Worthy Donovan Rafael de Jong (born 14 March 1988) is a Dutch
3x3 basketball
3x3 basketball (pronounced ''three-ex-three'') is a variation of basketball played three-a-side, with one backboard and in a half-court setup. According to an ESSEC Business School study commissioned by the International Olympic Committee, 3x3 ...
player and former professional 5x5 player. Standing at 6 ft 4.3 in (1.94 m), De Jong plays the
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 ...
or the
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 stronger t ...
position.
He played 13 seasons as a professional player in the Netherlands, of which 11 were with
ZZ Leiden
ZZ Leiden Basketball, also known as Zorg en Zekerheid Leiden, is a basketball club based in Leiden, Netherlands. The club plays in the BNXT League, the domestic first tier league. Their home games are played at Vijf Meihal, which has 2,000 seats.
...
. He is Leiden's all-time leader in points, rebounds and assists, and is nicknamed "Mister ZZ Leiden". With Leiden, he won three
Dutch championships and two
Dutch Cups. De Jong is widely regarded as one of the best Dutch basketball players of his generation and was considered the best player in the country in his prime.
De Jong also played for the
Netherlands national team during ten years and represented the team at the
EuroBasket
EuroBasket, also commonly referred to as the European Basketball Championship, is the main international basketball competition that is contested quadrennially, by the senior men's national teams that are governed by FIBA Europe, which is the E ...
in
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 ...
and
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
.
Early life
Born in
Paramaribo
Paramaribo (; ; nicknamed Par'bo) is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on the banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 241,000 people (2012 census), almost half of Suriname's ...
, De Jong was named after
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 ...
basketball player
James Worthy
James Ager Worthy (born February 27, 1961) is an American sports commentator, television host, analyst, and former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Big Game James", he played his entire professional career with the Los Angeles Lakers ...
.
De Jong and his parents moved to
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
when he was two years old. There, he started playing basketball at age 11. He started playing at Club 2000, motivated by his father who was a basketball player in Suriname.
In 2006, De Jong moved to the United States to attend
Ranger College
Ranger College is a public community college in Ranger, Texas. The college's website asserts that it "is one of the oldest public two-year colleges in continuous operation in the state of Texas." In conjunction with its main campus in Ranger, the ...
in
Ranger, Texas
Ranger is a city in Eastland County, Texas, United States. Its population was 2,468 at the 2010 census. Ranger College, a community college, is the second-largest employer in the community.
During the 1920s, Ranger, like nearby Cisco, Eastland, ...
, on a scholarship.
[ Later, he returned to the Netherlands and played with Orca's Urk in the ]Promotiedivisie
The Promotiedivisie (English: Promotion Division) is the second tier of basketball in the Netherlands and is the highest amateur competition in the country. At the end of a Promotiedivisie-season, a Final Four is played to decide the new champion. ...
, the national second tier league.
Professional career
Rotterdam (2009–2010)
De Jong signed with the Rotterdam Challengers
Feyenoord Basketball, for sponsorship reasons known as Zeeuw & Zeeuw Feyenoord Basketball, is a Dutch professional basketball club based in Rotterdam. The team plays in the BNXT League and plays its home games at the Topsportcentrum next to De ...
of the Dutch Basketball League
The Dutch Basketball League (DBL), formerly the Eredivisie, was the highest professional basketball league in the Netherlands, run by the Federatie Eredivisie Basketball (FEB). Since 2021, the league has been replaced by the Belgian-Dutch BNXT Le ...
for the 2009–10 season, starting his professional career. Already known for his athletic ability, he participated in the dunk contest of the DBL All-Star Game
The Dutch Basketball League All-Star Gala was a yearly basketball event in the Netherlands, organised by the Federatie Eredivisie Basketball (FEB). During the event the yearly All-Star Game was played, which included the best players of a given DB ...
. De Jong averaged 7.1 points and 3.9 rebounds in his rookie season.
First Leiden stint (2010–2016)
On 19 July 2010, de Jong signed a deal with ZZ Leiden
ZZ Leiden Basketball, also known as Zorg en Zekerheid Leiden, is a basketball club based in Leiden, Netherlands. The club plays in the BNXT League, the domestic first tier league. Their home games are played at Vijf Meihal, which has 2,000 seats.
...
. Under head coach Toon van Helfteren
Anton J. J. "Toon" van Helfteren (born 20 February 1951) is a Dutch former basketball player and current coach of Feyenoord Basketball. Van Helfteren played in the Dutch Basketball League from 1971 till 1990. He was the coach of ZZ Leiden from ...
, De Jong was a rotation player in his first seasons. In the 2010–11 season, De Jong won his first DBL title after Leiden beat Donar
Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, and ...
4–3 in the Finals. On May 14, 2011, he scored 28 points in the 107–89 Game 1 win over Donar.
In the following seasons with Leiden, De Jong grew into a star in the DBL. In the 2011–12 season, Leiden reached the finals but lost to EiffelTowers Den Bosch
Heroes Den Bosch is a Dutch professional basketball club based in 's-Hertogenbosch. The club plays in the BNXT League since 2021 and in the top basketball division in the Netherlands since 1972. Founded as EBBC in 1951, the club had several sponso ...
. Leiden did manage to win the NBB Cup
The Basketball Cup, formerly the NBB Cup ( nl, NBB-Beker), is an annual cup competition for Dutch basketball teams organised by the Basketball Nederland. Every team in the Netherlands can participate by signing up for the preliminary rounds. Profes ...
, De Jong's first of such trophy. De Jong averaged 6.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per game that season. Individually, he received his first DBL Most Improved Player
The Dutch Basketball League Most Improved Player is an award that is yearly given to the most improved player in the DBL, the highest professional basketball league in the Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
...
award after his improved role on the team.
In his third season with Leiden, the 2012–13 season, De Jong won his second title after Leeuwarden
Leeuwarden (; fy, Ljouwert, longname=yes /; Town Frisian: ''Liwwadden''; Leeuwarder dialect: ''Leewarden'') is a city and municipality in Friesland, Netherlands, with a population of 123,107 (2019). It is the provincial capital and seat of the ...
was swept in the finals, 4–0. He scored a team-high 18 points in the 74–64 Game 3 victory over Aris. Statistically, De Jong had a large improvement as he averaged 13.5 points and 5.8 rebounds, on 52.2% shooting, over the season.
In the 2014 offseason, De Jong signed a new three-year contract with Leiden. On October 4, 2014, he scored a career-high 35 points in a 113–81 win over Aris Leeuwarden
Aris Leeuwarden is a Dutch professional basketball club based in Leeuwarden. The club competes in the BNXT League, and has competed at the highest national level since 2004. Aris plays its home games at the Kalverdijkje. Its most notable successes ...
. Leiden failed to return to a fourth consecutive finals as they were defeated by Donar in the semifinals.
In the 2015–16 season, De Jong won his first DBL Most Valuable Player Award
The Dutch Basketball League Most Valuable Player Award is an annual award given to the most valuable player in the Dutch highest professional basketball league. The award is given after the regular season and was first handed out in 1974. Six Dutch ...
of his career, after averaging 17.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists per game. He was the tenth Dutch player in history to win the award. Despite his MVP season, Leiden was eliminated by Donar in the semifinals for a second year in a row.
France (2016–2017)
In June 2016, De Jong signed with SOMB Boulogne-sur-Mer
Stade Olympique Maritime Boulonnais, commonly known as SOMB, is a French professional basketball club based in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France. The team currently plays in the French third division, the Nationale Masculine 1.
History
SOMB was founded on ...
of the French second national division Pro B. Over the 2016–17 Pro B season, De Jong averaged 9.7 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists per game, as SOMB finished in 17th place and was relegated to the third division Nationale Masculine 1
The Nationale Masculine 1, abbreviated as NM1, (English: National Male 1), is the professional level third-tier division of men's club basketball in France. The two top teams from each season of the competition are promoted to the LNB Pro B
The ...
(NM1).
Second stint with Leiden (2017–2022)
On 28 June 2017, De Jong returned to his former club ZZ Leiden by signing a one-year contract. He averaged 16 points and 6.1 rebounds in his first season back and helped the team return to the finals. In his fourth finals appearance, Leiden was swept by a dominant Donar team.
In June 2018, he extended his contract for two more seasons. In the 2018–19 season, De Jong won his second NBB Cup
The Basketball Cup, formerly the NBB Cup ( nl, NBB-Beker), is an annual cup competition for Dutch basketball teams organised by the Basketball Nederland. Every team in the Netherlands can participate by signing up for the preliminary rounds. Profes ...
title with Leiden. In the DBL, he averaged 16.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
De Jong signed a three-year extension with the team on May 29, 2020. He won the DBL Defensive Player of the Year
The Dutch Basketball League Best Defender of the Year is an award that is yearly given to the best defensive player in the DBL, the highest professional basketball league in the Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_ ...
award for the first time in the 2020–21 season. De Jong also won his third championship after defeating Heroes Den Bosch
Heroes Den Bosch is a Dutch professional basketball club based in 's-Hertogenbosch. The club plays in the BNXT League since 2021 and in the top basketball division in the Netherlands since 1972. Founded as EBBC in 1951, the club had several spons ...
in the finals, and he was named DBL Playoffs MVP
The DBL Play-offs MVP is an annual Dutch Basketball League
The Dutch Basketball League (DBL), formerly the Eredivisie, was the highest professional basketball league in the Netherlands, run by the Federatie Eredivisie Basketball (FEB). Since 202 ...
in the process (he was the first Leiden player to wi the award).
On April 3, 2022, De Jong announced the 2021–22 season would be his last professional season; he would continue in 3x3 basketball
3x3 basketball (pronounced ''three-ex-three'') is a variation of basketball played three-a-side, with one backboard and in a half-court setup. According to an ESSEC Business School study commissioned by the International Olympic Committee, 3x3 ...
with the Netherlands national team, however. He finished his career by winning the inaugural BNXT League
The BNXT League, for sponsorship reasons the betFirst BNXT League, is a professional basketball league in Belgium and the Netherlands. The league is the first tier in both the Dutch and Belgian system, replacing the Dutch Basketball League, DBL a ...
championship and was named the Finals MVP of the finals against Donar
Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, and ...
.
De Jong finished his career as ZZ Leiden's all-time leader in points, rebounds, assists and steals. On October 22, 2022, the club retired his jersey number 6.
Short return from retirement (2023)
On 20 January 2023, ZZ Leiden
ZZ Leiden Basketball, also known as Zorg en Zekerheid Leiden, is a basketball club based in Leiden, Netherlands. The club plays in the BNXT League, the domestic first tier league. Their home games are played at Vijf Meihal, which has 2,000 seats.
...
announced De Jong had signed a temporary contract, while still continuing playing 3x3 basketball
3x3 basketball (pronounced ''three-ex-three'') is a variation of basketball played three-a-side, with one backboard and in a half-court setup. According to an ESSEC Business School study commissioned by the International Olympic Committee, 3x3 ...
for Basketball Nederland
Basketball Netherlands ( nl, Basketbal Nederland) is the governing body of basketball in the Netherlands. It was founded in 1947, and are headquartered in Nieuwegein.
Basketball Nederland operates the Netherlands men's national team and Netherl ...
. On 1 March, Leiden announced he had left the roster again. De Jong played four games in the 2022–23 BNXT League
The 2022–23 BNXT League is the second season of the BNXT League, the highest professional basketball league in Belgium and the Netherlands. ZZ Leiden is the defending champion.
The season will begin on 30 September 2022.
Competition formula
Th ...
season and averaged five points per game off the bench in his short return.
International career
De Jong played for the Netherlands national basketball team
The Netherlands men's national basketball team ( nl, Het Nederlands nationaal basketbalteam) represents the Netherlands in international basketball matches. The national team is governed by Basketball Nederland.
The Dutch have reached the Euro ...
after he made his debut on 28 July 2012 under Jan Willem Jansen. He made his debut at a major international tournament during EuroBasket 2015
EuroBasket 2015 was the 39th edition of the EuroBasket championship that was organized by FIBA Europe. It was co-hosted by Croatia, France, Germany, and Latvia, making it the first EuroBasket held in more than one country. It started on 5 Sept ...
. On September 5, De Jong scored 16 points in a 73–72 win over Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
that marked the Netherlands' first EuroBasket win in 26 years. He averaged 9.4 points per game over the tournament.
De Jong played his second EuroBasket tournament in 2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
after he had announced his retirement prior to the tournament. In the opening game, he scored 28 points in a 76–100 loss to Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
. In his last national team game, he scored a team-high 21 points in a 67–88 loss to Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
. De Jong averaged a team-leading 16.4 points on 49.2% shooting, as the Netherlands ended the tournament with a 0–5 record.
He went on to play 118 games for the national team, 13th most of all-time in the history of the national team.
EuroBasket statistics
, -
, 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;" rowspan=2 ,
, 5 , , 5 , , 21.1 , , .533 , , .667 , , .812 , , 4.6 , , 1.0 , , .8 , , .0 , , 9.4
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
, 5 , , 5 , , 30.5 , , .492 , , .447 , , .714 , , 3.0 , , 1.6 , , 1.8 , , .4 , , 16.4
3x3 basketball
After retiring from professional basketball with ZZ Leiden, De Jong continued a career in 3x3 basketball
3x3 basketball (pronounced ''three-ex-three'') is a variation of basketball played three-a-side, with one backboard and in a half-court setup. According to an ESSEC Business School study commissioned by the International Olympic Committee, 3x3 ...
.
Honours
Club
;ZZ Leiden
ZZ Leiden Basketball, also known as Zorg en Zekerheid Leiden, is a basketball club based in Leiden, Netherlands. The club plays in the BNXT League, the domestic first tier league. Their home games are played at Vijf Meihal, which has 2,000 seats.
...
*BNXT League
The BNXT League, for sponsorship reasons the betFirst BNXT League, is a professional basketball league in Belgium and the Netherlands. The league is the first tier in both the Dutch and Belgian system, replacing the Dutch Basketball League, DBL a ...
: 2021–22
*3× Dutch Basketball League
The Dutch Basketball League (DBL), formerly the Eredivisie, was the highest professional basketball league in the Netherlands, run by the Federatie Eredivisie Basketball (FEB). Since 2021, the league has been replaced by the Belgian-Dutch BNXT Le ...
: 2010–11, 2012–13, 2020–21
*2× Dutch Cup
The KNVB Beker (; en, KNVB Cup), branded as the TOTO KNVB Beker for sponsorship reasons, is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) since 1898. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Ou ...
: 2011–12, 2018–19
*3× Dutch Supercup: 2011, 2012, 2021
Individual
*ZZ Leiden all-time leader in points scored
*ZZ Leiden all-time leader in rebounds
*ZZ Leiden all-time leader in assists
*BNXT League Finals MVP
The BNXT League Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) award is given annually to the best performing player in the finals series of a BNXT League season, the highest professional basketball league in Belgium and the Netherlands. The winner of the awar ...
: 2021–22
* BNXT League Defensive Player of the Year: 2021–22
*BNXT League Sixth Man of the Year
The BNXT League Sixth Man of the Year award is given annually at the end of the regular season of the BNXT League, the highest professional basketball league in Belgium and the Netherlands, to the player who performs best for his team as a subst ...
: 2021–22
* BNXT Dutch Player of the Year: 2021–22
*DBL Most Valuable Player
The Dutch Basketball League Most Valuable Player Award is an annual award given to the most valuable player in the Netherlands, Dutch highest professional basketball league. The award is given after the regular season and was first handed out in 19 ...
: 2015–16
*DBL Playoffs MVP
The DBL Play-offs MVP is an annual Dutch Basketball League
The Dutch Basketball League (DBL), formerly the Eredivisie, was the highest professional basketball league in the Netherlands, run by the Federatie Eredivisie Basketball (FEB). Since 202 ...
: 2021
*4× DBL All-League Team 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2020–21
*DBL Most Improved Player
The Dutch Basketball League Most Improved Player is an award that is yearly given to the most improved player in the DBL, the highest professional basketball league in the Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
...
: 2011–12
*DBL Defensive Player of the Year
The Dutch Basketball League Best Defender of the Year is an award that is yearly given to the best defensive player in the DBL, the highest professional basketball league in the Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_ ...
: 2020–21
*5× DBL All-Star
The Dutch Basketball League All-Star Gala was a yearly basketball event in the Netherlands, organised by the Federatie Eredivisie Basketball (FEB). During the event the yearly All-Star Game was played, which included the best players of a given DB ...
: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
* DBL All-Star Game MVP: 2016
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jong, Worthy de
1988 births
Living people
B.S. Leiden players
Dutch Basketball League players
Dutch men's basketball players
Feyenoord Basketball players
Shooting guards
Small forwards
SOMB Boulogne-sur-Mer players
Sportspeople from Paramaribo
Surinamese emigrants to the Netherlands
ZZ Leiden players