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Lamar Stevens

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Lamar Stevens
Stevens with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2021
No. 11 – Motor City Cruise
PositionSmall forward / power forward
LeagueNBA G League
Personal information
Born (1997-07-09) July 9, 1997 (age 27)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegePenn State (2016–2020)
NBA draft2020: undrafted
Playing career2020–present
Career history
2020–2023Cleveland Cavaliers
2023–2024Boston Celtics
2024Memphis Grizzlies
2024–presentMotor City Cruise
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Lamar Brandon Stevens (born July 9, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Motor City Cruise of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Penn State Nittany Lions.

High school career

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Stevens attended The Haverford School in Haverford Township, Pennsylvania for his sophomore and junior years. At Haverford, he was named to All-State and All-District teams both years, as well as leading Haverford to two straight state championship runs. During his senior season he attended Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia where he played alongside future Penn State teammates, Tony Carr and Nazeer Bostick. During his senior year, Stevens was once again named to All-State and All-District teams, as well as All-Philadelphia. Roman Catholic dominated all season, ranking Number 1 in Pennsylvania and top 15 nationally, according to MaxPreps. Stevens scored 20 points on the way to winning the state championship game.

Recruiting

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After the season, Stevens was ranked 100th on the ESPN's Top 100 recruits of 2016 and third-ranked overall in Pennsylvania.

College recruiting information
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Lamar Stevens
SF 		Philadelphia, PA Roman Catholic (PA) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Sep 18, 2015 
Star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 80
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • 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:

  • "2016 Team Ranking". Rivals.com.
Honors and Awards
  • 3x PIAA AAAA All-State (2014, 2015, 2016)
  • 2016 PIAA Class AAAA State Champions
  • 2016 Philadelphia Player of the Year by the Daily News
  • All-Philadelphia First Team (2016)
  • 3x PIAA District 12 First Team (2014, 2015, 2016)

College career

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Stevens with Penn State in 2017

During Stevens' freshman season at Penn State, he started all 33 games for the Nittany Lions and was named Freshman of the Week multiple times with teammate Tony Carr. He was named as a First Team All-Freshman by the Big Ten and averaged over 12 points per game his first season. [1][2][3]

Stevens scored a season-high 30 points on January 5, 2018, against Northwestern.[4] As a sophomore, Stevens averaged 15.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. He helped the Nittany Lions post a 26–13 record and win the NIT. Stevens was named Most Outstanding Player of the NIT.[5]

As a junior, Stevens averaged 19.9 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. He was named All-Big Ten Conference first-team accolades by the media and second-team honors from the league's coaches. Stevens was an All-District VII second-team selection by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.[6] After the season, Stevens declared for the 2019 NBA draft but decided to return to Penn State.[7]

On December 16, 2019, Stevens was named Big Ten player of the week after scoring 18 points and collecting 11 rebounds in a victory over fourth-ranked and previously undefeated Maryland.[8] On February 1, 2020, Stevens became the third player in school history to surpass 2,000 career points, scoring 13 points in a 76–64 win against Nebraska.[9] He scored a career-high 33 points on February 8, leading the Nittany Lions to a 83–77 win over Minnesota.[10] At the close of the regular season, Stevens was named to the First Team All-Big Ten by the coaches and media.[11]

Stevens finished his college career as Penn State's second all-time leading scorer with 2,207 points, seven shy of breaking the scoring record set by Talor Battle.[12] Stevens missed out on an opportunity to set the record when the 2020 Big Ten Tournament and NCAA Tournament were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Professional career

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Cleveland Cavaliers (2020–2023)

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After going undrafted in the 2020 NBA draft, Stevens was signed by the Cleveland Cavaliers to a two-way contract on November 28, 2020.[13][14] He made his NBA debut on December 28, 2020, in a 118–94 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. He scored two points and collected two rebounds in five minutes of action.[15] On February 23, 2021, he scored eight points, including a game-winner, in a 112–111 win over the Atlanta Hawks[16] and on April 14, he signed a multi-year contract with the Cavaliers.[16] On January 12, 2022, Stevens scored a career and game high of 23 points in a 111–91 win over the Utah Jazz.[17]

On July 6, 2023, Stevens was traded to the San Antonio Spurs as part of a three-team trade with the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers,[18] and on July 17, he was waived.[19]

Boston Celtics (2023–2024)

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On September 26, 2023, Stevens signed with the Boston Celtics.[20] He appeared in 19 of 50 games with the Celtics, averaging 2.8 points and 1.6 rebounds per game.[21] Due to a rash of injuries at the center position, Stevens entered the Celtics' starting lineup for the first and only time on December 15, 2023, logging 8 points and 3 rebounds in a 128–111 victory over the Orlando Magic.[22]

Memphis Grizzlies (2024)

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On February 7, 2024, the Celtics traded Stevens and two second-round picks to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Xavier Tillman.[23]

Motor City Cruise (2024–present)

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On September 30, 2024, Stevens signed with the Detroit Pistons,[24] but was waived on October 17.[25] On October 29, he joined the Motor City Cruise.[26]

Career statistics

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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

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Regular season

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2020–21 Cleveland 40 0 12.5 .456 .160 .725 2.4 .6 .4 .3 4.1
2021–22 Cleveland 63 13 16.1 .489 .277 .707 2.6 .7 .5 .3 6.1
2022–23 Cleveland 62 25 18.1 .448 .316 .702 3.3 .5 .4 .3 5.3
2023–24 Boston 19 1 6.4 .467 .375 .727 1.6 .4 .3 .3 2.8
Memphis 19 2 23.0 .446 .289 .791 5.1 1.1 .9 .9 11.5
Career 203 41 15.7 .463 .286 .726 2.9 .6 .5 .4 5.7

Play-in

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2022 Cleveland 1 0 6.5 .667 – 1.000 .0 .0 .0 .0 7.0
Career 1 0 6.5 .667 – 1.000 .0 .0 .0 .0 7.0

Playoffs

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2023 Cleveland 2 0 4.4 .500 1.000 1.000 1.5 .0 .0 .0 2.5
Career 2 0 4.4 .500 1.000 1.000 1.5 .0 .0 .0 2.5

College

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2016–17 Penn State 33 33 27.8 .429 .344 .767 5.5 1.7 .8 .6 12.7
2017–18 Penn State 39 39 33.1 .465 .319 .696 5.9 1.9 .6 1.1 15.5
2018–19 Penn State 32 32 36.9 .422 .220 .770 7.7 2.1 .7 .8 19.9
2019–20 Penn State 31 31 31.1 .423 .263 .719 6.9 2.2 1.1 1.2 17.6
Career 135 135 32.2 .435 .276 .738 6.5 1.9 .8 .9 16.3

Personal life

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Stevens is the author of the children's book "Lamar's Climb -- A Journey to Happy Valley." The book, which teaches geography based on his experience and involves people with special needs in the creative process, was distributed at Penn State games.[27]

References

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  1. ^ "Penn State beats Nebraska, 76–67, in the Big Ten tournament: recap, final stats, photos". PennLive.com. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  2. ^ "Michigan State thrashes Penn State to open Big Ten Tournament". MLive.com. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  3. ^ "'Grown up' Michigan State destroys Penn State in Big Ten tournament". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  4. ^ Gery, Ryne (January 6, 2018). "Penn State's Lamar Stevens makes statement as one of Big Ten's best hybrid forwards". Centre Daily Times. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  5. ^ Hunt, Donald (October 19, 2018). "Lamar Stevens named to Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award". The Philadelphia Tribune. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  6. ^ "Men's basketball's Lamar Stevens named to 2019-20 preseason All-Big Ten Team". Penn State University. October 2, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  7. ^ McGonigal, John (May 29, 2019). "Penn State basketball star Lamar Stevens withdraws name from NBA draft, returns to Nittany Lions". Centre Daily Times. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  8. ^ "Illinois, Indiana and Penn State Claim Weekly Men's Basketball Honors". Bigten.org. CBS Interactive. December 16, 2019. Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  9. ^ Donohue, Tyler (February 1, 2020). "Stevens, Watkins reach milestones in 4th straight Lions win". 247Sports.com. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  10. ^ "Stevens' leads No. 22 Penn State over Minnesota". ESPN. Associated Press. February 8, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  11. ^ "Big Ten Unveils Men's Basketball Postseason Honors on BTN" (Press release). Big Ten Conference. March 9, 2020. Archived from the original on March 9, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  12. ^ "Penn State Men's Basketball Leaders & Records - Career". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  13. ^ clemgold (November 28, 2020). "Cavaliers Sign Lamar Stevens to Two-Way Contract". NBA.com. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  14. ^ Brennan, Mark (November 18, 2020). "PSU's Stevens not taken in 2020 NBA Draft, signs free-agent deal". 247sports.com. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  15. ^ Donohue, Tyler (December 28, 2020). "Former Penn State star Lamar Stevens scores in NBA debut". 247sports.com. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  16. ^ a b clejsykes (April 14, 2021). "Cavaliers Sign Lamar Stevens to Multi-Year Contract". NBA.com. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  17. ^ "Cavaliers 111-91 Jazz (Jan 12, 2022) Final Score". ESPN.
  18. ^ sasmpolk (July 6, 2023). "SAN ANTONIO COMPLETES THREE-TEAM TRADE WITH CLEVELAND AND MIAMI". NBA.com. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  19. ^ saspshirley (July 17, 2023). "SPURS WAIVE LAMAR STEVENS". NBA.com. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  20. ^ "Boston Celtics Sign Stevens". NBA.com. September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  21. ^ "Lamar Stevens Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  22. ^ Weiss, Jared. "Without their centers, Celtics' bench speeds past Magic for 'biggest game of the year'". The Athletic. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  23. ^ "Memphis Grizzlies complete trade with Boston Celtics". NBA.com. February 7, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  24. ^ Pistons PR [@Pistons_PR] (September 30, 2024). "The @DetroitPistons announced today the team's 2024-25 training camp roster including the signing of Javante McCoy, Dereon Seabron, Tolu Smith and Lamar Stevens to Exhibit 10 contracts. Detroit's training camp roster stands at 20" (Tweet). Retrieved September 30, 2024 – via Twitter.
  25. ^ Pistons PR [@Pistons_PR] (October 17, 2024). "The Detroit Pistons announced today that the team has waived Aaron Estrada, Javante McCoy, Dereon Seabron, Tolu Smith, and Lamar Stevens. Detroit's roster now stands at 15, including one two-way contract" (Tweet). Retrieved October 17, 2024 – via Twitter.
  26. ^ Motor City Cruise [@MotorCityCruise] (October 29, 2024). "Training camp roster ready to get to it 👏 #MotorCityBasketball" (Tweet). Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Twitter.
  27. ^ Lingerman, Matt (February 7, 2020). "'A man for others': Lamar Stevens' children's book epitomizes his career with Penn State men's basketball". The Daily Collegian. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
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