Cleanthony Early (born April 17, 1991) 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 court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player for Dynamo Lebanon of the

Lebanese Basketball League The Lebanese Basketball League is the top-tier professional men's basketball league in Lebanon. It is organized annually as a national championship with playoffs and a national cup by the Lebanese Basketball Federation (FLB). Currently, the leagu ...

. He was an All-American college player at

Wichita State University Wichita State University (WSU) is a public research university in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate degree programs in more than 200 areas of study in ...

after a stint at Sullivan County Community College.

Early life and high school career

Early was born in

The Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

. After Early's cousin was murdered, his mother decided to leave the city and relocate to suburban Middletown, New York when he was 14. Early attended

Pine Bush High School Pine Bush High School is the central high school for the Pine Bush Central School District, located on Route 302 in the hamlet of Pine Bush, New York, United States. The school no longer offers the International Baccalaureate degree program. It ...

Pine Bush, New York Pine Bush is a hamlet (and census-designated place) located in the Town of Crawford and adjacent to Shawangunk, New York, within Orange and adjacent to Ulster counties in the U.S. It is roughly coterminous with the 12566 ZIP code and 744 tel ...

before transferring to

Mount Zion Christian Academy Mount Zion Christian Academy (MZCA) is a private, college preparatory, non-denominational, co-educational Christian day school (grades K–12) and boarding school (grades 9–12) located in Durham, North Carolina. The Academy is most ...

in Durham, North Carolina. Tragedy affected Early once again after his brother drowned in Schoharie Creek at age 32. This led to Early wanting to be closer to his family and attending Sullivan County Community College. As a high school junior, Early told the ''

Times Herald-Record The ''Times Herald-Record'', often referred to as ''The Record'' or ''Middletown Record'' in its coverage area, is a daily newspaper published in Middletown, New York, covering the northwest suburbs of New York City. It covers Orange, Sullivan ...

'' that he was only tall despite being listed at . Considered a two-star recruit by

ESPN.com ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN. It is owned by ESPN Internet Ventures, a division of ESPN Inc. History Since launching in April 1995 as ESPNET.SportsZone.com (ESPNET SportsZone), the website has developed numerous sections including ...

, Early was listed as the No. 102 small forward in the nation in 2010.

College career

Early was a junior college star at Sullivan County Community College, where he was the two-time Division III

NJCAA The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), founded in 1938, is the governing association of community college, state college and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 separate regions ...

Player of the Year. After considering offers from major conference schools, he signed with

Wichita State Wichita State University (WSU) is a public research university in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate degree programs in more than 200 areas of study in ...

and coach

Gregg Marshall Michael Gregg Marshall (born February 27, 1963) is an American college basketball coach whose most recent position was head coach at Wichita State University. Marshall has coached his teams to appearances in the NCAA Division I men's basketball ...

. Early made an immediate impact for the Shockers, averaging 13.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He was named first team All-

Missouri Valley Conference The Missouri Valley Conference (also called MVC or simply "The Valley") is the third-oldest collegiate athletic conference in the United States. The conference's members are primarily located in the midwest. History The MVC was established ...

and the MVC Newcomer of the Year. In the post-season, Early led the team to the 2013 Final Four in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

. In the Shockers' semifinal game against eventual champion Louisville, Early scored 24 points and collected 10 rebounds in a narrow 72–68 loss. He was named to the All-Final Four team for his efforts. Going into his senior season, Early gained widespread national attention. He was named preseason Player of the Year for the Missouri Valley Conference and was named to the preseason top 50 watch lists for the John Wooden and Naismith Awards for national player of the year. Early helped lead the 2013–14 team to an undefeated 34–0 record entering the NCAA Tournament, becoming the first team in NCAA Division I men's basketball to do so in over two decades. Cleanthony put up an impressive effort in an attempt to help the Shockers advance to the sweet sixteen, with 31 points and 7 rebounds on 12/17 shooting. The Shockers ended up losing to Kentucky 78–76, ending their hopes of a final four repeat.

Professional career

New York Knicks (2014–16)

On June 26, 2014, Early was selected with the 34th overall pick in the

2014 NBA draft The 2014 NBA draft was held on June 26, 2014, at the Barclays Center, Brooklyn National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. ...

by the New York Knicks. On August 1, 2014, he signed with the Knicks. During his rookie season, he had multiple assignments with the

Westchester Knicks The Westchester Knicks are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in White Plains, New York, and are affiliated with the New York Knicks. The Knicks typically play their home games at Westchester County Center in Whit ...

of the NBA Development League. In three games for Westchester during the 2014–15 season, he averaged 20.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. On March 25, 2015, Early had a season-best game for New York with 18 points and 4 rebounds against 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 ...

. During the 2015–16 season, Early has received multiple assignments to Westchester. On December 2, 2015, he became the fifth player ever to appear in both a Development League game and NBA game in the same day. On March 20, 2016, Early made his first appearance for New York since December 29, 2015, having been out for nearly three months with a knee injury he suffered after being shot on December 30. Early re-signed with the New York Knicks on October 18, 2016, but was waived three days later. On October 31, 2016, Early was acquired by the

of the NBA Development League as an affiliate player of the New York Knicks.

Santa Cruz Warriors (2016–17)

On December 21, 2016, Early was acquired by the

Santa Cruz Warriors The Santa Cruz Warriors are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Santa Cruz, California, and are affiliated with the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors play their home games at Kaiser Permanente Arena. Prior t ...

in a three-team trade involving Westchester and 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 ...

. In 16 games for Santa Cruz, he averaged 9.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. Early appeared in 19 games for Santa Cruz in the 2017–18 season.

AEK Athens (2017)

On September 2, 2017, Early penned a contract with

AEK Athens A.E.K ( el, AEK , formally Αθλητική Ένωσις Κωνσταντινουπόλεως; Athlitikí Énosis Konstantinoupόleos, ''Athletic Union of Constantinople''), known as A.E.K, is a major Greek multi-sport club based in Nea Filadel ...

of the Greek League, but Contract was void due to discrepancy with team

Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2017–2018)

On December 21, 2017, Early was traded by the Warriors with the rights to

Elgin Cook Elgin Rashad Cook (born January 15, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for Lenovo Tenerife of the Spanish Liga ACB. The son of former National Basketball Association (NBA) player Alvin Robertson, he played college basketball for ...

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 ...

for

Winston Shepard Winston Shepard III (born September 22, 1993) is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for San Diego State, where he was a two-time second-team All-Mountain West Conference honoree. High school career Shepard at ...

and the rights to Markus Kennedy.

Atomerőmű SE (2019)

On August 23, 2019, he has signed with Atomerőmű SE of the Hungarian

Nemzeti Bajnokság I/A The Nemzeti Bajnokság I/A ( en, National Championship I/A, commonly abbreviated NB I/A) is the highest level league of club men's basketball in Hungary. Format The league comprises 14 teams. A NB I/A season is split into a league stage and a pl ...

Al Ahli (2019–2020)

On October 11, 2019, Early signed with Al Ahli of the Saudi Basketball league.

Antibes Sharks (2020–2021)

On August 6, 2020, he signed a five-year deal with

Antibes Sharks Olympique Antibes, in full ''Olympique d'Antibes Juan-les-Pins'' and branded as Antibes Sharks, is a basketball club from the city of Antibes, France. Established in 1933, the club's men's senior team currently plays in LNB Pro B, the French secon ...

of the

LNB Pro B The LNB Pro B, commonly known as Pro B, is the 2nd-tier level men's professional basketball league in France. It is the second division of the Ligue Nationale de Basket (LNB), which has organized the league since the year 1987. The regular season ...

. Early was named LNB Pro B player of the week on October 19, after his 41-point, 8-rebound performance against

Rouen Métropole Basket Rouen Métropole Basket, shortly named RMB, is a professional basketball club founded in 2011, based in Rouen, France. The team currently plays in the LNB Pro B, the French second division. History After playing in the Pro B for one year, the c ...

New Taipei CTBC DEA (2021–2022)

On November 9, 2021, he signed with

New Taipei CTBC DEA The New Taipei CTBC DEA ( zh, 新北中信特攻) are a Taiwanese professional basketball team based in New Taipei City, Taiwan. They have competed in the T1 League since the 2021-22 season, and play their home games at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium. T ...

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 ...

Cape Town Tigers (2022)

On May 4, 2022, Early was announced as a new signing by the

Cape Town Tigers Cape Town Tigers is a South African basketball club based in Cape Town. The team is located in the Gugulethu township. Established in 2019 by three American business partners, the club has won the South African national championship in 2021 and 20 ...

of the

Basketball Africa League The Basketball Africa League (BAL) is Africa's premier men's basketball league. The league consists of twelve teams, each qualified through their domestic competition, similar to the format of the UEFA Champions League. The league is a joint eff ...

(BAL), joining the team ahead of the

2022 BAL Playoffs The 2022 BAL Playoffs was the second edition of the playoffs of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) and was the concluding tournament of the 2022 BAL season. The playoffs began on 21 May 2022 and ended on 28 May 2022 with the Finals. For a second c ...

. On May 23, Early made his debut and scored 15 points in the quarterfinal against Monastir, in which the Tigers were eliminated.

TaiwanBeer HeroBears (2022)

On November 25, 2022, Early signed with TaiwanBeer HeroBears of the

. On January 5, 2023, TaiwanBeer HeroBears terminated the contract relationship with Early.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 39 , , 7 , , 16.6 , , .355 , , .262 , , .750 , , 2.5 , , .9 , , .6 , , .3 , , 5.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 17 , , 2 , , 9.1 , , .300 , , .267 , , .750 , , 1.5 , , .4 , , .1 , , .2 , , 1.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:left;", Career , style="text-align:left;", , 56 , , 9 , , 14.3 , , .346 , , .263 , , .750 , , 2.2 , , .8 , , .5 , , .3 , , 4.3

Personal life

In the early hours of December 30, 2015, Early was held up at gunpoint and shot in the right knee while traveling in an

Uber Uber Technologies, Inc. (Uber), based in San Francisco, provides mobility as a service, ride-hailing (allowing users to book a car and driver to transport them in a way similar to a taxi), food delivery (Uber Eats and Postmates), packa ...

. The attack took place after Early and his girlfriend left a strip club in

Maspeth, Queens Maspeth is a residential and commercial community in the borough of Queens in New York City. It was founded in the early 17th century by Dutch and English settlers. Neighborhoods sharing borders with Maspeth are Woodside to the north; Sunnyside ...

. He was taken to Elmhurst Hospital after the shooting where he was listed in stable condition.

References

External links

Wichita State Shockers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Early, Cleanthony 1991 births Living people African-American basketball players All-American college men's basketball players American expatriate basketball people in France American expatriate basketball people in Japan American expatriate basketball people in Saudi Arabia American expatriate basketball people in South Africa American men's basketball players American shooting survivors Basketball players from New York City Cape Town Tigers players New York Knicks draft picks New York Knicks players People from Middletown, Orange County, New York Rio Grande Valley Vipers players Santa Cruz Warriors players Small forwards Sportspeople from the New York metropolitan area SUNY Sullivan Generals men's basketball players Tokyo Hachioji Bee Trains players Westchester Knicks players Wichita State Shockers men's basketball players 21st-century African-American sportspeople American expatriate basketball people in Taiwan New Taipei CTBC DEA players T1 League imports TaiwanBeer HeroBears players