolk State (2008–09), he appeared in all 31 games including two starts. He averaged 5.3 points per game and 3.4 rebounds per game. [4] He was also twice named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference rookie of the week.

Sophomore season

In his sophomore season (2009–10), O'Quinn appeared in 30 games, starting in 29 of them. He was third on Norfolk State in scoring at 11.5 points per game, led the team in rebounds at 8.7 rebounds per game, and had 1.70 blocks per game. He also led the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in field goal percentage at 54.9%. [4] O'Quinn was also named to the All-MEAC Second Team and was twice named the MEAC Defensive Player of the Week.

Junior season

In O'Quinn's junior season in 2010-11, he averaged 16.4 points per game, 11.1 rebounds per game, and 3.44 blocks per game. [4] He was fourth in the country in blocked shots, fifth in rebounds, and eighth in double-doubles (19). [4] O'Quinn led the MEAC in blocks and rebounds, was second in field goal percentage (.556), and finished fifth in points per game. [4] He established single-season school records (NCAA Division I era) with 110 blocked shots and 355 rebounds. [4] He also became the first-ever player from Norfolk State to be named MEAC Defensive Player of the Year. O'Quinn was named MEAC Defensive Player of the Week four times and was named MEAC Player of the Week four times as well, and was voted to the MEAC All-Tournament Team. [4]

Senior season

In O'Quinn's senior season, he averaged 15.9 points per game, 10.3 rebounds per game, and 2.69 blocks per game. [4] He led the conference and tied for fifth in the country with 20 double-doubles. He ranked 14th in the nation in field goal percentage (.573; 205-358), 15th in blocked shots, and 16th in rebounding. [4] He was named the MEAC Player of the Year and the MEAC Defensive Player of the Year. [4] He was the 2012 Lou Henson recipient as the nation's top mid-major player. [4]

Norfolk State made the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament as a 15 seed, the Spartans (making their first-ever postseason appearance) upset the second-seeded Missouri Tigers in the Round of 64. In the game, O'Quinn recorded 26 points and 14 rebounds. [4] After the game, an ecstatic O'Quinn began sprinting through the school's hallways, yelling, "We messed up some brackets! We messed up some brackets!" In the next round, Norfolk State lost to the Florida Gators, and O'Quinn only recorded four points and three rebounds. [14]

Following the season, O'Quinn participated in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, averaging 11.7 PPG, 11.7 RPG, and 3.7 BPG. [4] O'Quinn was named the Tournament MVP, and was also named to the All-Tournament Team. [15]

Professional career

Orlando Magic (2012–2015)

O'Quinn was drafted in the second round of the 2012 NBA draft with the 49th overall pick by the Orlando Magic. [16] On August 9, 2012, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Magic. [17] He went on to earn the 2012–13 Hustle Player of the Year award for his constant commitment to playing every game with more excitement than the last. [18] He finished the season with averages of 4.1 points and 3.7 rebounds in 57 games.

With 1.3 blocked shots per game in 2013–14, O'Quinn led the Magic and was tied for 20th in the league. He finished the season with averages of 6.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. [19]

After spraining his ankle in the season opener against the New Orleans Pelicans on October 28, 2014, O'Quinn missed 15 consecutive games before returning to action on November 16. Over a five-game stretch with Nikola Vučević out with a back injury between December 2 and December 12, O'Quinn started all five games and subsequently averaged 15.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. [20] [21]

New York Knicks (2015–2018)

O'Quinn with the Knicks in 2017. Kyle O'Quinn (32600212586).jpg
O'Quinn with the Knicks in 2017.

On July 9, 2015, O'Quinn was signed-and-traded (to a four-year, $16-million contract) [22] from the Magic to the New York Knicks in exchange for cash considerations and the right to exchange 2019 second-round draft selections. [23] He made his debut for the Knicks, his hometown team, in the team's season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks on October 28, recording 8 points and 11 rebounds in a 122–97 win. [24] On February 24, 2016, he scored a season-high 19 points off the bench in a 108–105 loss to the Indiana Pacers. [25]

On December 2, 2016, O'Quinn recorded season highs of 20 points and 13 rebounds in a 118–114 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. [26] On December 22, he recorded 14 points and a career-high 16 rebounds in a 106–95 win over the Orlando Magic. [27] On March 16, 2017, he came off the bench to a tie a career high with 23 points in a 121–110 loss to the Brooklyn Nets. [28]

On November 25, 2017, O'Quinn had his first double-double of the season with 20 points and 15 rebounds starting in place of the injured Enes Kanter in a 117–102 loss to the Houston Rockets. [29]

Indiana Pacers (2018–2019)

On July 9, 2018, O'Quinn signed a one-year deal with the Indiana Pacers, [30] after opting out of the final year of his contract in New York. His decision landed him $4.5 million, a $200,000 raise. [31]

Philadelphia 76ers (2019–2020)

On July 11, 2019, O’Quinn signed a one-year deal with Philadelphia 76ers. [32]

Fenerbahçe (2021)

On January 20, 2021, O'Quinn signed a one-year deal with Fenerbahçe of the Turkish Basketball Super League and the EuroLeague. [33] On June 17, 2021, O'Quinn officially parted ways with the Turkish club.

Paris Basketball (2021–2022)

On September 2, 2021, O'Quinn signed with Paris Basketball of the LNB Pro A. [34]

Sichuan Blue Whales (2023)

On September 24, 2023, O'Quinn signed with the Sichuan Blue Whales of the Chinese Basketball Association. [35]

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

NBA

Regular season

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2012–13 Orlando 57511.2.513.000.6683.7.9.2.54.1
2013–14 Orlando 691917.2.501.000.6875.31.1.61.36.2
2014–15 Orlando 531716.2.492.279.7723.91.2.6.85.8
2015–16 New York 65116.2.476.227.7673.81.1.3.84.8
2016–17 New York 79815.6.521.118.7715.61.5.51.36.3
2017–18 New York 771018.0.582.235.7726.12.1.51.37.1
2018–19 Indiana 4538.2.507.083.8102.61.2.2.63.5
2019–20 Philadelphia 29210.8.494.259.5504.01.8.2.83.5
Career4726514.2.517.218.7404.61.4.41.05.4

Playoffs

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2019 Indiana 101.6.0.0.0.0.0
2020 Philadelphia 105.71.01.0.0.0.0
Career203.6.5.5.0.0.0

College

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2008–09 Norfolk State 31216.7.492.378.6223.4.4.3.85.3
2009–10 Norfolk State302928.3.549.239.5278.7.9.51.711.5
2010–11 Norfolk State323132.8.556.238.76211.11.0.63.416.4
2011–12 Norfolk State 363631.3.573.188.69610.31.4.72.715.9
Career1299827.5.553.261.6858.5.9.52.212.5

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penny Hardaway</span> American basketball player (born 1971)

Anfernee Deon "Penny" Hardaway is an American college basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach of the Memphis Tigers men's team in the American Athletic Conference (AAC). Hardaway played college basketball at Memphis and 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he was a four-time NBA All-Star and a three-time All-NBA Team member.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelvin Cato</span> American basketball player (born 1974)

Kelvin Tavares Cato is an American former professional basketball player. A 6'11" center from the University of South Alabama and Iowa State University, Cato played in the NBA as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons, and New York Knicks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Channing Frye</span> American basketball player (born 1983)

Channing Thomas Frye is an American former professional basketball player. A power forward-center, he played college basketball for the University of Arizona. He was drafted eighth overall by the New York Knicks in the 2005 NBA draft, and was the first college senior to be selected in that draft. He also played for the Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers, winning an NBA Championship with the Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerome James</span> American basketball player (born 1975)

Jerome Keith James is an American former professional basketball player. Originally from Tampa, Florida, James played college basketball at Florida A&M for three seasons and was the national leader in blocks per game in the 1997–98 season, his junior year. James declared for the 1998 NBA draft after his junior year, and the Sacramento Kings selected James in the second round of the draft. Over the course of his career, he has played for the Kings, Seattle SuperSonics and New York Knicks. He has also played for KK Budućnost Podgorica and the Harlem Globetrotters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Smith (basketball, born 1986)</span> American basketball player

Jason Victor Smith is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Colorado State University before being selected with the 20th overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft by the Miami Heat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilson Chandler</span> American basketball player (born 1987)

Wilson Jamall Chandler is an American former professional basketball player who played in the NBA for 13 seasons, mainly with the New York Knicks and the Denver Nuggets. He has also played for Zhejiang Guangsha of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) during the 2011 NBA lockout. He played college basketball for the DePaul Blue Demons for two years before declaring for the 2007 NBA draft, where he was a first-round selection of the Knicks. Chandler is listed at 6 ft 8 in. and 225 lbs. He can play both forward positions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robin Lopez</span> American basketball player (born 1988)

Robin Byron Lopez is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected with the 15th pick in the 2008 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns, was traded to the New Orleans Hornets in 2012 and was traded to Portland in 2013. He played college basketball for the Stanford Cardinal alongside his twin brother Brook Lopez. He has played for six other teams, including a four-year stint with the Chicago Bulls and two stints with the Bucks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Travis Wear</span> American basketball player (born 1990)

Travis James Wear is an American former professional basketball player. He began his pro career with the New York Knicks after going undrafted in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Henson (basketball)</span> American basketball player

John Allen Henson is an American former professional basketball player who played eight seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels, where he was a two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Henson was selected with the 14th overall pick in 2012 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks and played his first 6+12 seasons with the team before being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in December 2018. In February 2020, he was traded to the Detroit Pistons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keith Wright (basketball)</span> American basketball player (born 1989)

Keith Andre Wright is an American professional basketball player for Atomerőmű SE of the Nemzeti Bajnokság I/A. He played college basketball for Harvard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mario Hezonja</span> Croatian basketball player (born 1995)

Mario Hezonja is a Croatian professional basketball player for Real Madrid of the Spanish Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. He also represents the Croatian national team in international competition. He was selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pendarvis Williams</span>

Pendarvis Williams is an American basketball player for the Erdenet Miners of the Mongolian National League. He played college basketball for Norfolk State University, where in the 2012–13 season he was named an honorable mention All-American.MBA ERDENET MINERS

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Knox II</span> American basketball player (born 1999)

Kevin Devon Knox II is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats. Knox was selected ninth overall by the New York Knicks in the 2018 NBA draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M. J. Walker</span> American basketball player

James Michael "M. J." Walker Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Canterbury Rams of the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL). He played college basketball for Florida State Seminoles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mamadi Diakite</span> Guinean basketball player (born 1997)

Mamadi Diakite is a Guinean professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Virginia Cavaliers, with whom he won an NCAA national championship in 2019. He also won an NBA championship with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dakari Johnson</span> American basketball player (born 1995)

Dakari Naeem Johnson is an American professional basketball player for Anhui Wenyi of the NBL, the Second tier of professional basketball in China. He played college basketball for the University of Kentucky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chuma Okeke</span> American basketball player (born 1998)

Chukwuma Julian "Chuma" Okeke is an American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Okeke played college basketball for the Auburn Tigers before being drafted 16th overall in the 2019 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isaiah Roby</span> American basketball player (born 1998)

Isaiah Roby is an American professional basketball player for ratiopharm Ulm of the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL). He played college basketball for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Jamonda Roshawn Bryant Jr. is an American professional basketball player for Psychiko of the Greek A2 Basket League.

Kristeon L. Bankston is an American professional basketball player who plays forward and center for Hapoel Be'er Sheva of the Israeli Basketball Premier League. He attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and played basketball for the Little Rock Trojans. As a sophomore in 2018–19 he led the NCAA in two-point field goal percentage percentage at 82.0%. He transferred to Norfolk State University, where he played for the Norfolk State Sparts. In 2021–22 he had a .711 two-point field goal percentage, leading the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. In July 2023, he played for the Minnesota Timberwolves' NBA Summer League team. In 2023, he played with Aris Midea Thessaloniki in the Greek Basket League, and with Hapoel Be'er Sheva.

References

  1. "Kyle O'Quinn - Philadelphia 76ers Center". ESPN.
  2. News, Mike Lupica | New York Daily (March 18, 2012). "2012 NCAA Tournament: Story of Norfolk State and Kyle O'Quinn is really a New York tale". New York Daily News .{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. 1 2 "Main". MSGNetworks.com.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Kyle O'Quinn | New York Knicks | NBA.com". NBA.com .
  5. Brown, Ruth (December 20, 2017). "Knicks' Kyle O'Quinn moonlights as a 'Bar Mitzvah Man'". New York Post . Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  6. Begley, Ian (December 19, 2017). "Kyle O'Quinn is a hit on the New York bar mitzvah scene". ESPN.com . ESPN . Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  7. "Norfolk State's O'Quinn serious about Queens-to-NBA leap". June 26, 2012.
  8. "Kyle O'Quinn is closer to his dreams". The Marshall Review. June 8, 2012.
  9. Lupica, Mike (March 18, 2012). "Lupica: New York tale at the NCAA Tournament". Archived from the original on July 11, 2012.
  10. "Kyle O'Quinn - Men's Basketball". Norfolk State University Athletics.
  11. "Norfolk State's Beloved Spartan Returns: Inside Kyle O'Quinn's Graduation Weekend - National Basketball Players Association".
  12. Brown, Mitch (January 28, 2019). "Norfolk State set to retire Kyle O'Quinn's basketball jersey in February". wtvr.com. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  13. Hall, David (February 16, 2019). "As his NSU jersey is retired, Kyle O'Quinn shares the credit". The Virginian-Pilot . Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  14. "Kyle O'Quinn Stats". Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
  15. "Norfolk State hero Kyle O'Quinn wins MVP at Portsmouth Invitational". NBCSports.com. April 15, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
  16. "PROSPECT PROFILE: KYLE O'QUINNyeee". NBA.com . Archived from the original on March 19, 2017. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
  17. "Magic Sign Kyle O'Quinn". www.nba.com.
  18. "Kyle O'Quinn Earns Aleve Hustle Player of the Year Honors". www.nba.com.
  19. "Kyle O'Quinn Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more". Basketball-Reference.com.
  20. "Kyle O'Quinn's starting campaign".
  21. "Kyle O'Quinn 2014-15 Game Log". Basketball-Reference.com.
  22. "Sources: Kyle O'Quinn comes to hometown Knicks in four-year, $16M deal | Newsday".
  23. "Knicks Acquire Four Free Agents: Afflalo, R. Lopez, Williams, O'Quinn". NBA.com. July 9, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  24. "Williams scores 24, Knicks beat Bucks 122-97 in opener". NBA.com. October 28, 2015. Archived from the original on October 26, 2015. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
  25. "George scores 25 of his 27 in 2nd half, Pacers edge Knicks". NBA.com. February 24, 2016. Archived from the original on February 25, 2016. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
  26. "Anthony scores 29, Knicks defeat Timberwolves 118-114". ESPN.com. December 2, 2016. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  27. "Rose leads 6 Knicks in double figures, Knicks beat Magic". ESPN.com. December 22, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  28. "Nets beat Knicks again, get 121-110 win at MSG". ESPN.com. March 16, 2017. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
  29. "Harden leads Rockets to 117-102 win over Knicks". ESPN.com. November 25, 2017. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  30. "Pacers Sign Kyle O'Quinn". NBA.com. July 9, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  31. "Sabonis, Oladipo lift Pacers over Knicks 107-101". ESPN.com. October 31, 2018. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
  32. "Team Signs O'Quinn". NBA.com. July 11, 2019. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  33. "Kyle O'Quinn Fenerbahçe Beko'da". fenerbahce.org (in Turkish). January 20, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  34. "Kyle O'Quinn officially signs with Paris Basketball". Sportando. September 2, 2021. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  35. Skerletic, Dario (September 24, 2023). "Kyle O'Quinn signs with Sichuan Blue Whales". Sportando. Retrieved September 26, 2023.