No. 32–Maccabi Tel Aviv | |
---|---|
Position | Center / Power forward |
League | Israeli Basketball Premiere League |
Personal information | |
Born | Khartoum, Sudan | March 26, 1997
Nationality | South Sudanese / American |
Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
Listed weight | 205 lb (93 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | |
College | Kentucky (2016–2018) |
NBA draft | 2018: undrafted |
Playing career | 2018–present |
Career history | |
2018–2020 | Sacramento Kings |
2018–2019 | →Stockton Kings |
2020 | Portland Trail Blazers |
2020–2021 | New Orleans Pelicans |
2021–2022 | Wisconsin Herd |
2021 | Brooklyn Nets |
2021–2022 | Los Angeles Clippers |
2022–2023 | Los Angeles Lakers |
2023–2024 | Wisconsin Herd |
2024 | Memphis Grizzlies |
2024 | Vaqueros de Bayamón |
2024–present | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com | |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Wenyen Gabriel (born March 26, 1997) is a South Sudanese-American professional basketball player for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats, after being a 5-star prospect in 2016, ranked as high as #14 on ESPN's Top 100. Gabriel has also played in the NBA for the Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans, Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Gabriel attended Wilbraham & Monson Academy in Wilbraham, Massachusetts beginning in 2014. [1] Prior to that, he played at Trinity High School in Manchester, New Hampshire for three years. [2] As a senior in 2015-16, he averaged 22.0 points per game, 14.0 rebounds per game, 7.0 blocks per game and 6.3 assists per game. In October 2015, he announced his decision to enroll at the University of Kentucky. Maryland, Duke, UConn and Providence were other schools on his shortlist. [3] He played 19:17 minutes in the 2016 Nike Hoop Summit, scoring two points, grabbing four rebounds and dishing out two assists. [4] He also played in the 2016 Jordan Brand Classic. Gabriel was rated as a five-star recruit and ranked #14 in the Class of 2016 by ESPN.
He made his debut for the Kentucky Wildcats in an exhibition game on October 31, 2016 against Clarion University, tallying nine points, two rebounds and one assist in 17 minutes coming off the bench. [5] As a freshman, he played in 38 games, including 23 starts, averaging 4.6 points and 4.8 rebounds in 17.8 minutes. [6] During his sophomore year, Gabriel became more of a key figure for Kentucky's success that season, tallying 6.8 points and 5.4 rebounds in 37 games. He led Kentucky with 40 blocked shots. [7]
Gabriel declared for the 2018 NBA draft, [8] but went undrafted. [9] He joined the Sacramento Kings for the 2018 NBA Summer League. [10] On July 31, 2018, he signed a two-way contract with the Kings. [11] However, he did not appear in a game during that season.
Just prior to the start of the 2019–20 season, the Kings converted Gabriel’s contract to a standard deal. [12] He had a double-double of 16 points and 16 rebounds for the Stockton Kings on December 20, 2019, in a win over the Delaware Blue Coats. [13] On January 11, 2020, Gabriel had 37 points, 11 rebounds and three assists for Stockton in its 163–143 win over the Iowa Wolves. [14]
On January 20, 2020, Gabriel was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers along with Trevor Ariza and Caleb Swanigan in exchange for Kent Bazemore, Anthony Tolliver and two future second round picks. [15] He made his debut for the Trail Blazers on January 31, going 0-for-3 from the field with one rebound, one assist and a block in 13 minutes as the Blazers defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 127–119. [16]
On November 30, 2020, Gabriel signed with the New Orleans Pelicans. [17] In 21 games with the team he averaged 11.5 minutes, 3.5 points, 2.69 rebounds, and 0.4 blocks per game. He was waived just prior to the start of the 2021–22 season. [18]
In October 2021, Gabriel joined the Wisconsin Herd as an affiliate player. [19] In 12 games he averaged 13.8 points on 47.5 percent shooting from the field and 38.7 percent shooting from 3-point range, 8.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.0 blocks in 25.8 minutes per contest. [20]
On December 21, 2021, Gabriel signed a 10-day contract with the Brooklyn Nets. [20] He played one game for the team.
On December 31, 2021, Gabriel signed a 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Clippers. [21] He signed a third 10-day contract with the Clippers on January 11, 2022. [22]
Following the expiration of his second 10-day contract, Gabriel was re-acquired by the Wisconsin Herd on January 21. [23]
On January 29, 2022, Gabriel signed a 10-day contract with the New Orleans Pelicans. [24] He did not play in a game for the Pelicans before his deal expired. On February 8, he was reacquired by the Herd. [25]
On March 1, 2022, Gabriel signed a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. [26] On April 8, 2022, the Los Angeles Lakers converted Gabriel's two-way contract into a two-year standard contract. [27] With the Lakers, in 68 games in which he played 15.1 minutes per game, he averaged 5.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks per game, with a .596 field goal percentage.
On October 3, 2023, Gabriel signed with the Boston Celtics, [28] but was waived on October 20. [29]
On October 30, 2023, Gabriel joined the Wisconsin Herd [30] and on March 8, 2024, he signed a 10-day contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. [31] With Memphis, in five games he averaged 16.2 minutes, 3.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 0.4 blocks per game. On March 18, he returned to Wisconsin. [32]
On March 11, 2024, Gabriel signed with Vaqueros de Bayamón. [33] In 23 games he averaged 13.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks (7th in the league) per game, with a .576 field goal percentage. [34]
On July 10, 2024, Gabriel signed a two-year deal with Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League and the Euroleague.
Gabriel joined the South Sudan national team in August 2023, as he was selected in the roster for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, where South Sudan made their international debut. [35] Gabriel and the South Sudanese team made history for the nation by placing first out of all African nations at the tournament. The team was granted automatic qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics men’s basketball tournament, [36] a first for the team and Gabriel.
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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019–20 | Sacramento | 11 | 0 | 5.6 | .353 | .125 | .600 | .9 | .3 | .3 | .2 | 1.7 |
Portland | 19 | 1 | 9.1 | .484 | .417 | .750 | 2.2 | .3 | .4 | .3 | 2.7 | |
2020–21 | New Orleans | 21 | 0 | 11.5 | .400 | .406 | .647 | 2.6 | .5 | .4 | .4 | 3.4 |
2021–22 | Brooklyn | 1 | 0 | 1.3 | — | — | — | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
L.A. Clippers | 6 | 0 | 7.7 | .385 | .400 | .500 | 2.3 | .3 | .2 | .3 | 2.3 | |
L.A. Lakers | 19 | 5 | 16.4 | .505 | .261 | .605 | 4.3 | .6 | .2 | .5 | 6.7 | |
2022–23 | L.A. Lakers | 68 | 2 | 15.1 | .596 | .278 | .619 | 4.2 | .5 | .4 | .5 | 5.5 |
2023–24 | Memphis | 5 | 0 | 16.2 | .364 | .167 | .000 | 5.0 | .6 | .4 | .4 | 3.4 |
Career | 150 | 8 | 12.9 | .524 | .311 | .606 | 3.4 | .5 | .4 | .4 | 4.4 |
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | Portland | 1 | 0 | 9.1 | .333 | 1.000 | – | 1.0 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | 3.0 |
2023 | L.A. Lakers | 1 | 0 | 1.8 | – | – | – | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
Career | 2 | 0 | 5.5 | .333 | 1.000 | – | .5 | .5 | .0 | .0 | 1.5 |
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | Portland | 4 | 2 | 13.3 | .600 | .400 | .500 | 2.5 | 1.0 | .5 | .5 | 5.3 |
2023 | L.A. Lakers | 10 | 0 | 3.7 | .400 | — | .667 | .9 | .0 | .2 | .3 | 1.0 |
Career | 14 | 2 | 6.5 | .520 | .400 | .600 | 1.4 | .3 | .3 | .4 | 2.2 |
Gabriel was born in Khartoum, Sudan, on March 26, 1997. [37] Because his sister – born a year earlier – had died in infancy, Gabriel was given the name "Wenyen", which means "wipe your tears" in his native Dinka language. [37] Two weeks after he was born, Gabriel's mother, Rebecca Gak, moved with him and his three siblings to Cairo, Egypt to escape the violence of the Second Sudanese Civil War. [37] While Gabriel's mother worked to earn enough money to move his father, Makuac, to Cairo, his seven-year-old brother, Komot, became Gabriel's primary care giver. [37] [38] Two years after moving to Egypt, the United Nations granted an appeal to move the refugee family to Manchester, New Hampshire, an American city with a large South Sudanese population. [37]
Gabriel became a US citizen in 2017 when his parents became citizens. [39] He received his paperwork and passport in 2015, [39] [40] and represented the USA Basketball Junior National Select Team at the 2016 Nike Hoop Summit. In 2016, he said he still considers South Sudan his home. [39]
Zachary McKenley Randolph is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Z-Bo", the 2-time NBA All-Star played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans before being drafted in the 2001 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers. He played for five teams over the course of his professional career, making the All-NBA Third Team in 2011 with the Memphis Grizzlies. He also played with the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings before retiring in December 2019. Randolph later planned to come out of retirement in 2020 to join the Big3.
Trevor Anthony Ariza is an American former professional basketball player who spent 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A small forward, Ariza played college basketball for one season with the UCLA Bruins before being selected in the second round of the 2004 NBA draft by the New York Knicks. Ariza won an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009. He also played for the Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, New Orleans Hornets, Washington Wizards, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers, and Miami Heat.
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.
Anthony Lamar Tolliver is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Creighton Bluejays. Tolliver spent 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, Phoenix Suns, Detroit Pistons, Sacramento Kings, Memphis Grizzlies and Philadelphia 76ers. He also played in the NBA Development League and overseas in Germany and Turkey.
Al-Farouq Ajiede Aminu is a Nigerian-American former professional basketball player who played for 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Internationally he represented the Nigeria national basketball team. Aminu was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2010 NBA draft with the eighth overall pick, and has also played for the New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers, Orlando Magic, and Chicago Bulls.
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.
Derrick Bernard Favors is an American professional basketball player for the Windy City Bulls of the NBA G League. Favors played college basketball for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets for one season before being selected by the New Jersey Nets with the third overall pick of the 2010 NBA draft.
DeMarcus Amir Cousins is an American professional basketball player for the Zamboanga Valientes of The Asian Tournament (TAT). Nicknamed "Boogie", he played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats, where he was an All-American in 2010. He left Kentucky after one season, and was selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings. In his first season with the Kings, Cousins was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, and from 2015 to 2018, he was named an NBA All-Star four times. He is also a two-time gold medal winner as a member of the United States national team, winning his first in 2014 at the FIBA Basketball World Cup and his second in 2016 at the Rio Olympics.
Eric Bledsoe is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He plays the point guard position. After a season of college basketball with the Kentucky Wildcats, he was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the 18th overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft and subsequently traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. Bledsoe had a four-year tenure with the Phoenix Suns between 2013 and 2017, before being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Austin James Rivers is an American former professional basketball player who last played for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Rivers led Winter Park High School to back-to-back Florida 6A state championships in 2010 and 2011. He also played in the 2011 Nike Hoop Summit for the Team USA, and was a McDonald's All-American.
DeAndre Desmond Liggins is an American professional basketball player for Al-Ahli of the Saudi Premier League. He played college basketball for Kentucky.
Archie Lee Goodwin III is an American professional basketball player for the El Calor de Cancún of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional. He played college basketball for Kentucky.
Larry Donnell Nance Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Wyoming Cowboys, where he was considered one of the best big men in the Mountain West Conference after leading the 2014–15 team to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002. Nance was drafted 27th overall in the 2015 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. He became part of the team's roster rebuild focusing around younger players. During the 2017–18 season, Nance was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, with whom he reached the 2018 NBA Finals. During the 2021 offseason, he was dealt to the Portland Trail Blazers, who traded him to the New Orleans Pelicans midway through the 2021–22 season.
Cheick Diallo is a Malian professional basketball player for the Osos de Manatí of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). Diallo was a five-star recruit and the MVP of the 2015 McDonald's All-American Boys Game. He played one season of college basketball for Kansas before declaring for the 2016 NBA draft, where he was selected with the 33rd overall pick by the Los Angeles Clippers.
Carlik Anthony Jones is an American-South Sudanese professional basketball player for Partizan Mozzart Bet of the ABA League, Basketball League of Serbia (KLS) and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for the Radford Highlanders and the Louisville Cardinals.
Ibou Dianko Badji is a Senegalese professional basketball player who last played for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Rip City Remix of the NBA G League.
Gregory James Brown III is an American professional basketball player, who last played for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Texas Legends of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Texas Longhorns.
Christopher Keon Johnson is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Tennessee Volunteers.
Moussa Diabaté is a French professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Greensboro Swarm of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines. Diabaté was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top centers in the 2021 class.
John Erik Butler Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Capital City Go-Go of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Florida State Seminoles.