Alexander Stepheson (pronounced ''Steevis-son''; born August 7, 1987) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player. He played college basketball for

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

and

USC USC most often refers to: * University of South Carolina, a public research university ** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses **South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program * University of ...

High school career

Stepheson played high school basketball at

Harvard-Westlake School Harvard-Westlake School is an independent, co-educational university preparatory day school consisting of two campuses located in Los Angeles, California, with approximately 1,600 students enrolled in grades seven through twelve. Its two predec ...

North Hollywood North Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The North ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, where he grabbed 20 or more

rebounds 'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...

in 16 games as a senior.

Awards and highlights

*Averaged 17.0 points, 14.4 rebounds, and 3.9 blocks as a junior. *Led

to a 26–4 mark and

Southern Sectional title in 2005. *Averaged 20.4 points and 17.8 rebounds as a senior. *Had a five-game streak with 32, 31, 23, 28, and 21 rebounds. *Set a single-game school mark with 32 rebounds. *Broke the school record for career rebounds in just three seasons (the previous record was held by former

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

and

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

player

Jason Collins Jason Paul Collins (born December 2, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player who was a center for 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Stanford Cardinal, where he was ...

). *2006 Fourth-team ''Parade'' All-American *Named the Co-

MVP In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

of the East All-Stars at the 2006

Roundball Classic The Roundball Classic, originally known as The Dapper Dan Roundball Classic (also known as ''Magic Johnson's Roundball'', ''Sonny Vaccaro's Roundball Classic'', ''EA Sports Roundball Classic'', '' Asics Roundball Classic'') is well known in the spor ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, after he had 15 points and 9 rebounds.

College career

Stepheson originally played

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

for the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sy ...

with the

Tar Heels Tar Heel is a nickname applied to the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is also the nickname of the University of North Carolina athletic teams, students, alumni, and fans. The origins of the Tar Heel nickname trace back to North Carolina's promi ...

. At the end of 2007–08 season, Stepheson decided to transfer to the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...

, citing family illness. He chose to play for the

USC Trojans The USC Trojans are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Southern California (USC), located in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. While the men's teams are nicknamed the ' ...

on July 17, 2008. In 2009, he was named

Pac-10 The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its College football, football teams compete in the NCAA D ...

Player of the Week, for the week of Dec. 14–20. Stepheson played in the Reese's College All-Star Game, where he had 6 points and 7 rebounds. He also played in the Portsmith Invitational Tournament, where he averaged 8 point and 10 rebounds over three games.

Professional career

Panionios (2011–2013)

After going undrafted in the

2011 NBA draft The 2011 NBA draft was held on June 23, 2011, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (23:00 UTC), and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. Kia Motors was the presenting sponsor ...

, Stepheson began his professional career in Greece, with the Greek League club

Panionios Panionios G.S.S. Football Club (Greek: ΠΑΕ Πανιώνιος Γ.Σ.Σ.), the ''Pan- Ionian Gymnastics Club of Smyrna'' (Πανιώνιος Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Σμύρνης, ''Panionios Gymnastikos Syllogos Smyrnis'') ...

. During the 2011–12 season, he averaged 10.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in 21 games in the Greek League. Stepheson subsequently missed the entire 2012–13 season due to an injury he suffered with Panionios.

Union Olimpija (2013–2014)

In July 2013, Stepheson signed a one-year deal to play in Slovenia with

Union Olimpija Košarkarski klub Olimpija ( en, Olimpija Basketball Club) was a men's professional basketball club based in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Olimpija has won 23 National League championships, including eight consecutive titles between 1992 and 1999. They ...

. In 20 Premier A Slovenian League games for Olimpija, Stepheson averaged 6.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. He also averaged 8.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in the

Adriatic League The ABA League, renamed to the ABA League First Division in 2017, is the 1st-tier regional men's professional basketball league that originally featured clubs from the former Yugoslavia (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Mac ...

İstanbul BB (2014–2015)

In July 2014, Stepheson joined the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

for the 2014 NBA Summer League. He later signed in Turkey with the

Turkish League Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

club İstanbul BB for the 2014–15 season. In 29 games in the Turkish League, he averaged 12.3 points and 9.2 rebounds per game.

NBA and D-League (2015–2016)

In July 2015, Stepheson joined the

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...

for the

2015 NBA Summer League The 2015 NBA Summer League consisted of three pro basketball leagues organized by the NBA: the Orlando Pro Summer League, Utah Jazz Summer League, and Las Vegas Summer League. Ten teams participated in the week-long Orlando Pro Summer League a ...

. On October 7, 2015, he signed with the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...

. However, he was waived on October 24 after appearing in three preseason games. On October 31, he was acquired by the

Iowa Energy Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...

of the

NBA Development League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official List of developmental and minor sports leagues, minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development ...

as an affiliate player of the Grizzlies. On November 14, he made his debut with Iowa in a 98–95 win over the

Sioux Falls Skyforce The Sioux Falls Skyforce are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and are affiliated with the Miami Heat. The team plays their home games in the Sanford Pentagon, a place they have call ...

, recording 13 points, 17 rebounds, two assists and one steal in 37 minutes. On January 29, 2016, he was named in the East All-Star team for the 2016

NBA D-League All-Star Game The NBA D-League All-Star Game was an annual exhibition basketball game held by the NBA Development League (D-League). The D-League was founded in 2001 as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) and later as the NBA Development League. ...

after averaging 15.7 points, 13.3 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 34.3 minutes in 26 games. On February 20, 2016, Stepheson signed a 10-day contract with the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...

. He made his NBA debut later that night in a 115–112 loss to the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...

, recording one rebound in two minutes. Two days later, Stepheson scored his first basket on a tip-in against the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...

and also his first block after rejecting

Jon Leuer Jon Leuer (born May 14, 1989) is an American former professional basketball player. He was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 40th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft. During his National Basketball Association (NBA) career, he also played fo ...

. On March 2, he signed a second 10-day contract with the Clippers. Following the expiration of his second 10-day contract, the Clippers parted ways with Stepheson. On March 12, 2016, Stepheson signed a 10-day contract with the

to help the team deal with numerous injuries. Memphis had to use an NBA hardship exemption in order to sign him as he made their roster stand at 17, two over the allowed limited of 15. In just his second game for the Grizzlies on March 14, Stepheson recorded 12 points and 15 rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench against the

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...

, playing extended minutes due to the team's injury depleted roster. On March 22, following the conclusion of his 10-day contract, the Grizzlies parted ways with Stepheson. The following day, he returned to Iowa. At the season's end, he was named to the All-NBA D-League First Team.

China and Philippines (2016–2017)

In July 2016, Stepheson joined the Grizzlies for the

2016 NBA Summer League The 2016 NBA Summer League consisted of three pro basketball leagues organized by the National Basketball Association (NBA): the Orlando Pro Summer League, Utah Jazz Summer League, and Las Vegas Summer League. Ten teams participated in the week ...

. On November 15, 2016, Stepheson signed with

Guangzhou Long-Lions The Guangzhou Loong Lions () are a Chinese professional basketball team based in Guangzhou, Guangdong. They play in the Southern Division of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). History The team was founded in November 2000 as Shaanxi Gait ...

of the

Chinese Basketball Association The Chinese Basketball Association (), often abbreviated as the CBA, is the first-tier professional men's basketball league in China. The league is commonly known by fans as the CBA, and this acronym is even used in Chinese on a regular basis ...

. That day he made his debut for Guangzhou in a 99–89 loss to the

Xinjiang Flying Tigers The Xinjiang Guanghui Flying Tigers () is a professional basketball team based in Ürümqi, Xinjiang, China. The team play its home games at the Hongshan Arena, which has a capacity for 3,800 spectators. The club joined the Chinese Basketball ...

, recording 10 points, 14 rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block in 21 minutes off the bench. In February 2017, he was signed by the

Meralco Bolts The Meralco Bolts is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team began in 2010 after the Manila Electric Company (MERALCO) acquired the PBA franchise of the Sta. Lucia Realtors. The team is one of three ...

as their import for the 2017 PBA Commissioner's Cup.

Yokohama B-Corsairs (2018–2019)

On December 7, 2018, Stepheson signed with

Yokohama B-Corsairs The are a Japanese professional basketball team. Following the team's establishment in 2010, they participated in the Eastern Conference of the bj league for five seasons and in 2013 became the first team based in the Kanto region of Japan to wi ...

of the Japanese basketball league B.League. Stepheson averaged 15.2 ppg and led the Japanese basketball league B.League in rebounding with 13.6 rpg.

Blackwater Elite (2019)

Stepheson signed with the

Blackwater Elite The Blackwater Bossing is a professional basketball team owned by Ever Bilena, Inc. that is playing in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) beginning in the 2014–2015 season. The franchise began as one of the founding teams in the PB ...

of the PBA. Stepheson averaged 22 ppg and 22 rpg for

NBA Career statistics

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 4 , , 0 , , 3.0 , , 1.000 , , – , , .000 , , .5 , , .0 , , .0 , , .5 , , .5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

, 4 , , 0 , , 15.3 , , .308 , , – , , .400 , , 6.5 , , .5 , , .3 , , .8 , , 5.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 8 , , 0 , , 9.0 , , .333 , , .000 , , .333 , , 3.5 , , .3 , , .1 , , .6 , , 2.8

International Career Statistics

, - , align=center , 2011–12 , align=left ,

Panionios B.C. Panionios B.C. ( Greek: Πανιώνιος KAE), known in European competitions as Panionios Athens is the Greek professional basketball club that is based in Nea Smyrni, Athens, and that plays its home games in Palaio Faliro, Athens, Greece. ...

, EuroCup , 21 , , 23.4 , , .623 , , 1.000 , , .535 , , 7.3 , , .8 , , .4 , , .9 , , 10.3 , - , align=center , 2013-14 , align=left ,

Liga Aba The ABA League, renamed to the ABA League First Division in 2017, is the 1st-tier regional men's professional basketball league that originally featured clubs from the former Yugoslavia (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Mace ...

, 26 , , 17.4 , , .560 , , .000 , , .384 , , 5.7 , , .2 , , .5 , , 1.0 , , 8.3 , - , align=center, 2013-14 , align=left ,

, SKL , 20 , , 16.4 , , .485 , , .000 , , .562 , , 5.2 , , .3 , , .2 , , .6 , , 6.6 , - , align=center, 2013-14 , align=left ,

, EuroCup , 16 , , 17.3 , , .637 , , .000 , , .358 , , 6.3 , , .3 , , .3 , , .9 , , 8.4 , - , align=center, 2014-15 , align=left,

Istanbul BB ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_i ...

TBL Part of the troff suite of Unix document layout tools, tbl is a preprocessor that formats tables in preparation for processing with troff/nroff. Overview Mike Lesk is the original author of tbl. Like the main troff program, it uses command l ...

, 29 , , 26.8 , , .563 , , .000 , , .437 , , 9.2 , , .9 , , .3 , , .9 , , 12.3 , -class=sortbottom , align="center" colspan=2 , Career , , , , 112 , , 20.8 , , .571 , , .200 , , .462 , , 6.9 , , .5 , , .3 , , .9 , , 9.4

The Basketball Tournament

Alex Stepheson played for Sons of Westwood in the

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

edition of

The Basketball Tournament The Basketball Tournament (TBT) is an open-application, single-elimination tournament played each summer in the United States. The 2022 edition features 64 teams with a $1 million winner-take-all prize, broadcast by ESPN. TBT was founded in 201 ...

. Sons of Westwood made it to the Super 16 before falling to Team Challenge ALS.

Acting career

Stepheson made his acting debut in the critically acclaimed TV Series
The Perfect Plan
in 2018.

References

External links

*
Alex Stepheson
at eurocupbasketball.com

at usctrojans.com
Stepheson Makes NBA Debut For Clippers
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stepheson, Alex 1987 births Living people American expatriate basketball people in China American expatriate basketball people in Greece American expatriate basketball people in the Philippines American expatriate basketball people in Slovenia American expatriate basketball people in Turkey Basketball players from Los Angeles Centers (basketball) Harvard-Westlake School alumni Iowa Energy players İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor basketball players KK Olimpija players Koshigaya Alphas players Los Angeles Clippers players Memphis Grizzlies players Meralco Bolts players North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball players Panionios B.C. players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Philippine Basketball Association imports Power forwards (basketball) Sportspeople from Los Angeles County, California Undrafted National Basketball Association players USC Trojans men's basketball players Yokohama B-Corsairs players American expatriate basketball people in Japan American men's basketball players Blackwater Bossing players