Samuel Thomas Dekker (born May 6, 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 for the London Lions of the

British Basketball League The British Basketball League (BBL) is a men's professional basketball league in Great Britain and represents the highest level of play in the countries. The league is contested by 10 teams from England and Scotland. There are no clubs howeve ...

(BBL) and the EuroCup. Dekker 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

Wisconsin Badgers The Wisconsin Badgers are the athletic teams representing the University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin). They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level ( Football Bowl Subdivis ...

. After finishing college on a championship game run in the 2015 NCAA Tournament, Dekker was selected by 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 the 18th overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft.

High school career

Dekker was named the Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year following his senior season. He was also named 2012 ''Parade'' All-American, AP first-team all-state and Wisconsin Basketball Coaches' Association's Mr. Basketball award. He led Sheboygan Lutheran to the school's first-ever WIAA state title. Dekker scored 40 points, including the last 12, in the state title game including the game-winning three-point shot with two seconds left.

College career

Freshman season

Dekker played in 35 games (3 starts) as a freshman on the

. He is one of only four true freshman to start under

Bo Ryan William Francis "Bo" Ryan Jr. (born December 20, 1947) is an American former college basketball coach and player. He was the head coach of the University of Wisconsin–Madison Badgers men's basketball team from 2001 to December 2015. Ryan se ...

joining

Devin Harris Devin Lamar Harris (born February 27, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player. Harris attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Harris was selected with the fifth pick in the 2004 NBA draft by the Washington Wizards. E ...

Alando Tucker Alando Forest Tucker (born February 11, 1984) is an American former collegiate basketball coach and former professional basketball player who played for the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the NBA, he played college basketba ...

and Josh Gasser. He earned Big Ten All-Freshman team recognition as well as honorable mention All-Big Ten honors. He was also two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week (January 14 and March 4, 2013). Dekker scored a season-high 19 points against

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 ...

on November 24, 2012, and

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 ...

on February 26, 2013.

Sophomore season

Before the season, Dekker was named to the

Wooden Award The John R. Wooden Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's and women's college basketball players. The program consists of the men's and women's Player of the Year awards, the Legends of Coaching award, and recognizing the ...

and

Naismith Trophy The Naismith Trophy is a trophy awarded to the men's champion of the FIBA Basketball World Cup, and is named in honor of basketball's inventor, James Naismith. The trophy was first awarded to the winner of the 1967 FIBA World Championship. The ...

watch lists. At the conclusion of the regular season in which he started all 38 games, Dekker was named to the Second Team All-Big Ten by the coaches and Third Team All-Big Ten by the media.

Junior season

Before the season, Dekker was named to the Wooden Award and Naismith Trophy watch lists. At the conclusion of the regular season, Dekker was named to the Second Team All-Big Ten by the coaches and by the media. But he really only took off in the NCAA Tournament. In the Sweet 16 against the number four seeded North Carolina Tar Heels, Dekker scored a career high 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the 1-seed Wisconsin to a 79–72 victory. In the Elite 8 against the number 2-seeded Arizona Wildcats, Dekker again came up big, scoring a new career high 27 points, including 5 of the Badgers's 10 second-half threes, the final of which is now known nationally as the "Dekker Dagger" shot because it sealed the win for Wisconsin. For these efforts, he was named West Regional Most Outstanding Player during the 2015 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. In the Final Four game against the heavily favored and undefeated Kentucky Wildcats, Dekker came through with another huge game, scoring 16 points, including the three that gave Wisconsin the lead for good. The Badgers finished second in the NCAA tournament after losing to Duke in the championship game. A week later, Dekker declared for the 2015 NBA draft, forgoing his final year of college eligibility.

Professional career

Houston Rockets (2015–2017)

On June 25, 2015, Dekker was selected by the

with the 18th overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft. On July 7, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Rockets but subsequently missed the entire

2015 NBA Summer League The 2015 NBA Summer League consisted of three pro basketball leagues organized by the NBA: the Orlando Pro Summer League, Utah Jazz Summer League, and Las Vegas Summer League. Ten teams participated in the week-long Orlando Pro Summer League a ...

due to a back injury. He appeared in all eight of the Rockets' preseason games, but managed game time in just three of the team's first 11 regular-season games. On November 18, 2015, he was ruled out for three months after requiring back surgery. On February 19, 2016, he was assigned to the

Rio Grande Valley Vipers The Rio Grande Valley Vipers are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Edinburg, Texas, and are affiliated with the Houston Rockets. The Vipers play their home games at the Bert Ogden Arena. The Vipers have won fo ...

, the Rockets'

D-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 De ...

affiliate, on a rehab assignment. He was recalled by the Rockets on February 22. He went on to receive two more assignments to the Vipers. On December 14, 2016, Dekker scored a career-high 19 points in a 132–98 win over the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

. On January 21, 2017, he made his first career start and set a new career high with 30 points in a 119–95 win over 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 ...

Los Angeles Clippers (2017–2018)

On June 28, 2017, the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...

acquired Dekker,

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 ...

Montrezl Harrell Montrezl Dashay Harrell (; (born January 26, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Louisville Cardinals. Harrell received t ...

Darrun Hilliard Darrun Hilliard II (born April 13, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League and the EuroLeague. Hilliard attended Liberty High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where ...

DeAndre Liggins DeAndre Desmond Liggins (born March 31, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for Al-Ahli of the Saudi Premier League. He played college basketball for Kentucky. High school career Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, L ...

Lou Williams Louis Tyrone Williams (born October 27, 1986) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted directly out of high school by the Philadelphia 76ers ...

Kyle Wiltjer Kyle Gregory Wiltjer (born October 20, 1992) is a Canadian-American professional basketball player for the Zhejiang Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He spent two seasons of college basketball with the Kentucky Wildcats before tr ...

and a 2018 first-round pick from the Houston Rockets in exchange for

Chris Paul Christopher Emmanuel Paul (born May 6, 1985), nicknamed "CP3" and “The Point God”, is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Paul is widely regarded as one o ...

Cleveland Cavaliers (2018)

On August 7, 2018, Dekker was traded, along with the draft rights to

Renaldas Seibutis Renaldas Seibutis (born July 23, 1985) is a former Lithuanian professional basketball player. He represented the senior Lithuanian national team internationally. Professional career Europe In the 2010–11 season, Seibutis played for Olin Edi ...

and cash considerations, to 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 ...

in exchange for the draft rights to

Vladimir Veremeenko Vladimir Veremeenko (born July 21, 1984) is a Belarusian professional basketball player who last played for Tsmoki-Minsk of the VTB United League. Professional career The son of professional basketball players, Veremeenko was an early bloomer a ...

Washington Wizards (2018–2019)

On December 7, 2018, Dekker was traded to the

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast D ...

in a five-player, three-team deal. The Wizards traded Jason Smith and cash considerations 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 ...

. The Bucks sent John Henson,

Matthew Dellavedova Matthew William Dellavedova (born 8 September 1990) is an Australian professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Saint Mary's College. In 2016, he won ...

, and 2021 first- and second-round picks to the

and received George Hill and a 2021 second-round pick. The Wizards also sent a 2022 second-round pick to the Cavs.

Lokomotiv Kuban (2019–2020)

On August 5, 2019, Dekker signed with Russian club

PBC Lokomotiv Kuban PBC Lokomotiv Kuban (russian: ПБК «Локомотив Кубань») is a Russian professional basketball team based in Krasnodar. The club participates in the VTB United League. The team is one of the top tier basketball teams in Russia. T ...

of the

VTB United League VTB United League (russian: Единая Лига ВТБ) is an international professional men's club basketball list of basketball leagues, league that was founded in 2008. It is made up of mostly Russian clubs, along with one each from Belarus an ...

and the EuroCup.

Türk Telekom (2020–2021)

On July 23, 2020, Dekker signed with

Türk Telekom Türk Telekom is a state-owned Turkish telecommunications company. Türk Telekom was separated from Turkish Post (PTT) in 1995. Türk Telekom Group provides integrated telecommunication services for PSTN, GSM, and wide-band Internet. The Türk ...

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 an ...

(BSL).

Toronto Raptors (2021)

On August 10, 2021, Dekker signed with 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 ...

. However, he was waived on November 6, after making a single regular season appearance.

Bahçeşehir Koleji (2021–2022)

On December 4, 2021, Dekker signed with Bahçeşehir Koleji of the Turkish

Basketball Super League Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's ...

. The team won the 2021-22

FIBA Europe Cup The FIBA Europe Cup (FEC) is an annual professional club basketball competition organised by FIBA for eligible European clubs. It is FIBA's European-wide second level. Clubs mainly qualify for the competition based on their performance in nation ...

, with Dekker averaging 13.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. He helped Bahçeşehir win the 2021–22 FIBA Europe Cup, contributing averages of 11 points and 5.5 rebounds in the

Finals Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...

London Lions (2022–present)

On August 7, 2022, Dekker signed with London Lions of the British Basketbal League (BBL) and the EuroCup.

Personal life

Dekker has remained a Sheboygan resident throughout his NBA career. In November 2016, Dekker purchased a 1,568-square-foot condo on the Sheboygan River for $289,000. In May 2017, Dekker became engaged to

Olivia Harlan Olivia Harlan Dekker (born April 8, 1993) is an American sportscaster, working as a sideline reporter for ESPN College Football, the NFL on Westwood One Sports, and Big Ten Network basketball. Early life and education Harlan grew up in Missio ...

, an

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 ...

and

SEC Network The SEC Network is an American multinational sports network owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which operates the network, through its 80% controlling ownership interest) and Hearst Communications (which holds ...

reporter, daughter of NBA announcer

Kevin Harlan Kevin Harlan (born June 21, 1960) is an American television and radio sports announcer. The son of former Green Bay Packers executive Bob Harlan, he broadcasts NFL and college basketball games on CBS and the NBA for TNT. 2022 will be his 38th ...

, and granddaughter of NFL

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...

Chairman Emeritus

Bob Harlan Robert "Bob" Ernest Harlan (born September 9, 1936) is the former Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Green Bay Packers, an American professional football team. He is a graduate of Marquette University, where he was the S ...

. The two were married on July 14, 2018.

National team career

In Summer 2012, Dekker was on the under-18 United States national team that defeated Brazil for the gold medal in the

FIBA The International Basketball Federation (FIBA ; French: ) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. Originally known as the (hence FIBA), in 1989 it dropped the word ''amateur'' from its nam ...

Americas championship, but his play was limited due to an injury.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

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, 77 , , 2 , , 18.4 , , .473 , , .321 , , .559 , , 3.7 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , .3 , , 6.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 73 , , 1 , , 12.1 , , .494 , , .167 , , .661 , , 2.4 , , .5 , , .3 , , .1 , , 4.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, 9 , , 5 , , 18.8 , , .458 , , .385 , , .800 , , 3.7 , , 1.0 , , 1.2 , , .0 , , 6.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, 38 , , 0 , , 16.3 , , .471 , , .286 , , .556 , , 3.0 , , 1.0 , , .7 , , .2 , , 6.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, 1 , , 0 , , 1.0 , , – , , – , , – , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 201 , , 8 , , 15.4 , , .478 , , .288 , , .606 , , 3.0 , , .8 , , .5 , , .2 , , 5.5

Playoffs

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

, 4 , , 0 , , 7.8 , , .250 , , .500 , , .000 , , 2.5 , , .3 , , .3 , , .3 , , 2.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 4 , , 0 , , 7.8 , , .250 , , .500 , , .000 , , 2.5 , , .3 , , .3 , , .3 , , 2.3

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2012–13 , style="text-align:left;",

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, 35 , , 3 , , 22.3 , , .476 , , .391 , , .690 , , 3.4 , , 1.3 , , .7 , , .4 , , 9.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2013–14 , style="text-align:left;",

, 38 , , 38 , , 29.8 , , .469 , , .326 , , .686 , , 6.1 , , 1.4 , , .8 , , .6 , , 12.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2014–15 , style="text-align:left;",

, 40 , , 40 , , 31.0 , , .525 , , .331 , , .708 , , 5.5 , , 1.2 , , .5 , , .5 , , 13.9 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 113 , , 81 , , 27.9 , , .493 , , .348 , , .695 , , 5.0 , , 1.3 , , .6 , , .5 , , 12.1

Eurocup

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2019–20 , style="text-align:left;",

Lokomotiv Kuban PBC Lokomotiv Kuban (russian: ПБК «Локомотив Кубань») is a Russian professional basketball team based in Krasnodar. The club participates in the VTB United League. The team is one of the top tier basketball teams in Russia. T ...

, 10 , , 8 , , 27.0 , , .705 , , .303 , , .789 , , 5.3 , , 1.5 , , .9 , , .6 , , 13.1 , , 15.6

References

External links

Wisconsin Badgers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dekker, Sam 1994 births Living people American expatriate basketball people in Canada American expatriate basketball people in Russia American expatriate basketball people in Turkey American men's basketball players Bahçeşehir Koleji S.K. players Basketball players from Wisconsin Cleveland Cavaliers players Houston Rockets draft picks Houston Rockets players Los Angeles Clippers players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) PBC Lokomotiv-Kuban players Power forwards (basketball) Rio Grande Valley Vipers players Small forwards Sportspeople from Sheboygan, Wisconsin Toronto Raptors players Türk Telekom B.K. players Washington Wizards players Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball players London Lions (basketball) players