Michael Qualls (born January 20, 1994) 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 who last played for the
TaiwanBeer HeroBears
The TaiwanBeer HeroBears ( zh, 台灣啤酒英熊) are a Taiwanese professional basketball team based in Taipei City, Taiwan. They have competed in the T1 League since the 2021–22 season, and play their home games at the Tianmu Campus, Universi ...
of the
T1 League
The T1 League is a Taiwanese men's professional basketball league founded in 2021. It is the third professional basketball league in Taiwan after the Chinese Basketball Alliance (CBA) and the P. League+ (PLG). In the 2022–23 season, the T ...
. He played college basketball for the
Arkansas Razorbacks
The Arkansas Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the intercollegiate athletics teams representing the University of Arkansas, located in Fayetteville. The University of Arkansas student body voted to change the name of the school mascot (ori ...
and is most notably remembered for his go-ahead
slam dunk
A slam dunk, also simply known as dunk, is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air, controls the ball above the horizontal plane of the rim, and scores by shoving the ball directly through the basket with one ...
with 0.2 seconds left in overtime against
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
in 2014.
High school career
Qualls attended Huntington High School where he led them to four district championships, including a senior season in which he averaged 17.8 points per game, guiding Huntington to 33 wins, making him the third-ranked player in the state of Louisiana in the class of 2012, with an ESPN.com scout grade of 89.
College career
After graduating high school, Qualls attended
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
, where he appeared in 100 games (56 starts) and averaged 11.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 23.8 minutes per game. Conference, SEC after averaging 15.9 points per game. He decided to forgo his final year of college eligibility and declared for the 2015 NBA draft. Qualls is perhaps best known for his slam dunk at the buzzer to beat Kentucky 87–85 in overtime at
Bud Walton Arena
Bud Walton Arena (also known as the Basketball Palace of Mid-America) is the home to the men's and women's basketball teams of the University of Arkansas, known as the Razorbacks. It is located on the campus of the University of Arkansas in Fa ...
on January 14, 2014. It was the #1 play on the
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
Sportscenter
''SportsCenter'' (SC) is a daily sports news television show, television program that serves as the flagship program and brand of United States, American cable television, cable and satellite television television network, network ESPN. The show ...
Top 10 plays of the day, and is considered one of the greatest moments in Razorbacks basketball history.
Professional career
During a workout with 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 ...
prior to the 2015 draft, Qualls tore his ACL and was ruled out for six to 12 months. Despite the injury, Qualls managed to land an NBA training camp deal, signing 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 ...
on September 29, 2015. He was later waived by the Thunder on October 22 prior to the start of the regular season. On November 3, he was acquired by the
Oklahoma City Blue
The Oklahoma City Blue are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and are affiliated with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Blue play their home games at Paycom Center. The franchise began as t ...
as an affiliate player from the Thunder. On November 11, he was waived by the Blue.
On August 7, 2016, Qualls signed with
Hapoel Gilboa Galil
Hapoel Gilboa Galil ( he, הפועל גלבוע גליל) is a professional basketball club that is based in north-east Israel. The club plays its home game in the Israeli Basketball Premier League (the top tier of Israeli basketball) in a 2,250 ...
of the Israeli League. On October 10, 2016, he made his professional debut in a 77–61 loss to
Hapoel Holon
Hapoel Holon Basketball Club ( he, מועדון הכדורסל הפועל חולון), known for sponsorship reasons as Hapoel Atsmon Playgrounds Holon (), is a professional basketball club based in Holon, Israel. The team plays in the Israeli B ...
, recording 15 points, five rebounds and one assist in 25 minutes off the bench.
On September 23, 2017, Qualls signed with the Italian team
Pallacanestro Cantù
Pallacanestro Cantù, known for sponsorship reasons as Acqua S.Bernardo Cantù, is an Italian professional basketball club that is based in Cantù, Lombardy. On the European-wide club competition scene, Cantù is second to Real Madrid – again ...
for the 2017–18 season. On October 25, 2017, he parted ways with Cantù after appearing in two games. On December 13, 2017, he was acquired by the
Salt Lake City Stars
The Salt Lake City Stars are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and are affiliated with the Utah Jazz. As of the 2022-23 season, the Stars play in the Maverik Center in West Valley City, U ...
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 ...
. On March 5, 2018, he was waived by the Stars after averaging 8.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 19.4 minutes in 18 games. Three days later, he was acquired by the
Texas Legends
The Texas Legends are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Frisco, Texas, and are affiliated with the Dallas Mavericks. The Legends play their home games at the Comerica Center. The team began as the Colorado 14 ...
.
Qualls was drafted in the fourth round of the 2018 NBA G League draft by the
Wisconsin Herd
The Wisconsin Herd are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and are affiliated with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Herd play their home games at Oshkosh Arena.
History
On June 29, 2016, it was anno ...
.
In October 2019, he signed with the
NorthPort Batang Pier
The NorthPort Batang Pier is a Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) team that first played in the 2012–13 PBA season. The team took over the franchise of the Powerade Tigers in 2012 after it was sold to Sultan 900 Capital, Inc. Besides Nor ...
of the
Philippine Basketball Association
The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of twelve company-branded franchised teams. Founded in 1975, it is the first professional basketball league in Asia and is the se ...
(PBA) to replace Mychal Ammons as the team's import for the
2019 PBA Governors' Cup
The 2019 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors' Cup
also known as the 2019 Honda–PBA Governors' Cup for sponsorship reasons was the third and final conference of the 2019 PBA season. The tournament allows teams to hire foreign pla ...
.
On February 23, 2020, Qualls signed with Al-Fateh of the
Saudi Basketball League
The Saudi Basketball League (SBL) is a professional basketball league in Saudi Arabia.SCM U Craiova of the Liga Națională.
On December 22, 2022, Qualls returned to the Philippines as he signed with the
Rain or Shine Elasto Painters
The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters are a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association owned by Asian Coatings Philippines, Inc. It debuted in the league in the 2006–07 PBA season after acquiring the franchise righ ...
of the
Philippine Basketball Association
The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of twelve company-branded franchised teams. Founded in 1975, it is the first professional basketball league in Asia and is the se ...
(PBA) as the team's import for the
2023 PBA Governors' Cup
The 2023 PBA Governors' Cup, also known as the 2023 Honda PBA Governors' Cup for sponsorship reasons, is the third and final conference of the 2022–23 PBA season of the Philippine Basketball Association
The Philippine Basketball Associa ...
.
On March 3, 2023, Qualls signed with
TaiwanBeer HeroBears
The TaiwanBeer HeroBears ( zh, 台灣啤酒英熊) are a Taiwanese professional basketball team based in Taipei City, Taiwan. They have competed in the T1 League since the 2021–22 season, and play their home games at the Tianmu Campus, Universi ...
of the
T1 League
The T1 League is a Taiwanese men's professional basketball league founded in 2021. It is the third professional basketball league in Taiwan after the Chinese Basketball Alliance (CBA) and the P. League+ (PLG). In the 2022–23 season, the T ...
.
The Basketball Tournament
Michael Qualls played for Team Arkansas in the 2018 edition of
The Basketball Tournament
The Basketball Tournament (TBT) is an open-application, single-elimination tournament played each summer in the United States. The 2022 edition features 64 teams with a $1 million winner-take-all prize, broadcast by ESPN. TBT was founded in 201 ...
. In 2 games, he averaged 22.5 points, 6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game. Team Arkansas reached the second round before falling to the Talladega Knights.
Personal life
The son of Anthony and grandson of Vera Thrash, Qualls has a son named Michael Jr. He majored in recreation and sports management.