Kai Jones

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Kai Jones
File:Kai Jones Bahamas 2022.jpg
Jones with The Bahamas 2022
No. 88 – Anadolu Efes
PositionCenter / power forward
LeagueBSL
EuroLeague
Personal information
Born (2001-01-19) January 19, 2001 (age 25)
Nassau, The Bahamas
Listed height6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight221 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeTexas (2019–2021)
NBA draft2021: 1st round, 19th overall pick
Drafted byNew York Knicks
Playing career2021–present
Career history
2021–2023Charlotte Hornets
2021–2023→Greensboro Swarm
2024Delaware Blue Coats
2024–2025Los Angeles Clippers
2024–2025→San Diego Clippers
2025Dallas Mavericks
2025–presentAnadolu Efes
Career highlights
  • Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year (2021)
Stats at NBA.comLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Stats at Basketball ReferenceLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Stats at Basketball ReferenceLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame

Kai Martinez Jones (born January 19, 2001) is a Bahamian professional basketball player for Anadolu Efes of the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL) and the EuroLeague. He previously played in the NBA for the Charlotte Hornets and Dallas Mavericks. He played college basketball for the Texas Longhorns.

Early life

[edit | edit source]

Born in Nassau, Bahamas, Jones moved to the United States when he was 11 years old. After his sophomore year in high school, he returned to his home country hoping to pursue a career as a long jumper. At age 15, Jones played organized basketball for his first time, being drawn to the sport after having a growth spurt.[1]

High school career

[edit | edit source]

In the summer of 2017, Jones took part in a Basketball Without Borders Americas camp held by the National Basketball Association (NBA) in Nassau.[2][3] That year, he worked out with and took advice from top high school recruit Deandre Ayton in their hometown of Nassau. As a result, Jones was inspired to play basketball in the United States.[4] For the 2017–18 season, he enrolled at Orlando Christian Prep in Orlando, Florida, as a high school senior. He was teammates with five-star recruits Nassir Little and C. J. Walker and helped win the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class 3A state championship.[5][6] In high school, Jones woke up at 4:45 a.m. every day to train and played basketball after school.[7] At the same time, he saw academic success, graduating with a 4.2 grade point average and summa cum laude honors.[1]

In the summer of 2018, Jones attended the NBA Global Camp in Treviso, Italy.[3] Following his senior year, he played a postgraduate season at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.[8] On February 4, 2019, Jones was named to the National Prep Invitational all-tournament team.[9] In March, he helped Brewster Academy win the USA National Prep Championship.[10]

Recruiting

[edit | edit source]

On October 15, 2018, Jones committed to play college basketball for Texas. He chose to join the Longhorns over offers from several other NCAA Division I programs, including Arizona, Kansas, and Oregon.[11]

College recruiting information
Name Hometown School Height Weight Commit date
Kai Jones
C 		Nassau, Bahamas Brewster Academy (NH) 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Oct 15, 2018 
Recruit ratings: Rivals: 4/5 stars   247Sports: 4/5 stars   ESPN: 4/5 stars   (88)
Overall recruit ranking:    Rivals: 59    247Sports: 49    ESPN: 53
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, 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:

  • Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  • Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  • Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).

College career

[edit | edit source]

Coach Shaka Smart said that Jones had the best work ethic of any big man he coached. Despite this, Jones struggled to get playing time early in his freshman season. He gradually saw more playing time as the season progressed, finishing with eight points on 4–5 shooting from the field in just 10 minutes of the Longhorns' 73–71 win over McNeese State on November 30.[12] As a freshman, Jones averaged 3.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.[13] On January 26, 2021, he registered his first double-double, with 15 points and 10 rebounds in an 80–79 loss to Oklahoma.[14] Jones was named Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year and to the All-Big 12 honorable mention.[15] As a sophomore, he averaged 8.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. On March 24, 2021, Jones declared for the 2021 NBA draft.[16]

Professional career

[edit | edit source]

Charlotte Hornets (2021–2023)

[edit | edit source]

Jones was selected with the 19th pick in the 2021 NBA draft by the New York Knicks and immediately traded to the Charlotte Hornets.[17] On August 3, he officially signed with the Hornets.[18]

On September 30, 2023, the Hornets announced that Jones would not participate in training camp and offered no timetable for his return to the team.[19] The decision came after Jones displayed bizarre behavior on social media which included criticism of his teammates, incoherent speech, and declarations of being the greatest basketball player of all time.[20]

On October 9, 2023, Jones publicly requested a trade on X[21] and two days later, he was waived by the Hornets.[22] No team claimed his waiver, making him a free agent. He averaged 2.7 points in 9.1 minutes per game during his two seasons with the Hornets.[22]

Delaware Blue Coats (2024)

[edit | edit source]

On March 15, 2024, Jones signed a 10-day contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.[23] However, he only played for the Delaware Blue Coats, Philadelphia's G League affiliate.[24]

Los Angeles Clippers (2024–2025)

[edit | edit source]

On April 14, 2024, Jones signed for the rest of the season with the Los Angeles Clippers.[25] On July 9, he re-signed with the Clippers[26] and on October 19, his deal converted into a two-way contract.[27] On March 1, 2025, the Clippers waived Jones.[28]

Dallas Mavericks (2025)

[edit | edit source]

On March 2, 2025, Jones signed a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks,[29][30] and on March 3, he made his debut in Dallas, coming off the bench in a 122–98 loss over the Sacramento Kings; he had 21 points, eight rebounds, and one block in the defeat.[31] Jones made 12 appearances (six starts) for the Mavericks during the 2024–25 NBA season, averaging 11.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists.

Anadolu Efes (2025–present)

[edit | edit source]

On September 15, 2025, Jones signed with Anadolu Efes of the Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL).[32]

National team career

[edit | edit source]

Jones was a member of the Bahamian junior national team at the 2019 Centrobasket Under-17 Championship in the Dominican Republic. His team finished seventh place out of eight teams.[33]

Career statistics

[edit | edit source]
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

NBA

[edit | edit source]

Regular season

[edit | edit source]
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2021–22 Charlotte 21 0 3.0 .643 .500 .375 .5 .2 .0 .1 1.0
2022–23 Charlotte 46 0 12.0 .558 .211 .731 2.7 .3 .4 .7 3.4
2024–25 L.A. Clippers 28 0 7.4 .722 .000 .750 1.6 .4 .2 .5 2.2
2024–25 Dallas 12 6 21.7 .836 .333 .700 6.6 1.3 .8 .8 11.4
Career 107 6 10.1 .671 .231 .682 2.4 .4 .3 .5 3.5

College

[edit | edit source]
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2019–20 Texas 27 10 16.7 .500 .292 .636 3.2 .4 .5 1.1 3.6
2020–21 Texas 26 4 22.8 .580 .382 .689 4.8 .6 .8 .9 8.8
Career 53 14 19.7 .553 .345 .677 4.0 .5 .7 1.0 6.2

References

[edit | edit source]
  1. ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  2. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  4. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  5. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  6. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  7. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  8. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  9. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  10. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).[permanent dead link]
  11. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  12. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  13. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  14. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  15. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  16. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  17. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  18. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  19. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  20. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  21. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  22. ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  23. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  24. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  25. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  26. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  27. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  28. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  29. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  30. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  31. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  32. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  33. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
[edit | edit source]
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lua error in Module:Commons_link at line 62: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value)..
  • Career statistics from NBA.comLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). · Basketball ReferenceLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
  • Career statistics from WNBA.comLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). · Basketball ReferenceLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
  • Texas Longhorns bio
Retrieved from "http://70.231.62.181/index.php?title=Kai_Jones&oldid=22855449"