Tyreke Jamir Evans (born September 19, 1989) 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 Indios de Mayagüez of the

Baloncesto Superior Nacional The Baloncesto Superior Nacional, abbreviated as BSN, is the first-tier-level professional men's basketball league in Puerto Rico. It was founded in 1929 and is organized by the Puerto Rican Basketball Federation. The Baloncesto Superior Naci ...

(BSN). After playing

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 Memphis Tigers, he was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft by 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 ...

. Evans went on to win the 2010

NBA Rookie of the Year Award The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Go ...

. He was traded to 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 ...

in 2013 before being traded back to the Kings in 2017. After successive stints with the Memphis Grizzlies and

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first estab ...

, Evans, who would have become a free agent at the end of the 2019 season, was dismissed and disqualified from the NBA in May for violating the terms of the league's anti-drug program, but was reinstated in February 2022.

High school career

Tyreke Evans was born in

Chester, Pennsylvania Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located within the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area, it is the only city in Delaware County and had a population of 32,605 as of the 2020 census. Incorporated in 1682, Chester i ...

, where he was chiefly raised by his three older brothers.Jere Longman.
Prep Star's Rise Aided by His Brother's Best Intentions
. ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

''. February 21, 2008. Retrieved on June 25, 2008. For high school, Evans attended American Christian Academy in Ledgewood, NJ. There, he quickly proved an impressive talent on the basketball court, and by his sophomore season, began drawing comparisons to no less than Hall of Famer

Tracy McGrady Tracy Lamar McGrady Jr. (born May 24, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player, best known for his career in the National Basketball Association (NBA). McGrady is a seven-time NBA All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, two- ...

. In his senior campaign, he put up averages of 32.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 4.3 steals per game. He was selected as the MVP of the McDonald's High School All-American Game and, together with

Brandon Jennings Brandon Byron Jennings (born September 23, 1989) is an American former professional basketball player who played 9 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is known for being one of the first Americans to go from high school to ...

, was named co-MVP of the Jordan Brand Classic. He was also named to the first-team ''Parade'' All-American. He was featured in the documentary '' Gunning for That #1 Spot'' directed by Adam "MCA" Yauch of the

Beastie Boys Beastie Boys were an American rap rock group from New York City, formed in 1978. The group was composed of Michael "Mike D" Diamond (vocals, drums), Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (vocals, guitar, programming) ...

when he was only sixteen years of age. Evans was chosen to be the keeper of the '' Slam'' High School Diary for the 2008 season. Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, Evans was listed as the No. 3 point guard and the No. 6 player in the nation in 2008.

College career

In April 2008, after also considering

Villanova University Villanova University is a private Roman Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania. It was founded by the Augustinians in 1842 and named after Saint Thomas of Villanova. The university is the oldest Catholic university in Pennsy ...

and the

University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

, Evans announced his commitment to the Memphis Tigers. After playing

small forward The small forward (SF), also known as the three or swingman, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers but taller, larger, and stronge ...

throughout high school, Evans initially struggled with his transition to

shooting guard The shooting guard (SG), also known as the two, two guard or off guard,Shooting guards are 6'3"–6'7"BBC Sports academy URL last accessed 2006-09-09. is one of the five traditional positions in a regulation basketball game. A shooting guard's m ...

at Memphis. But as soon as coach

John Calipari John Vincent Calipari (born February 10, 1959) is an American basketball coach. Since 2009, he has been the head coach of the University of Kentucky men's team, with whom he won the NCAA Championship in 2012. He has been named Naismith College ...

had him start at the

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

position for the eleventh game of the season, Evans flourished in a 60–45 win over

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line w ...

; he played 33 minutes and tallied 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists, the latter two being season highs. With Evans at the helm, Memphis would not lose another game until the NCAA tournament, falling to the

Missouri Tigers The Missouri Tigers intercollegiate athletics programs represent the University of Missouri, located in Columbia. The name comes from a band of armed Union Home Guards called the Fighting Tigers of Columbia who, in 1864, protected Columbia fro ...

. Evans won

Conference USA Conference USA (C-USA or CUSA) is an intercollegiate athletic conference whose current member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. C-USA's offices are ...

Rookie of the Week as many as eight times. He was also the only freshman among the

United States Basketball Writers Association The United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) was founded in 1956 by National Collegiate Athletic Association director Walter Byers to serve the interests of journalists who cover college basketball. Scholarships The USBWA annually awar ...

's 2009 finalists for the

National Player of the Year National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

award that is named in honor of Oscar Robertson.

Professional career

Sacramento Kings (2009–2013)

2009–10: Rookie of the Year

On March 31, 2009, Evans declared himself eligible for the 2009 NBA draft, opting to forgo his remaining three seasons of collegiate eligibility. He was selected on June 25, 2009, by the

with the fourth overall pick. On December 1, 2009, Evans was named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month for games played from the beginning of the season through November. Over that period, he put up averages of 18.8 points, 5 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.3 steals in 36.1 minutes per game. Also notably, on December 21, he led the Kings back from a 35-point deficit to defeat the

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

102–98; by scoring 9 of the Kings' last 11 points, he single-handedly outscored the Bulls in the fourth quarter, with his 11 points besting the Bulls' 10 points scored. Tyreke Evans Dec 2012

On January 4, 2010, Evans was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for the second month straight. On February 12, Evans won the 2010 Rookie and Sophomore Game MVP award after recording 26 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals on 11-of-15 shooting. In an act of sportsmanship, Evans opted to share the award with

DeJuan Blair DeJuan Lamont Blair (born April 22, 1989) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Pittsburgh Panthers from 2007 to 2009. Blair entered the 2009 NBA draft where he was selected as the 37th overall ...

, who had put up 22 points and pulled down 23 rebounds. In a victory over 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 March 11, Evans recorded his first career

triple-double In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...

with his 19 points to go along with 10 assists and as many rebounds. Evans became just the fourth rookie in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists after Oscar Robertson (1960–61),

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 ...

(1984–85), and

LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. (; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is widely considered one of the greatest p ...

(2003–04). On April 27, 2010, Evans was recognized for his accomplishments by being awarded the 2009–10

NBA Rookie of the Year The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gott ...

Award.

2010–13: Later seasons

On December 29, 2010,

O. J. Mayo Ovinton J'Anthony Mayo (born November 5, 1987) is an American professional basketball player who plays for Zamalek SC of the Egyptian Basketball Super League (EBSL). He played a single season of college basketball for the USC Trojans while earnin ...

hit an off-balance shot to put the Memphis Grizzlies up by one point with only seconds remaining in the game; with no timeouts left,

DeMarcus Cousins DeMarcus Amir Cousins (born August 13, 1990) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Boogie", he played college basketball for the Kentucky Wil ...

inbounded the ball to Evans, who dribbled to half court and nailed a three-pointer to secure a two-point win for Sacramento. Though it came in a loss to 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 ...

, Evans tallied a then career-high 35 points to go along with 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals on January 21, 2011. He later missed 19 season games on account of plantar fasciitis in his left foot and thus did not play in that year's NBA Rookie Challenge. On November 24, 2011, Evans agreed to a deal to play for

Virtus Roma Pallacanestro Virtus Roma, commonly known as Virtus Roma, was an Italian professional basketball club based in Rome, Lazio. It competed in the first division of Italian basketball, the LBA, for the last time in the 2020–21 season. It was form ...

in Italy during the NBA lockout; the deal had an NBA out-clause allowing him to return to the Sacramento Kings when the lockout ceased. In December, he returned to the Kings after the 2011 NBA lockout had ended. On January 28, 2012, he scored a season-high 31 points in a 96–93 loss to the Utah Jazz. In 2012–13, Evans missed 16 out of 20 games between November 30 and January 5 due to a left knee injury. He finished the season with averages of 15.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.

New Orleans Pelicans (2013–2017)

Evans was acquired by the

on July 10, 2013, in a sign-and-trade deal involving three teams; the deal sent Robin Lopez to the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...

and Greivis Vásquez to the Kings. On December 30 that year, Evans hit the game-clinching shot with 1.2 seconds remaining in a victory over the Trail Blazers. On April 14, 2014, he scored a career-high 41 points during a 101–89 win over 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 ...

. In a 101–95 win over his former team, the Sacramento Kings, Evans tallied a near triple-double with 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 9 assists. On December 1, 2015, he played his first game of the 2015–16 season after having missed the Pelicans' first 17 games while recovering from right knee surgery. In 31 minutes as a starter, Evans recorded 20 points and 10 assists in the loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. On the 11th of that same month, he scored 27 points and hit a career-high 5 three-pointers in a 105–103 win versus 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 Southeast Division. The team plays ...

. On February 11, 2016, he underwent another round of surgery to his right knee and was ruled out for the rest of the season. On December 15, 2016, being his first game since January 25, Evans played 11 minutes and posted 7 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists during a 102–95 victory over the

. On January 12, 2017, Evans scored a season-high 29 points in a 104–95 victory over 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 ...

Return to Sacramento (2017)

On February 20, 2017, Evans was traded along with Buddy Hield, Langston Galloway, and 2017 first and second round draft picks to the

in exchange for

and

Omri Casspi Omri Moshe Casspi ( he, עומרי משה כספי, born June 22, 1988) is an Israeli former professional basketball player. He mainly played at the small forward position, but could play also at the power forward position. Casspi was drafted 2 ...

. Three days later, in his first game for the Kings since 2013, Evans scored 15 points off the bench in a 116–100 win over the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...

. On March 8, 2017, he scored a season-high 26 points in a 114–104 loss to the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...

Memphis Grizzlies (2017–2018)

Evans signed with the Memphis Grizzlies on July 10, 2017. On November 1 of that year, he led the team with 32 points in a 101–99 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 ...

; it was his first 30-point performance since December 2014. Midway through the season, Evans filled in for the injured Mike Conley to become the team's starting point guard. On December 27, he accumulated 32 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists in a 109–99 victory over the

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

. After being put on the trade block leading up to the trade deadline, Evans missed time in late January and early February. In his first game back for the Grizzlies on February 11, Evans recorded 12 points and 5 rebounds in a 110–92 loss to the

. On February 23, he put up 15 points and 10 assists in a 112–89 loss 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 Central ...

. In the contest, Evans went 3 for 7 from outside the arc to make his 28th straight game with at least one 3-pointer, breaking the franchise record of 27 previously held by Mike Miller. On March 15 against the

, Evans returned to the lineup following a 10-game absence because of a rib injury.

Indiana Pacers (2018–2019)

On July 6, 2018, Evans signed with the

. In the season-opener on October 17, he posted 14 points and 5 assists to debut for his new franchise and help defeat his former team, the Memphis Grizzlies, 111–83. On November 16, he hit five 3-pointers and scored a season-high 23 points off the bench in a 99–91 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 Southeast Division. The club plays its home games at FT ...

. In game four of the Pacers' first-round playoff series against the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

, he scored a playoff career-high 21 points in a 110–106 series-ending loss. On May 17, 2019, Evans was banned from the NBA for violating the terms of its Anti-Drug Program that prohibits

drug abuse Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...

. He became eligible to apply for reinstatement in 2021, and was officially reinstated on February 14, 2022.

Wisconsin Herd (2022)

On March 16, 2022, Evans signed with the Wisconsin Herd of the

NBA 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 D ...

. On March 23, he was waived.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, 72 , , 72 , , 37.2 , , .458 , , .255 , , .748 , , 5.3 , , 5.8 , , 1.5 , , .4 , , 20.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, 57 , , 53 , , 37.0 , , .409 , , .291 , , .771 , , 4.8 , , 5.6 , , 1.5 , , .5 , , 17.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, 63 , , 61 , , 34.3 , , .453 , , .202 , , .779 , , 4.6 , , 4.5 , , 1.3 , , .5 , , 16.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, 65 , , 61 , , 31.0 , , .478 , , .338 , , .775 , , 4.4 , , 3.5 , , 1.4 , , .4 , , 15.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

, 72 , , 22 , , 28.2 , , .436 , , .221 , , .771 , , 4.7 , , 5.0 , , 1.2 , , .3 , , 14.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

, 79 , , 76 , , 34.1 , , .447 , , .304 , , .694 , , 5.3 , , 6.6 , , 1.3 , , .5 , , 16.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

, 25 , , 25 , , 30.6 , , .433 , , .388 , , .796 , , 5.2 , , 6.6 , , 1.3 , , .3 , , 15.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

, 26 , , 0 , , 18.2 , , .401 , , .300 , , .776 , , 3.3 , , 3.5 , , .9 , , .2 , , 9.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, 14 , , 6 , , 22.4 , , .413 , , .408 , , .706 , , 3.6 , , 2.4 , , .9 , , .4 , , 11.6 , - , 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 ...

, 52 , , 32 , , 30.9 , , .452 , , .381 , , .785 , , 5.2 , , 5.2 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , 19.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, 69 , , 18 , , 20.3 , , .389 , , .356 , , .719 , , 2.9 , , 2.4 , , .8 , , .3 , , 10.2 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 594 , , 426 , , 30.7 , , .440 , , .323 , , .757 , , 4.6 , , 4.8 , , 1.2 , , .4 , , 15.7

Playoffs

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

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

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

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

, 4 , , 4 , , 31.3 , , .326 , , .182 , , .588 , , 5.0 , , 5.0 , , 1.3 , , .3 , , 10.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

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

, 4 , , 0 , , 21.0 , , .438 , , .550 , , .571 , , 4.3 , , .8 , , .5 , , .3 , , 15.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 8 , , 4 , , 26.1 , , .385 , , .419 , , .581 , , 4.6 , , 2.9 , , .9 , , .3 , , 12.6

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2008–09 , style="text-align:left;",

, 37 , , 35 , , 29.0 , , .455 , , .274 , , .711, , 5.4 , , 3.9 , , 2.1 , , .8 , , 17.1

References

External links

Memphis bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Evans, Tyreke 1989 births Living people American men's basketball players Basketball players from Pennsylvania Chester High School alumni Doping cases in basketball Indiana Pacers players McDonald's High School All-Americans Memphis Grizzlies players Memphis Tigers men's basketball players National Basketball Association players banned for drug offenses New Orleans Pelicans players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Sacramento Kings draft picks Sacramento Kings players Shooting guards Small forwards Sportspeople from Chester, Pennsylvania