Denzel Robert Valentine (born November 16, 1993) is an American 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 for the Maine Celtics of the

NBA G 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 ...

. He 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

Michigan State Spartans The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic teams that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 23 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the school colors are green and wh ...

. As a senior, Valentine became the first player in Michigan State history to be recognized as the

National Player of the Year National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

by the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

. He also earned other player of the year awards from the NABC,

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...

NBC Sports NBC Sports is an American programming division of the broadcast network NBC, owned and operated by NBC Sports Group division of NBCUniversal and subsidiary of Comcast. The division is responsible for sports broadcasts on the network, and its d ...

, and

Basketball Times ''Basketball Times'' was an American basketball magazine that was in circulation from 1978 to 2021, and was published by Akers Ink LLC. ''Basketball Times'' published monthly and mainly focused on college basketball. The headquarters was in Matthew ...

in addition to being named a unanimous First-Team All-American. Valentine was selected with the 14th pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls.

High school career

Valentine attended

J. W. Sexton High School J. W. Sexton High School is a public school located on the western edge of Lansing, Michigan, United States, in the Lansing School District. The principal is currently Daniel Boggan. The Sexton J-Dubbs are members of the Capital Area Activit ...

, where he was coached by his father, Carlton Valentine (former Michigan State player), and played alongside future Michigan State teammate

Bryn Forbes Bryn Jerrel Forbes (born July 23, 1993) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Cleveland State and Michigan Sta ...

and Iowa basketball player Anthony Clemmons. As a sophomore, Valentine averaged 10.9 points, 5.8 assists and 6.3 rebounds, leading Sexton to a state title game. He was awarded 2010 Class B honorable mention all-state. Valentine averaged 14 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists per game as a senior, leading Sexton to a 27–1 record. He was selected as the Lansing State Journal Player of the Year and

Class B Player of the Year as a senior. As a recruit, Valentine was nationally ranked in the top 100 by

Rivals.com Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel. History Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...

(no. 81), ESPNU100 (no. 98), and

Scout.com Scout Media is an integrated sports publishing company that produces Internet content covering hundreds of professional and college teams across America. The company was founded in 2001 and was acquired by Fox Sports in 2005. In 2013, Fox Sports ...

(no. 27).

College career

Following his successful freshman year, Valentine was the recipient of MSU's Unsung Player Award (voted on by players). As a sophomore, he earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten (Coaches and Media). Denzel Valentine (cropped)

With

Adreian Payne Adreian DeAngleo Payne (February 19, 1991 – May 9, 2022) was an American professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Atlanta Hawks, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Orlando Magic as well as for s ...

and

Gary Harris Gary Harris (born September 14, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans. High school career Harris atte ...

leaving MSU for the NBA Draft,

Keith Appling Keith Damon Appling (born February 13, 1992) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Michigan State Spartans men's basketball, Michigan State University. High school career Appling played high school ...

leaving due to graduation (eventually to the NBA), the dismissal of Kenny Kaminski, and the transfer of Russell Byrd, Valentine saw an increase in leadership and an expanded role on the team as a junior. Before the season started, he was awarded one of the three captain spots. Perhaps one of Valentine's most memorable moments came on

Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, throu ...

2015, he hit the game winning shot in a matchup versus

Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...

and finished with 17 points. His junior season saw him earn Orlando Classic All-Tournament Team (averaging 19.3 points and 5.0 rebounds in three games), Third Team All-Big Ten,

USBWA The United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) was founded in 1956 by National Collegiate Athletic Association director Walter Byers to serve the interests of journalists who cover college basketball. Scholarships The USBWA annually awar ...

All-District V, and NCAA East Regional All-Tournament Team honors. On November 17, 2015, the senior Valentine became the 4th player in Michigan State history to record a

triple-double In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...

. He had 29 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists in Michigan State's 79-73 victory over the fourth-ranked

Kansas Jayhawks The Kansas Jayhawks, commonly referred to as simply KU or Kansas, are the athletic teams that represent the University of Kansas. KU is one of three schools in the state of Kansas that participate in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are also a mem ...

. It was the first triple-double of the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. On December 21, it was announced that Valentine would be sidelined for 2–3 weeks after he underwent an arthroscopic knee surgery. He returned on January 10, 2016. He was named to the 35-man midseason watchlist for the

Naismith Trophy The Naismith Trophy is a trophy awarded to the men's champion of the FIBA Basketball World Cup, and is named in honor of basketball's inventor, James Naismith. The trophy was first awarded to the winner of the 1967 FIBA World Championship. The ...

on February 11. On February 29, he was named a semifinalist of the

Oscar Robertson Trophy The Oscar Robertson Trophy is given out annually to the outstanding men's college basketball player by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA). The trophy is considered to be the oldest of its kind and has been given out since 195 ...

. Valentine was also a finalist for the

John R. Wooden Award The John R. Wooden Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's and women's college basketball players. The program consists of the men's and women's Player of the Year awards, the Legends of Coaching award, and recognizing the ...

, the

Adolph Rupp Trophy The Adolph F. Rupp Trophy was an award given annually to the top player in men's Division I NCAA basketball until 2015. The recipient of the award was selected by an independent panel consisting of national sportswriters, coaches, and sports admi ...

Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year The Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year award was established in 1961 to recognize the best men's college basketball player of the year, as voted upon by the Associated Press (AP). The only three-time winner is Ralph Sampson of ...

, and the

NABC Player of the Year The NABC Player of the Year is an award given annually by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) to recognize the top player in men's college basketball. The award has been given since the 1974–75 season to National Collegiate Athl ...

. Valentine finished the 2015–16 regular season averaging 19.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.5 assists as MSU finished in second place in the

Big Ten The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...

. On March 8,

named Valentine National Player of the Year over

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

Buddy Hield Chavano Rainer "Buddy" Hield (born December 17, 1992) is a Bahamian professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was named the Big 12 Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year in 2015 ...

. The Big Ten also announced that Valentine was the Big Ten's Player of the Year. On March 9, Valentine was named to the

Sporting News The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...

All-American Team. Valentine's senior year at

Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...

saw him ranked among the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

leaders when it came to three-point shooting. He accumulated many awards and won Michigan State's first College Basketball Player of the Year Award since

Draymond Green Draymond Jamal Green Sr. (born March 4, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Green, who plays primarily at the power forward position, is a four-time N ...

won the

in 2012. Valentine shined during the Big Ten tournament in

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

, earning tournament Most Outstanding Player while winning Michigan State's fifth championship. Valentine, along with Bryn Forbes, were selected to the NCAA College Basketball Three-Point Contest following his senior year. Valentine defeated his teammate in the first round of the competition when he rattled off 22 points compared to Forbes' 10. Valentine was eliminated from the competition in the semifinals when he hit 17 points, needing 23 to advance. Valentine's senior year also proved very effective in raising his draft stock. Valentine went from being potentially undrafted to being seen as a potential lottery pick in the 2016 NBA draft.

Awards

University awards

* George Alderton Male Athlete of the Year (Michigan State University Athlete of the Year)

National Player of the Year awards

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...

- Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year * AP – National Player of the Year * NABC – National Player of the Year *

– National Player of the Year *

– National Player of the Year * College Sports Madness – National Player of the Year * Basketball Times – National Player of the Year *

Senior CLASS Award The Senior CLASS Award is awarded to the most outstanding senior student-athlete in 10 NCAA Division I sports. An acronym for "Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School," the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete ...

Winner – Top Senior in the Nation *

CollegeInsider.com Collegeinsider.com is a sports website based in Boston that is noted particularly for its basketball polls, awards and sponsored tournament. The website was founded by Joe Dwyer and Angela Lento and traces it history to 1995 as regional basketball ...

– Lute Olson National Player of the Year *

Julius Erving Award The Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award is an annual basketball award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to the top men's collegiate small forward. Following the success of the Bob Cousy Award which had been awarde ...

– Nations Top Small Forward

=All-American awards

= * AP – 1st Team All-American * NABC – 1st Team All-American *

CBS Sports CBS Sports is the sports division of the American television network CBS. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on W 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on W 5 ...

– 1st Team All-American * USA Today – 1st Team All-American * NBC Sports – 1st Team All-American * College Sports Madness – 1st Team All-American * Bleacher Report – 1st Team All-American *

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

– 1st Team All-American *

– 1st Team All-American * Sports Illustrated – 1st Team All-American * Sports On Earth – 1st Team All-American * Senior CLASS Award – 1st Team All-American * TSN – 1st Team All-American * VegasInsider.com – 1st Team All-American *

– Lute Olson All-American

=Big Ten/Regional awards

= * CBS – Big Ten Player of the Year *

– Big Ten Player of the Year * AP – Big Ten Player of the Year * FOX – Big Ten Player of the Year * Bleacher Report – Big Ten Player of the Year * Big Ten Player of the Year (Media) * Big Ten Player of the Year (Coaches) * All-Big Ten 1st Team Media * All-Big Ten 1st Team Coaches * CBS – Big Ten 1st Team * Bleacher Report – All Big Ten 1st Team * Big Ten tournament Most Outstanding Player Award * Big Ten's All Tournament Team * USBWA – District V Player of the Year * USBWA – District V All 1st Team

Professional career

Chicago Bulls (2016–2021)

On June 23, 2016, Valentine was selected by the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January 1 ...

with the 14th overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft. On July 16, 2016, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Bulls. Two days later, Valentine hit a turnaround jumper as time expired to lift the Bulls to an 84–82 overtime victory over the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...

in the Las Vegas Summer League championship game. On January 2, 2017, Valentine, who had played just four total minutes in the previous seven games, played 18 minutes against the

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...

and hit his first three three-pointers, finishing with a then season-high nine points. He exited with an ankle injury in the second half, as the Bulls went on to win 118–111. On January 10, 2017, he posted career highs with 19 points and five three-pointers in a 101–99 loss to the

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast D ...

. On March 18, 2017, Valentine recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds in a 95–86 win over the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...

. During his rookie season, Valentine received multiple assignments to the

Windy City Bulls The Windy City Bulls are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, and are affiliated with the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls play their home games at Now Arena, from Chicago. It became the thirte ...

, Chicago's

D-League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) from 2001 to 2005, and the NBA De ...

affiliate. On November 26, 2017, Valentine had 14 points and career highs of 13 rebounds and seven assists in a 100–93 loss to the

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Southe ...

. On January 18, 2018, he scored 19 points 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 ...

. Two days later, he scored a career-high 20 points in a 122–119 double-overtime win over the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

. On March 17, 2018, he hit eight 3-pointers and scored a career-best 34 points in a 114–109 loss to the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

. On April 4, 2018, Valentine underwent arthroscopic debridement on his left knee, which ruled him out for the rest of the season. In September 2018, Valentine was diagnosed with a sprained left ankle during the team's training camp and was expected to miss one to two weeks. However, in late October, the Bulls announced he was suffering from a bone bruise, not a sprain, and would miss an additional two weeks. On November 19, after missing the first 17 games of the season, Valentine was diagnosed with ongoing ankle instability. Following a left ankle stabilization procedure on November 27, he was ruled out for the season.

Cleveland Cavaliers (2021–2022)

On September 22, 2021, Valentine signed with the

Utah Jazz (2022)

On January 3, 2022, the Cavs traded Valentine to the

as part of a three team deal that also included the

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

. He was subsequently waived. On January 10, 2022, Valentine signed a 10-day contract with the

Maine Celtics (2022–present)

On January 21, 2022, Valentine was acquired via waivers by the Maine Celtics. On September 15, 2022, Valentine signed with the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

. He was waived on September 30. He subsequently re-joined Maine.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

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, 57 , , 0 , , 17.1 , , .354, , .351 , , .778 , , 2.6 , , 1.1 , , .5 , , .1 , , 5.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

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

, 77 , , 37 , , 27.2 , , .417 , , .386 , , .745 , , 5.1 , , 3.2 , , .8 , , .1 , , 10.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

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

, 36 , , 5 , , 13.6 , , .409 , , .336 , , .750 , , 2.1 , , 1.2 , , .7 , , .2 , , 6.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

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

, 62 , , 3 , , 16.7 , , .373 , , .331 , , .941 , , 3.2 , , 1.7 , , .5 , , .1 , , 6.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, 22 , , 0 , , 9.3 , , .371 , , .409 , , , , 1.7 , , .5 , , .3 , , .0 , , 2.9 , - class"sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 254 , , 45 , , 18.9 , , .393 , , .360 , , .787 , , 3.4 , , 1.8 , , .6 , , .1 , , 7.0

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

, style="text-align:left;",

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

, 4 , , 0 , , 5.5 , , .333 , , .250 , , , , 2.0 , , .5 , , .0 , , .3 , , 1.3 , - class"sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 4 , , 0 , , 5.5 , , .333 , , .250 , , , , 2.0 , , .5 , , .0 , , .3 , , 1.3

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2012–13 , style="text-align:left;",

, 36 , , 15 , , 20.8 , , .445 , , .281 , , .667 , , 4.1 , , 2.4 , , .8 , , .3 , , 5.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2013–14 , style="text-align:left;",

, 38 , , 33 , , 29.4 , , .408 , , .377 , , .677 , , 6.0 , , 3.8 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 8.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2014–15 , style="text-align:left;",

, 39 , , 39 , , 33.2 , , .443 , , .416 , , .826 , , 6.3 , , 4.3 , , .9 , , .2 , , 14.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2015–16 , style="text-align:left;",

, 31 , , 30 , , 33.0 , , .462 , , .444 , , .853 , , 7.5 , , 7.8 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , 19.2 , - class"sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 144 , , 117 , , 29.0 , , .442 , , .408 , , .779 , , 5.9 , , 4.4 , , .9 , , .3 , , 11.4

National team career

Valentine was a member of

USA Basketball USA Basketball (USAB) is a non-profit organization and the governing body for basketball in the United States. The organization represents the United States in FIBA and the men's and women's national basketball teams in the United States Olympi ...

's senior men's national team at the

2015 Pan American Games Fifteen or 15 may refer to: *15 (number), the natural number following 14 and preceding 16 *one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015 Music *Fifteen (band), a punk rock band Albums * ''15'' (Buckcherry album), 2005 * ''15'' (Ani Lorak alb ...

which was held in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Canada. The U.S. team captured the tournament's bronze medal, with a 3–2 record The following year, Valentine joined the USA Basketball Select Team to train against the 2016 Rio Olympic team.

Personal life

Valentine is the son of Carlton and Kathy Valentine. His older brother,

Drew Drew may refer to: __NOTOC__ Places ;In the United States * Drew, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Drew, Mississippi, a city * Drew, Missouri, an unincorporated community * Drew, Oregon, an unincorporated community * Drew County, Arkansas ...

, played collegiate basketball for

Oakland University Oakland University is a public research university in Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills, Michigan. Founded in 1957 through a donation of Matilda Dodge Wilson, it was initially known as Michigan State University-Oakland, operating under the Mi ...

, and is now the head coach at Loyola University in Chicago. Valentine considers fellow NBA player and Michigan State alumni

"like a big brother". On April 7, 2016, Valentine and his coach at Michigan State,

Tom Izzo Tom Izzo (, ); born January 30, 1955) is an American college basketball coach who has been the head coach at Michigan State University since 1995. On April 4, 2016, Izzo was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Izzo has led the Spart ...

, were featured as guests on

Dancing With the Stars ''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the forma ...

where they learned from

Artem Chigvintsev Artem Vladimirovich Chigvintsev (russian: Артём Влади́мирович Чи́гвинцев; born 12 June 1982) is a Russian-American professional dancer, specializing in Latin dancing. Chigvintsev was a cast member of '' Burn the F ...

and

Edyta Sliwinska Edyta may refer to: People * Edyta Bartosiewicz (born 1965), Polish rock singer * Edyta Dzieniszewska (born 1986), Polish sprint canoer * Edyta Geppert (born 1953), popular Polish singer * Edyta Górniak (born 1972), Polish pop singer * Edyta Herbu ...

. Valentine is also a

rapper Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

who released his first album in February 2021.

References

External links

Michigan State Spartans bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Valentine, Denzel 1993 births Living people 21st-century African-American sportspeople African-American basketball players All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players at the 2015 Pan American Games Basketball players from Michigan Big Ten Athlete of the Year winners Chicago Bulls draft picks Chicago Bulls players Cleveland Cavaliers players Maine Celtics players Medalists at the 2015 Pan American Games Michigan State Spartans men's basketball players Pan American Games bronze medalists for the United States Pan American Games medalists in basketball Shooting guards Sportspeople from Lansing, Michigan United States men's national basketball team players Utah Jazz players Windy City Bulls players