Leroy Jevon Carter (born September 14, 1995) 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

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...

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). 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

West Virginia Mountaineers The West Virginia Mountaineers are the athletic teams that represent West Virginia University, an American university located in Morgantown, West Virginia. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I. The Moun ...

. A

point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Point guards are expected to run t ...

for the Mountaineers, Carter was known as one of the top defensive players in college basketball, winning the

NABC Defensive Player of the Year The NABC Defensive Player of the Year is an award given annually by the National Association of Basketball Coaches to recognize the top defensive player in United States college basketball. The award has been given since 1987 and was previously kn ...

and the

Lefty Driesell Award The Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's college basketball defender in NCAA Division I competition. The award was established in 2010 and is named for head coach Lefty Driesel ...

after both his

junior Junior or Juniors may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * ''Junior'' (Junior Mance album), 1959 * ''Junior'' (Röyksopp album), 2009 * ''Junior'' (Kaki King album), 2010 * ''Junior'' (LaFontaines album), 2019 Films * ''Junior'' (1994 ...

and senior seasons, and winning the inaugural Naismith Defensive Player of the Year in his final season.

High school career

Carter played basketball at

Proviso East High School Proviso East High School is a public secondary school in Maywood, Illinois which serves the educational needs of Maywood and three other villages within Proviso Township, Cook County, Illinois: Broadview, Forest Park and Melrose Park. It is th ...

Maywood, Illinois Maywood is a village in Proviso Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States in the Chicago metropolitan area. It was founded on April 6, 1869, and organized October 22, 1881. The population was 23,512 at the 2020 United States Census. History ...

. He played mostly off the ball in high school. From 2011 to 2012 he played for Team NLP in AAU competition, where one of his teammates was

Jalen Brunson Jalen Marquis Brunson (born August 31, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Villanova University, where he was the National Pl ...

. Carter was a three-star recruit and was the No. 299 player in the 2014 class according to 247Sports.com. He received scholarship offers from

Akron Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 Census, the city prop ...

, Dartmouth,

Kent State Kent State University (KSU) is a public research university in Kent, Ohio. The university also includes seven regional campuses in Northeast Ohio and additional facilities in the region and internationally. Regional campuses are located in Ash ...

, Lehigh, Toledo, Valparaiso, UW-Green Bay and

Illinois State Illinois State University (ISU) is a Public university, public university in Normal, Illinois. Founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University, it is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teaching and is reco ...

, but committed to West Virginia.

College career

He converted to the

position at West Virginia, making his name as one of the top defensive players in the

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 ...

. He was one of the architects of "Press Virginia", coach

Bob Huggins Robert Edward Huggins (born September 21, 1953) is an American college basketball coach. Nicknamed “Huggy Bear,” he is currently the head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team. Huggins previously held the head coach ...

's defensive scheme that forces many turnovers. Carter became a starter as a sophomore and averaged 9.5 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. In Carter's junior season in 2016–17, he averaged 13.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. He received many accolades for his defensive prowess, earning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, as well as the

and the

as the top defensive player in the country. Following his junior season, Carter declared for the

2017 NBA draft The 2017 NBA draft was held on June 22, 2017, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. ...

, but did not hire an agent. Ultimately he decided to return to the Mountaineers for his senior season. Before the start of the 2017–18 season, Carter was unanimously named to the preseason All-Big 12 team. On November 30, 2017, Carter became WVU's all-time leader in steals, surpassing Greg Jones’ mark of 252 in a win over

NJIT {{Infobox university , name = {{nowrap, New Jersey Institute of Technology , image = New Jersey IT seal.svg , image_upright = 0.9 , former_names = Newark College of Engineering (1930–1975)Ne ...

. On March 3, 2018 against Iowa State, he became the first major conference player to reach 1500 points, 500 rebounds, 500 assists and 300 steals in a career. On March 12, 2018, Carter was named Academic All-American of the Year for Division I men's basketball. For the 2017–18 season, Carter was named a second-team All-American 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 was also 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 ...

second team, and the

National Association of Basketball Coaches The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is an American organization of men's college basketball coaches. It was founded in 1927 by Phog Allen, head men's basketball coach at the University o ...

(NABC) third team, resulting in consensus second-team All-America honors. Later that same week, he was added to the 2018 John R. Wooden Award All American Team. He was also named the 2018

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. This award (''Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School''), given annually, is for the most outstanding senior student athlete in Men's Basketball. Carter is the second player in West Virginia University history to win this award, the first being

Da'Sean Butler Da'Sean Butler (born January 25, 1988) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is currently an assistant coach for the College Park Skyhawks of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for West Virginia University. ...

, who won it in 2010. For his senior season, Jevon Carter won many postseason awards for his defensive play, including Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, the NABC Defensive Player of the Year, the Lefty Driesell Player of the Year and the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. Carter became the first player to win the Lefty Driesell Player of the Year more than once and only the 7th player to win the NABC Defensive Player of the Year more than once, the first since

Hasheem Thabeet Hasheem Thabeet (born Hashim Thabit Manka on 16 February 1987) is a Tanzanian professional basketball player for the Sichuan Blue Whales of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played college basketball for UConn before being drafted sec ...

won in the 2007–08 season and the 2008–09 season. He won the inaugural Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award.

Records

* WVU career steal leader (330) * WVU single-season steal leader (112, 2018) * WVU single-season assist leader (246, 2018) * Sole 4x Big 12 All-Defensive Team Member

College statistics

Professional career

Memphis Grizzlies (2018–2019)

On June 21, 2018, Carter was selected by 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 the second round of the

2018 NBA draft The 2018 NBA Draft was held on June 21, 2018, 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, including inte ...

with the 32nd overall pick. On July 12, 2018, the

announced that they had officially signed with Carter. During his rookie season, he has had multiple assignments to the

Memphis Hustle The Memphis Hustle are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in the Greater Memphis suburb of Southaven, Mississippi, and are affiliated with the Memphis Grizzlies. The team plays their home games at the Landers Ce ...

, the Grizzlies'

G 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 Dev ...

affiliate. Carter made his NBA debut on December 15, 2018, coming off the bench in a 97–105 loss to 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 ...

with eleven points, two steals, a rebound and a block. On April 10, 2019, Carter scored a then-career-high 32 points along with four rebounds, two assists and a steal in a 132–117 win over 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 ...

Phoenix Suns (2019–2021)

On July 7, 2019, the Grizzlies traded Carter to 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 ...

. On August 8 in the 2020 NBA Bubble, Carter scored a season-high 20 points on 7–10 shooting, including 6–9 from the three-point line in a 119–112 win over 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 ...

. His previous season-highs both had him scoring 15 points before the season's suspension began. On November 21, 2020, as a restricted free agent, Carter signed a 3-year, $11.5 million contract to remain with the Suns. Carter made it to the

2021 NBA Finals The 2021 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2020–21 season and conclusion of the season's playoffs. In this best-of-seven playoff series, the Eastern Conference champion Milwaukee Bucks d ...

, but the Suns were defeated in 6 games by the

Brooklyn Nets (2021–2022)

On August 6, 2021, Carter and the draft rights to Day'Ron Sharpe were traded to 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 ...

in exchange for

Landry Shamet Landry Michael Shamet (born March 13, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Wichita State Shockers. Early life Shamet was born ...

. He was waived on February 22, 2022, when the Nets signed

Goran Dragić Goran Dragić (born 6 May 1986) is a Slovenian professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Dragon", he had played professional basketball in Slovenia and Spain before entering ...

Milwaukee Bucks (2022–present)

On February 24, 2022, Carter signed with the

. On April 1, in his first start for the Bucks, Carter scored 18 points and recorded a season-high 8 assists. On July 6, 2022, Carter re-signed with the Bucks. On November 9, 2022, Carter set a career high with 36 points and added 12 assists in a 136–132 double-overtime win against the Thunder.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

, - , 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 ...

, 39 , , 3 , , 14.8 , , .303 , , .333 , , .813 , , 1.7 , , 1.8 , , .7 , , .3 , , 4.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

, 58 , , 2 , , 16.3 , , .416 , , .425 , , .852 , , 2.0 , , 1.4 , , .8 , , .3 , , 4.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 60 , , 1 , , 12.0 , , .422 , , .371 , , .571 , , 1.5 , , 1.2 , , .5 , , .2 , , 4.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, 46 , , 1 , , 12.0 , , .333 , , .331 , , .700 , , 1.5 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , .2 , , 3.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

, 20 , , 2 , , 17.7 , , .506 , , .558 , , 1.000 , , 2.2 , , 2.5 , , .5 , , .2 , , 5.6 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 223 , , 9 , , 14.1 , , .386 , , .383 , , .810 , , 1.7 , , 1.4 , , .6 , , .2 , , 4.4

Playoffs

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

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...

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

, 7 , , 0 , , 3.1 , , .375 , , .000 , , .000 , , .3 , , .6 , , .0 , , .0 , , .9 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...

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

, 11 , , 0 , , 11.4 , , .474 , , .429 , , 1.000 , , 1.5 , , .9 , , .7 , , .0 , , 2.1 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 18 , , 0 , , 8.2 , , .444 , , .333 , , .500 , , 1.0 , , .8 , , .4 , , .0 , , 1.6

Endorsements

On August 3, 2018, Carter and And1 announced via

Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

that Carter had signed to become an And1 brand ambassador.

References

External links

West Virginia Mountaineers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carter, Jevon 1995 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 Illinois Brooklyn Nets players Memphis Grizzlies draft picks Memphis Grizzlies players Memphis Hustle players Milwaukee Bucks players Phoenix Suns players Point guards Sportspeople from Maywood, Illinois West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball players