Lance Thomas (born April 24, 1988) 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 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

Duke Blue Devils The Duke Blue Devils are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Duke University, located in Durham, North Carolina. Duke's athletics department features 27 varsity teams that all compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Associatio ...

where he started at

power forward The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is one of the five traditional positions in a regulation basketball game. Traditionally, power forwards have played a role similar to centers. When on offense, they typically play with their ba ...

for the national champion 2010 team.

High school career

Thomas attended

Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School (or SPFHS) is a comprehensive regional four-year public high school in Union County, New Jersey, United States, which serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from the Township of Scotch Plains and the ...

Scotch Plains, New Jersey Scotch Plains is a township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. The township is located on a ridge in northern- central New Jersey, within the Raritan Valley and Rahway Valley regions in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 201 ...

during his freshman and sophomore years. For his junior and senior years, he attended

St. Benedict's Preparatory School St. Benedict's Preparatory School is a Catholic Church, Catholic college preparatory school in Newark, New Jersey run by the Benedictines. The school serves boys and girls in kindergarten through twelfth grade on a urban campus. The school h ...

. He led the school to two Prep A Division New Jersey State titles with a 56–3 record in his final two seasons while averaging 14.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game his senior year. In 2005, Thomas played at the USA Basketball Youth Development Festival where he helped the Blue Team win the silver medal with a 3–1 record. Following his senior year, he played in the 2006 McDonald's All-American game. Considered a four-star recruit 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 ...

, Thomas was listed as the No. 13 small forward and the No. 42 player in the nation in 2006. After committing to Duke University on April 5, 2006, Thomas played for the Under 18 national team at the

FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship The FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship is the Americas basketball championship for players under 18 years that take place every two years among national teams of the FIBA Americas zone. Before the 2006 edition, the tournament was played by unde ...

where he helped USA win the gold medal.

Recruiting

College career

As a freshman, Thomas averaged 4.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game, while shooting .568 from the field, in 31 games (18 starts). As a sophomore, Thomas averaged 4.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in 18.5 minutes in 32 games (28 starts). He posted a .505 field goal percentage and recorded at least five rebounds 12 times, including eight of Duke's 16 ACC games. Thomas' career high in points came on November 28, 2008, when he scored 21 against Duquesne. His new career high broke his previous record of 15 points set on November 20, 2006. Thomas' ability to finish shots was a big staple of his improvement. It was said of him, "If he gets the ball within three feet of the basket, chances are he's going to put the ball in the hoop — regardless of whether he's fouled."Thomas scores 21 as Duke pounds Duquesne
/ref> As a junior, Thomas averaged 5.3 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting .626 from the field, in 37 games (16 starts). Thomas felt that the biggest difference between this year's Duke team and the ones from the last two years, was experience. In his senior year, Thomas and All-American point guard

Jon Scheyer Jonathan James Scheyer (, born August 24, 1987) is an American basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach for the Duke Blue Devils of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Scheyer led his high school team to an Illinois ...

were co-captains of Duke's team. In January 2010, Thomas had a career-high 12 rebounds against

NC State North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The university ...

. On February 10, the eighth-ranked Blue Devils held on for a 64–54 victory against rival

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 ...

. However, Thomas suffered a severe bone bruise to his right knee early in the second half, forcing him to miss the next game against

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

. Thomas helped Duke win the 2010 NCAA championship, their fourth since 2001. In the 2010 NCAA championship game, Duke faced

Butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some a ...

and star swingman

Gordon Hayward Gordon Daniel Hayward (born March 23, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Hayward has previously played for the Utah Jazz and the Boston Celtics. In college ...

. The Bulldogs had a chance to win with 3.6 seconds left, but Hayward missed a half-court shot, giving Duke a 61–59 win. Thomas was named to the 2009–10 ACC All-Defensive Team for 2010 and finished his college basketball career ranked 10th on Duke's all-time list in offensive rebounds (255). In 40 games (39 starts) as a senior, he averaged 4.8 points and 4.9 rebounds in 25.3 minutes per game.

Professional career

Austin Toros (2010–2012)

Between November 2010 and December 2011, Thomas played in 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 ...

for the

Austin Toros Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

. On December 9, 2011, Thomas signed with the

New Orleans Hornets New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

for training camp. He made the Hornets' roster for the start of the lockout-shortened 2011–12 NBA season, but he was later waived by the team on December 31. On January 4, 2012, Thomas was reacquired by the Austin Toros. He was later selected to play in the 2012

NBA Development 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. ...

. In 65 games for Austin over two seasons, he averaged 13.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.

New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans (2012–2013)

On February 6, 2012, Thomas was called up by the

, signing a 10-day contract with the team. He later signed a second 10-day contract on February 16, and a multi-year deal on February 27. In 2012–13, Thomas played in 59 games for the Hornets, averaging 2.5 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. In April 2013, the Hornets were renamed 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 league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...

. On July 10, 2013, Thomas was waived by the Pelicans. He later re-signed with the Pelicans on August 22, but he managed just five games for the team in 2013–14 before be was waived again on November 12. In 106 games for New Orleans over three seasons, he averaged 3.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per game.

Foshan Dralions (2013–2014)

On December 27, 2013, Thomas signed with the

Foshan Dralions 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 ...

for the rest of the 2013–14 CBA season. In 16 games for Foshan, he averaged 26.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

Oklahoma City Thunder (2014–2015)

On September 29, 2014, Thomas signed with the

Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team plays i ...

. Thunder head coach

Scott Brooks Scott William Brooks (born July 31, 1965) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the top assistant coach for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played point guard at San Joa ...

said of Thomas, "Lance is a hard worker. He's a player that can guard multiple positions. He gives you everything he has and that's what you want."

New York Knicks (2015–2019)

On January 5, 2015, Thomas was traded to 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 ...

in a three-team, six-player trade that also involved the Thunder and 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 ...

. He was waived by the Knicks two days later. On January 10, Thomas returned to the Knicks on a 10-day contract. He later signed a second 10-day contract on January 21, and a rest-of-season deal on January 31. On March 22, 2015, Thomas scored a career-high 24 points in a 106–89 loss to 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 league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games a ...

. On July 10, 2015, Thomas re-signed with the Knicks. On December 21, 2015, he tied his career high of 24 points in a 107–99 loss to the

Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...

. On July 8, 2016, Thomas again re-signed with the Knicks. Prior to the start of the 2017–18 season, Thomas was named co-captain of the Knicks alongside

Courtney Lee Courtney Lee (born October 3, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball at Western Kentucky University. Lee was drafted by the Orlando Magic with the 22nd overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft and wa ...

. On June 29, 2019, he was waived by the Knicks.

Brooklyn Nets (2020)

On September 27, 2019, Thomas signed with 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 ...

, but was waived on October 18. On July 14, 2020, the Nets signed Thomas as a substitute player.

National team career

In 2011, Thomas was a member of the US national team that won a bronze medal at the

Pan American Games The Pan American Games (also known colloquially as the Pan Am Games) is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas featuring summer sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The competition is held ...

. A year later, Thomas was added to the 2012 USA Men's Select Team roster that trained against the 2012 USA Basketball Men's National Team during its July 6–12 training camp in Las Vegas, Nevada.USA Basketball Adds Two 2011 USA Pan American Games Players to 2012 USA Men’s Select Team Roster
/ref>

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, 42 , , 10 , , 15.0 , , .452 , , .000 , , .839 , , 3.0 , , .3 , , .2 , , .2 , , 4.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, 59 , , 9 , , 10.9 , , .500 , , – , , .729 , , 1.9 , , .3 , , .2 , , .1 , , 2.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, 5 , , 0 , , 8.4 , , .222 , , – , , .500 , , 1.4 , , .6 , , .0 , , .0 , , 1.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...

, 22 , , 13 , , 20.5 , , .357 , , .000 , , .697 , , 3.4 , , .9 , , .5 , , .0 , , 5.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, 40 , , 24 , , 26.0 , , .434 , , .333 , , .742 , , 3.0 , , 1.2 , , .7 , , .2 , , 8.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 59 , , 5 , , 22.3 , , .442 , , .404 , , .857 , , 2.2 , , .9 , , .4 , , .1 , , 8.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 46 , , 15 , , 21.0 , , .398 , , .447 , , .843 , , 3.2 , , .8 , , .4 , , .1 , , 6.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 73 , , 31 , , 18.5 , , .382 , , .403 , , .830 , , 2.4 , , .6 , , .4 , , .2 , , 4.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 46 , , 17 , , 17.0 , , .396 , , .278 , , .750 , , 2.5 , , .6 , , .4 , , .2 , , 4.5 , - , 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 ...

, 7 , , 4 , , 14.0 , , .348 , , .308 , , 1.000 , , 1.9 , , .9 , , .0 , , .0 , , 3.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 399 , , 128 , , 18.4 , , .416 , , .381 , , .799 , , 2.6 , , .7 , , .4 , , .1 , , 5.1

Playoffs

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

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

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

, 3 , , 0 , , 5.7 , , .200 , , .000 , , .500 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .3 , , 1.3 , - class="sortbottom" , colspan="2" style="text-align:center;", Career , 3 , , 0 , , 5.7 , , .200 , , .000 , , .500 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .3 , , 1.3

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2006–07 , style="text-align:left;",

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...

, 31 , , 18 , , 14.9 , , .568 , , – , , .593 , , 2.5 , , .0 , , .5 , , .1 , , 4.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2007–08 , style="text-align:left;",

, 32 , , 28 , , 18.5 , , .505 , , – , , .521 , , 3.3 , , .3 , , .6 , , .4 , , 4.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2008–09 , style="text-align:left;",

, 37 , , 16 , , 18.6 , , .626 , , – , , .553 , , 3.6 , , .5 , , .5 , , .3 , , 5.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2009–10 , style="text-align:left;",

, 40 , , 39 , , 25.3 , , .439 , , – , , .743 , , 4.9 , , .9 , , .6 , , .2 , , 4.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 140 , , 101 , , 19.7 , , .525 , , – , , .600 , , 3.6 , , .5 , , .6 , , .2 , , 4.6

References

External links

Duke Blue Devils bioUSA Basketball bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Lance 1988 births Living people African-American basketball players American expatriate basketball people in China American men's basketball players Austin Toros players Basketball players at the 2011 Pan American Games Basketball players from New Jersey Basketball players from New York City Brooklyn Nets players Duke Blue Devils men's basketball players Guangzhou Loong Lions players McDonald's High School All-Americans New Orleans Hornets players New Orleans Pelicans players New York Knicks players Oklahoma City Thunder players Pan American Games bronze medalists for the United States Pan American Games medalists in basketball Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) People from Scotch Plains, New Jersey Power forwards (basketball) Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School alumni Small forwards Sportspeople from Brooklyn Sportspeople from Union County, New Jersey St. Benedict's Preparatory School alumni Undrafted National Basketball Association players Medalists at the 2011 Pan American Games 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American people