Marial Makur Shayok ( ; born July 26, 1995) is a Canadian professional basketball player for the

Maine Celtics The Maine Celtics (formerly the Maine Red Claws) are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Portland, Maine, and are affiliated with the Boston Celtics. The Maine Celtics play their home games at the Portland Expo B ...

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

Virginia Cavaliers The Virginia Cavaliers, also known as ''Wahoos'' or ''Hoos'', are the athletic teams representing the University of Virginia, located in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers compete at the NCAA Division I level ( FBS for football), in the Atlantic C ...

and

Iowa State Cyclones The Iowa State Cyclones are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Iowa State University, located in Ames. The university is a member of the Big 12 Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 16 varsity teams (6 men's and 1 ...

. Shayok plays with the South Sudan national team in the 2023 World Cup.

Early life

Shayok was born in

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

, Ontario, to Sudanese father Makur and mother Helena. Makur had some basketball talent himself — the native of Sudan played at the

University of Dayton The University of Dayton (UD) is a private, Catholic research university in Dayton, Ohio. Founded in 1850 by the Society of Mary, it is one of three Marianist universities in the nation and the second-largest private university in Ohio. The univ ...

. Marial has four siblings, including two who played college basketball in 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 ...

. His sister, Yar, played for the

University of Detroit Mercy The University of Detroit Mercy is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Roman Catholic university in Detroit, Michigan. It is sponsored by both the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy. The university was founded in 1877 ...

, then signed with a professional team in France, while his older brother Shayok played at the

IMG Academy IMG Academy is a preparatory boarding school and sports training destination in Bradenton, Florida, United States. IMG Academy is set across over 600 acres and features programs consisting of sport camps for youth athletes, adult camps, a board ...

and later at

Bradley University Bradley University is a private university in Peoria, Illinois. Founded in 1897, Bradley University enrolls 5,400 students who are pursuing degrees in more than 100 undergraduate programs and more than 30 graduate programs in five colleges. The ...

. Shayok started playing basketball at the age of seven, sometimes on the playgrounds, sometimes at the YMCA. Growing up, his favorite players were

Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...

Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely r ...

Kevin Durant Kevin Wayne Durant ( ; born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for t ...

Penny Hardaway Anfernee Deon "Penny" Hardaway (born July 18, 1971) is an American college basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach of the Memphis Tigers men's basketball team in the American Athletic Conference (AAC). Hardaway pla ...

, and

Dwyane Wade Dwyane Tyrone Wade Jr. (; born January 17, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. Wade spent the majority of his 16-year career playing for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and won three NBA champi ...

High school career

Shayok attended

Blair Academy Blair Academy is a coeducational, boarding and day school for students in high school. The school serves students from ninth through twelfth grades as well as a small post-graduate class. The school's campus is located on a campus in Blairs ...

, where he was coached by Joe Mantegna. He was a First Team All-Prep selection by The Star-Ledger. Coming out of high school, Shayok signed with Marquette but never played for the team.

College career

As a freshman at

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, Shayok averaged 3.8 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. The following season, he averaged 4.3 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. Shayok posted 8.9 points and 2.4 rebounds per game for the Cavaliers as a junior, shooting 44 percent from the field and 33 percent from 3-point range. He scored 23 points in Virginia’s victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against the

UNC Wilmington Seahawks The UNC Wilmington (UNCW) Seahawks are the varsity athletic teams representing the University of North Carolina Wilmington in Wilmington, North Carolina in intercollegiate athletics. The university sponsors eight teams for the men (baseball, bas ...

. Following the season, Shayok opted to transfer and signed with

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 ...

on April 19, 2017. Shayok scored 24 points in a 77-60 win over

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

on January 5, 2019. On January 7, Shayok was named Big 12 Player of the Week. In the semifinals of the Big 12 Conference tournament, the redshirt senior hit a pair of big 3-pointers in the final two minutes to help five-seed Iowa State topped top seed Kansas State 63-59. Shayok finished with a game-high 21 points, helping the Cyclones battled back from a five-point deficit with 2 minutes, and 47 seconds remaining. None were bigger than the final two Shayok hit. On March 16, 2019, in the finals of the Big 12 Conference tournament, Shayok scored 15 points in a 78-66 win over

and was named the Big 12 tournament MVP to add to being named First-team 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 ...

On day two of the

Portsmouth Invitational Tournament The Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, (PIT), is the oldest amateur basketball tournament in the United States and the only postseason camp restricted to college basketball seniors. The Portsmouth Invitational is the first of two NBA pre-draft ...

, Shayok scored 37 points, including a three-pointer to force overtime for his team, as well as the game-winning shot in OT. He was 7-of-9 from three-point range and also had 7 rebounds. He was later named as part of the PIT All-Tournament Team.

Professional career

Philadelphia 76ers (2019–2020)

Shayok was selected with the 54th overall pick in 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 ...

by the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...

. On July 7, 2019, the 76ers announced that they had signed Shayok to 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 ...

, meaning he would split time between the 76ers and their G League affiliate, the

Delaware Blue Coats The Delaware Blue Coats are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Wilmington, Delaware, and are affiliated with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Blue Coats play their home games at Chase Fieldhouse. The team was founde ...

. Shayok was named G League player of the week on November 18 after averaging 35.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists in three games for the Blue Coats, including 42 points against the

Greensboro Swarm The Greensboro Swarm are an American basketball team of the NBA G League based in Greensboro, North Carolina, and are affiliated with the Charlotte Hornets. The Swarm play their home games at the Greensboro Coliseum Fieldhouse. The team became ...

. On December 6, Shayok scored 31 points in a 110-109 win over the

Capital City Go-Go The Capital City Go-Go is an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Washington, D.C., and are affiliated with the Washington Wizards. The Go-Go play their home games at the St. Elizabeths East Entertainment and Sports ...

on 13-of-23 shooting. He had 29 points and six assists on January 20, 2020, in a 119-109 win over the

South Bay Lakers The South Bay Lakers are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Los Angeles. Founded in 2006 as the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the team is owned by the Los Angeles Lakers, who were the first National Basketball Associa ...

. On February 6, Shayok made his NBA debut for the 76ers, hitting a three-pointer in a 112-101 loss to 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 ...

. During the shortened 2019-20 G League season, Shayok averaged 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game, shooting 46% from the field and 36% from three point range. The 76ers waived him during the offseason.

Frutti Extra Bursaspor (2021)

On January 5, 2021, he signed with Frutti Extra Bursaspor of the

Turkish Super League Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

(BSL). In 12 games with them, he averaged 18.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 4.2 assists.

Fenerbahçe (2021)

Following his very strong finish to the season, Shayok officially signed a two (1+1) year deal with fellow Turkish club Fenerbahçe on June 21, 2021.

Maine Celtics (2022–present)

On October 24, 2022, Shayok joined the

training camp roster.

International career

Shayok was chosen to represent

South Sudan South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the C ...

at the

2023 FIBA World Cup The 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup will be the 19th tournament of the FIBA Basketball World Cup for men's national basketball teams. The tournament will be the second to feature 32 teams. For the first time in its history, the World Cup will be h ...

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, 4 , , 0 , , 7.0 , , .250 , , .333 , , .750 , , 1.8 , , .3 , , .3 , , .0 , , 2.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 4 , , 0 , , 7.0 , , .250 , , .333 , , .750 , , 1.8 , , .3 , , .3 , , .0 , , 2.8

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2014–15 , style="text-align:left;",

, 34 , , 1 , , 14.6 , , .405 , , .380 , , .630 , , 1.8 , , 1.0 , , .6 , , .3 , , 3.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2015–16 , style="text-align:left;",

, 35 , , 8 , , 15.0 , , .492 , , .436 , , .548 , , 1.9 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , .1 , , 4.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2016–17 , style="text-align:left;",

, 34 , , 14 , , 20.6 , , .445 , , .328 , , .796 , , 2.4 , , 1.0 , , .9 , , .3 , , 8.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2018–19 , style="text-align:left;",

, 34 , , 34 , , 32.9 , , .496 , , .386 , , .878 , , 4.9 , , 2.0 , , .9 , , .2 , , 18.7 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 137 , , 57 , , 20.7 , , .470 , , .381 , , .787 , , 2.7 , , 1.3 , , .7 , , .2 , , 8.9

References

External links

Iowa State Cyclones bioNBA Draft Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shayok, Marial 1995 births Living people Basketball players from Ottawa Black Canadian basketball players Blair Academy alumni Bursaspor Basketbol players Canadian expatriate basketball people in Turkey Canadian expatriate basketball people in the United States Canadian men's basketball players Canadian people of South Sudanese descent Delaware Blue Coats players Fenerbahçe men's basketball players Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball players Maine Celtics players National Basketball Association players from Canada Philadelphia 76ers draft picks Philadelphia 76ers players Shooting guards South Sudanese men's basketball players Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball players 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup players