Jared Malcolm Xavier Sullinger (born March 4, 1992) 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 (appro ...

player for the Beijing Royal Fighters of the

Chinese Basketball Association The Chinese Basketball Association (), often abbreviated as the CBA, is the first-tier men's professional 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 ...

(CBA). He played

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

for the Ohio State Buckeyes before being selected 21st overall by 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 Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...

in the

2012 NBA draft The 2012 NBA draft was held on June 28, 2012, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time (2300 UTC), and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball A ...

High school career

Sullinger was rated as the #2 player in the class of 2010 in the

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100, the #4 player by Scout.com, and the #5 player by Rivals.com. In his senior year, Sullinger led Northland High School to a 21–0 season and a #1 national ranking. He averaged 24.5 points and 11.7 rebounds for the season. Sullinger played in the 4th annual Boost Mobile Elite 24 Hoops Classic. Sullinger was selected to play in the 2010 McDonald's All-American Game in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...

, where he was named co-MVP with Harrison Barnes. He was also selected to play in the 2010 Nike Hoop Summit at the Rose Garden in

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

and the 2010 Jordan Brand Classic at

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...

in New York. On March 10, 2010, Sullinger won the James A. Naismith Award, which goes to the boys' high school basketball player of the year.

College recruitment

Sullinger committed to Ohio State on May 10, 2007.

College career

Freshman

Sullinger had 19 points and 14 rebounds in his Ohio State debut. Sullinger's brother, J.J. Sullinger, also attended Ohio State and played for coach Thad Matta. For the 2010–11 season Jared Sullinger averaged 17.2 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 31.7 minutes per game for the Buckeyes. Leading the Buckeyes to a 2011 Big Ten men's basketball tournament championship, being named MOP. Ohio State finished the regular season at 32–2 and was selected as the 2011 NCAA tournament's number one overall seed. The Buckeyes made it to the "Sweet Sixteen" where they lost to

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

62–60. Sullinger was named a First Team All-American by

Fox Sports Fox Sports is the brand name for a number of sports channels, broadcast divisions, programming, and other media around the world. The name originates from Fox Broadcasting Company in the United States, which in turn derives its name from Fox Fi ...

Sophomore

In what would be his final year at Ohio State, Sullinger led the Buckeyes to a 31–8 overall record (13–5 Big Ten). He averaged 17.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game during the 2011–12 season. The Buckeyes advanced to the 'Final Four' of the 2012 NCAA tournament, where the team lost to the

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 List of college athletic programs in Kansas, in the state of Kansas that participate in ...

. Sullinger had 13 points in the game and was 5-of-19 shooting with 11 rebounds in the loss. Five days after the loss, the two-time AP All-American declared he was entering the 2012 draft, where he was widely expected to be a lottery pick, until he was reportedly flagged by several teams after the Chicago pre-draft camp due to back issues.

College statistics

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2010–11 , style="text-align:left;", Ohio State , 37, , 37, , 31.7, , .541, , .250, , .704, , 10.2, , 1.2, , 1.0, , .5, , 17.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2011–12 , style="text-align:left;", Ohio State , 37, , 36, , 30.4, , .519, , .400, , .768, , 9.2, , 1.2, , 1.2, , 1.1, , 17.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 74 , , 73 , , 31.0 , , .530 , , .365 , , .733 , , 9.7 , , 1.2 , , 1.1 , , 0.8 , , 17.3

Professional career

Boston Celtics (2012–2016)

2012–13 season

On June 29, 2012, Sullinger was selected with the 21st overall pick in the

by the

. On July 3, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Celtics. On November 17, he recorded his first double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds in a 107–89 win over the

Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), E ...

. The following night, he scored a season-high 16 points in a loss to the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

. He tied that mark on December 25, recording 16 points and 7 rebounds in a 93–76 win over the

Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...

. On February 1, 2013, Sullinger underwent successful lumbar disk surgery and was subsequently ruled out for the rest of the season.

2013–14 season

On January 15, 2014, in a win over the Toronto Raptors, Sullinger recorded 25 points and a career-high 20 rebounds. Sullinger's 20-20 was the first by a Celtics player since Kevin Garnett did so in 2007. On February 7, he scored a career-high 31 points in a 99–89 win over 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 Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...

2014–15 season

After averaging 14.4 points and 8.1 rebounds per game up until the 2015 NBA All-Star Weekend, Sullinger was ruled out indefinitely after X-rays on February 19 revealed a stress reaction in his left foot. Three days later, he was ruled out for the rest of the season after further medical evaluation determined that Sullinger had sustained a left metatarsal stress fracture. However, in a surprising move, Sullinger returned to action on April 3 against the Milwaukee Bucks. He entered the game four minutes into the third quarter, missed both his shots and didn't return as part of a gradual effort to improve his stamina.

2015–16 season

Sullinger began the 2015–16 season coming off the bench for the first three games. He started his first game of the season on November 4 against the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

, replacing Tyler Zeller as the starting center. On December 7, 2015, Sullinger scored 11 points and tied a career high with 20 rebounds in a 111–93 win over the

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Confere ...

. On February 7, 2016, he tied his season high with 21 points in a 128–119 win over the Sacramento Kings. On June 29, 2016, the Celtics tendered a qualifying offer to make Sullinger a restricted free agent. The Celtics later withdrew their qualifying offer on July 8, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Toronto Raptors (2016–2017)

On July 14, 2016, Sullinger signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the

. On October 24, 2016, he had a screw inserted into the fifth metatarsal in his left foot. As a result, he missed the first half of the 2016–17 season. After missing half the season, Sullinger made his debut for the Raptors on January 18, 2017, scoring eight points in just under 14 minutes off the bench in a 94–89 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. On January 28, 2017, he was assigned to Toronto's D-League affiliate, Raptors 905, on a rehab assignment. He was recalled by Toronto the next day. Three days later, he had a season-best game with 13 points and six rebounds in a 109–104 loss to the

. He was reassigned to Raptors 905 on February 10, and was recalled on February 12. On February 23, 2017, Sullinger was traded, along with cash considerations and Toronto's second-round draft picks in 2017 and 2018, to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for P. J. Tucker. However, he was waived by the Suns the following day.

Shenzhen Leopards (2017–2018)

On September 12, 2017, Sullinger signed a one-year deal with the

Shenzhen Leopards The Shenzhen New Century Liebao Club, also known as Shenzhen Marco Polo or Shenzhen Leopards (previously Shenzhen Aviators), are a Chinese professional basketball team which plays in the Southern Division of the Chinese Basketball Association ( ...

of the

. He re-signed with the team on August 6, 2018. On January 16, 2018, Sullinger became one of the few players in the CBA to record 40 points and 30 rebounds in a single game as he posted 40 points and 31 rebounds in a 129–103 victory over the Shandong Golden Stars.

Anyang KGC (2021)

In February 2021, Sullinger joined

Anyang KGC The Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters () is a professional basketball club in the Korean Basketball League, based at Anyang Gymnasium in the city of Anyang. The club has won four KBL championship titles ( 2011–12, 2016–17, 2020–21, and 2 ...

of the Korean league and helped the team capture the league championship. He averaged 27.1 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.

Return to the Leopards (2021–2024)

On December 26, 2021, Sullinger returned to the Shenzhen Leopards of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). In April 2024, Sullinger was named CBA International Most Valuable Player for that season after averaging 21.8 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 4 assists per game.

Beijing Royal Fighters (2024-present)

In December 2024, Sullinger made his debut with the Beijing Royal Fighters of the Chinese Basketball Association.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

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Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, 45 , , 5 , , 19.8 , , .493 , , .200 , , .746 , , 5.9 , , .8 , , .5 , , .5 , , 6.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 74 , , 44 , , 27.6 , , .427 , , .269 , , .778 , , 8.1 , , 1.6 , , .5 , , .7 , , 13.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 58 , , 49 , , 27.0 , , .439 , , .283 , , .744 , , 7.6 , , 2.3 , , .8 , , .7 , , 13.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 81 , , 73 , , 23.6 , , .435 , , .282 , , .640 , , 8.3 , , 2.3 , , .9 , , .6 , , 10.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, 11 , , 1 , , 10.7 , , .319 , , .167 , , .500 , , 2.5 , , .3 , , .4 , , .1 , , 3.4 , - , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 269 , , 172 , , 24.3 , , .436 , , .272 , , .723 , , 7.5 , , 1.8 , , .7 , , .6 , , 10.8

Playoffs

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2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

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, 4 , , 0 , , 20.0 , , .553 , , .333 , , .571 , , 7.0 , , .3 , , .0 , , .8 , , 12.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

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, 6 , , 2 , , 13.5 , , .310 , , .500 , , .750 , , 4.5 , , 1.2 , , .2 , , .0 , , 5.2 , - , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 10 , , 2 , , 16.1 , , .425 , , .385 , , .636 , , 5.5 , , .8 , , .1 , , .3 , , 8.0

Awards and honors

NBA

*BBVA Rising Stars Challenge Contestant (2014) *Eastern Conference Player of the Week Award Winner (February 3–9, 2014)

College

*2011 Big Ten Tournament Most Valuable Player *2011 Big Ten Freshman Of the Year *2011 Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Award

High school

*2010 James A. Naismith Award winner *2010 McDonald's All-American Game co-MVP *2010 McDonald's All-American team selection *2010 Jordan Brand High School All-American team selection * 2010 First-team ''Parade'' All-American

Personal life

On September 3, 2013, Sullinger turned himself in to police after an alleged domestic assault on his girlfriend. He was charged with assault and battery, intimidation of a witness, and destruction of property. He pleaded not guilty to the charges, which were later dropped.Charges dropped against Celtics’ Sullinger
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References

External links

NBADraft.net profileSullinger Proving To Be Steal of NBA Draft
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sullinger, Jared 1992 births Living people 21st-century African-American sportsmen All-American college men's basketball players American expatriate basketball people in Canada American expatriate basketball people in China American expatriate basketball people in South Korea American men's basketball players Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters players Basketball players from Columbus, Ohio Boston Celtics draft picks Boston Celtics players Cangrejeros de Santurce basketball players Centers (basketball) McDonald's High School All-Americans Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Power forwards Raptors 905 players Shenzhen Leopards players Toronto Raptors players 21st-century American sportsmen Beijing Royal Fighters players