Jarrett Culver (born February 20, 1999) 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

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

of the

National Basketball Association 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 S ...

(NBA), on a

two-way contract A two-way contract is a professional sports contract that stipulates that an athlete's salary is dependent upon the league in which the athlete is assigned to play. This is opposed to a one-way contract that would pay the same salary regardless of ...

with the

College Park Skyhawks The College Park Skyhawks are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in College Park, Georgia, and are affiliated with the Atlanta Hawks. The Skyhawks play their home games at Gateway Center Arena at College Park a ...

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

Texas Tech Red Raiders The Texas Tech Red Raiders and Lady Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University, located in Lubbock, Texas. The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders, while the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raide ...

Early life

Culver was born to Regina and Hiawatha Culver Jr. in

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...

. At the age of three he moved to

Lubbock, Texas Lubbock ( ) is the 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of government of Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also the 85th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the northw ...

where he grew up. His father is a

pastor A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...

at Rising Star Baptist Church, his mother a director of a local Head Start. Culver grew up playing

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

and

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

before focusing on

while at Irons Middle School. He often played

NBA 2K ''NBA 2K'' is a series of basketball sports simulation video games developed by Visual Concepts and released annually since 1999. The premise of the series is to emulate the sport of basketball, and more specifically, the National Basketball A ...

and pickup

in his driveway with his older brothers, Trey and J.J.

High school career

Culver attended Coronado High School in Lubbock, where he played basketball under head coach Randy Dean. He averaged 20 points per game as a junior, leading his team to the 6A regional semifinals. Culver was named Lone Star Varsity Player of the Year by ''

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal ''Lubbock Avalanche-Journal'' is a newspaper based in Lubbock, Texas, United States. It is owned by Gannett. History ''The Lubbock Avalanche'' was founded in 1900 by John James Dillard and Thad Tubbs. According to Dillard, the name "Avalanche" ...

''. In his senior campaign, he averaged about 30 points per game and led his team in rebounds and assists. At the start of the season, Culver re-aggravated a shoulder injury he originally suffered as a junior, but he still led Coronado to the playoffs and repeated as Lone Star Varsity Player of the Year. Culver was a consensus three-star

recruit __NOTOC__ Recruit can refer to: Military * Military recruitment * Recruit training, in the military * '' Rekrut'' (English: Recruit), a military recruit or low rank in German-speaking countries * Seaman recruit Books *''Le Réquisitionnaire'' (E ...

and committed to

Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...

on September 22, 2016. He had offers from several other

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of College athletics, intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major ...

programs, including Baylor,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

, and

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

College career

Freshman season

On November 10, 2017, Culver debuted for

in a 75–50 win over

South Alabama South Alabama is the various parts of southern Alabama. Although it is not a strictly defined geographic region, it generally includes all Alabama counties south of the Black Belt. In that view, ''South Alabama'' consists of just the two counties ...

, scoring 2 points in 16 minutes. He recorded a season-high in non-conference play against Wofford on November 22, scoring 21 points. In his next game, Culver recorded 18 points and a season-best 7 assists in a 103–69 win over

Savannah State ) , established = , closed = , type = Public university, Public Historically black colleges and universities, historically black university , parent = University System of Georg ...

. Two days later, he was named

Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its ...

Newcomer of the Week. On December 16, Culver chipped in 8 points and a season-high 6 steals against

Rice Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima ''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...

. He recorded his first

double-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 ...

on February 26, 2018 versus

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

, with season-bests of 26 points and 12 rebounds. As a freshman, Culver averaged 11.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game. He scored 229 points in conference play, breaking the Texas Tech freshman record set by

Martin Zeno Martin Gilbert Zeno (born November 15, 1985) is an American professional basketball player. Professional career In the 2012-2013 season Zeno earned Korisliiga Most Valuable Player in Finland. Eurobasket.com All-Finnish Korisliiga On February 2 ...

in 2005.

Sophomore season

Entering his sophomore season, Culver was named preseason All-

Big 12 The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its fo ...

honorable mention. He was also one of 20 players to make the 2019

Jerry West Award The Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award is an annual basketball award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to the top men's collegiate shooting guard. The award is named after former Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard, ...

watch list. Culver assumed a leading role in his second year, with the departures of key players

Zhaire Smith Zhaire Jahi-ihme Smith (born June 4, 1999) is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Texas Tech. High school career Smith attended Lakeview Centennial High School, where he was coached by J. T. Locklear. He ...

and

Keenan Evans Keenan Evans (born August 23, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for Žalgiris Kaunas of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball at Texas Tech University. College career A 6’3� ...

. He made his debut on November 6, 2018, recording 16 points and 4 assists in an 87–37 win over Incarnate Word. On November 20, Culver scored 26 points against

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

to win

most valuable player 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 ...

(MVP) honors at the Hall of Fame Classic. The next day, he became one of 20 players to be named to 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 ...

midseason watch list. Culver erupted for 30 points, shooting 12-of-13 from the field, in a December 15 victory over Abilene Christian. Shortly after, he earned

Player of the Week honors. On March 9, 2019, Culver scored 31 points against

Iowa State Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...

, which was not only a season-high, but also a career-high. After leading the Red Raiders to a share of the

regular season title, he was named

Player of the Year at the end of conference play. In the quarterfinals of the 2019 Big 12 men's basketball tournament, despite him scoring 26 points and hauling in 10 rebounds, Culver and the Red Raiders were upset by #10 seed

. In the first round of the

2019 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament The 2019 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 68 teams to determine the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's college basketball national champion for the 2018–19 seaso ...

, Culver nearly recorded 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 ...

with 29 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists against #14 seed

Northern Kentucky Northern Kentucky is the third-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, and its cities and towns serve as the de facto "south side" communities of Cincinnati, Ohio. The three main counties ...

. In the second round, Culver helped lead to another win against #6 seed Buffalo, recording a

of 16 points and 10 rebounds. He also recorded 5 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks against #6 seed Buffalo. In the regional semifinals (the Sweet 16), he helped lead the Red Raiders to a historic upset over the #2 seed

Michigan Wolverines The Michigan Wolverines comprise 29 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except women's water polo, which competes in the NCAA inter-divisio ...

, scoring 22 points. In the Regional Finals (the

Elite Eight In the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship, the "Elite Eight" comprises the final eight teams, representing the regional finals, or national quarterfinals. In Division I and Divis ...

), he again led

with 19 points and another upset against #1 seed Gonzaga, resulting in the program's first-ever appearance in the national semifinals (the Final Four). Culver struggled in the Final Four game against Michigan State, scoring 10 points on 3/12 shooting, in a 61–51 Texas Tech win. In the

championship game In sport, a championship is a Competition#Sports, competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match sy ...

, Culver again struggled, scoring 15 points on 5/22 shooting in an 85–77 overtime loss to Virginia. After the season, Culver declared for the

2019 NBA draft The 2019 NBA draft was held on June 20, 2019. It took place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur United States college basketball players and other eligible players, i ...

Professional career

Minnesota Timberwolves (2019–2021)

Culver was selected as the sixth pick of the

by 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 ...

. His draft rights were immediately traded to 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 exchange for

Dario Šarić Dario Šarić (; born 8 April 1994) is a Croatian professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft. He also represents the senior ...

and the eleventh pick of the draft. The trade was officially completed on July 6. Two days later on July 8, 2019, the

announced that they had signed Culver. On October 23, 2019, Culver made his debut in NBA, coming off from bench in a 127–126 overtime win over the

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

with four points, two assists, and one steal.

Memphis Grizzlies (2021–2022)

On August 25, 2021, Culver and Juancho Hernangómez were traded to 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 ...

in exchange for

Patrick Beverley Patrick Beverley (born July 12, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Arkansas Razorbacks before spending three and a half ...

Atlanta Hawks (2022–present)

On September 12, 2022, Culver signed a

with the

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

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, 35 , , 7 , , 14.7 , , .411 , , .245 , , .604 , , 3.1 , , .7 , , .5 , , .3 , , 5.3 , - , 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 ...

, 37 , , 0 , , 9.1 , , .378 , , .255 , , .471 , , 1.3 , , .9 , , .5 , , .1 , , 3.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 134 , , 42 , , 17.5 , , .401 , , .283 , , .497 , , 2.7 , , 1.2 , , .7 , , .4 , , 6.6

Playoffs

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

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

, 3 , , 0 , , 7.3 , , .300 , , .000 , , .500 , , 2.3 , , .3 , , .7 , , .0 , , 2.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 3 , , 0 , , 7.3 , , .300 , , .000 , , .500 , , 2.3 , , .3 , , .7 , , .0 , , 2.3

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2017–18 , style="text-align:left;",

, 37 , , 20 , , 26.4 , , .455 , , .382 , , .648 , , 4.8 , , 1.8 , , 1.1 , , .7 , , 11.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2018–19 , style="text-align:left;",

, 38 , , 38 , , 32.5 , , .461 , , .304 , , .707 , , 6.4 , , 3.7 , , 1.4 , , .6 , , 18.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 75 , , 58 , , 29.5 , , .459 , , .341 , , .687 , , 5.6 , , 2.8 , , 1.3 , , .6 , , 14.9

Personal life

Culver is a Christian. His father, Hiawatha Culver Jr. is the Texas Tech team chaplain and delivered the pre-game prayer for

before each home basketball game. In high school, Jarrett played basketball with older brother J. J., who later joined the team at

Wayland Baptist University Wayland Baptist University (WBU) is a private Baptist university based in Plainview, Texas. It is affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas (Southern Baptist Convention). Wayland Baptist has 11 campuses in five Texas cities, six ...

. J.J. reportedly scored a hundred points in a game. Trey Culver, his oldest brother, was a decorated athlete for the

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

team in the

high jump The high jump is a track and field event in which competitors must jump unaided over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without dislodging it. In its modern, most-practiced format, a bar is placed between two standards with a crash mat f ...

, tying the fourth-best mark in collegiate indoor history in 2018.

References

External links

Texas Tech Red Raiders bioESPN profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Culver, Jarrett 1999 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 from Dallas Memphis Grizzlies players Memphis Hustle players Minnesota Timberwolves players Phoenix Suns draft picks Shooting guards Sportspeople from Lubbock, Texas Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball players