Gregory Stiemsma (; born September 26, 1985) is an American former 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 who spent four seasons in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

(NBA). He played high school basketball for Randolph High School and college basketball for the

University of Wisconsin–Madison A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...

, before going undrafted in the 2008 NBA draft. A 6'11"

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

, Stiemsma was known for his defense and shot blocking ability during his playing days.

High school career

Stiemsma attended Randolph High School in

Randolph, Wisconsin Randolph is a village in Columbia and Dodge Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 1,811 at the 2010 census. Of this, 1,339 were in Dodge County, and 472 were in Columbia County. The village is located at the southeast corne ...

where he led the Rockets to Division 4 state titles as a sophomore, junior and senior. As a junior in 2002–03, he earned first-team all-state honors after averaging 14.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.5 blocks and 2.7 assists per game. In November 2003, he signed a National Letter of Intent to play

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

. As a senior in 2003–04, he was limited to just 18 games due to right knee injury but still managed to earn third-team Associated Press all-state honors after averaging 11.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game.

College career

In his freshman season at

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 ...

, Stiemsma played just 10 games after missing the first six weeks of the season with a right foot injury. In those 10 games, he averaged just 1.1 points per game. In his sophomore season, he was again disrupted, managing just 16 games after he was deemed ineligible to play during the second semester due to poor grades. Stiemsma was later diagnosed with depression as a result of his poor academic performance. Despite this, he still finished the season first on the team in total blocks with 24. In those 16 games, he averaged 2.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. In his junior season, he played out his first full season, playing 34 of the 36 games while averaging 2.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. In his senior season, led the team with 40 blocks, while recording four double-digit scoring performances, including a career-high 14 points in the NCAA tournament against Kansas State. In 35 games, he averaged 3.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game.

College statistics

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, 10 , , 0 , , 2.7 , , .833 , , .000 , , .500 , , .6 , , .0 , , .1 , , .2 , , 1.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2005–06 , style="text-align:left;",

, 16 , , 0 , , 11.7 , , .553 , , .000 , , .429 , , 2.8 , , .9 , , .4 , , 1.5 , , 2.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2006–07 , style="text-align:left;",

, 34 , , 0 , , 9.9 , , .500 , , .000 , , .808 , , 1.6 , , 1.1 , , .1 , , .9 , , 2.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2007–08 , style="text-align:left;",

, 35 , , 7 , , 11.5 , , .548 , , .000 , , .826 , , 3.1 , , .7 , , .4 , , 1.1 , , 3.5 , -

Professional career

Early years (2008–2011)

2008–09 season

Stiemsma went undrafted in the 2008 NBA draft. In August 2008, he signed with

Oyak Renault Oyak Renault is a professional basketball club based in Bursa, Turkey that plays in the Turkish Basketball League (TBL). Their home arena is the Bursa Atatürk Sport Hall. The club has played in this league between 1982–1984, 1992–2000, 2001 ...

of Turkey for the 2008–09 season. In February 2009, he left Oyak and signed with the

Seoul SK Knights The Seoul SK Knights ( ko, 서울 SK 나이츠) is a professional basketball club in the Korean Basketball League. The club was originally founded by Jinro Group in 1997 as Cheongju Jinro McCass. Before the official launch of the basketball clu ...

of South Korea for the rest of the season. On April 11, 2009, he was acquired by the

Sioux Falls Skyforce The Sioux Falls Skyforce are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and are affiliated with the Miami Heat. The team plays their home games in the Sanford Pentagon, a place they have call ...

of the NBA Development League.

2009–10 season

In July 2009, Stiemsma joined 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 ...

for the 2009 NBA Summer League. On November 1, 2009, he was reacquired by the Sioux Falls Skyforce. On April 13, 2010, he signed with the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...

for the rest of the season.

2010–11 season

In July 2010, Stiemsma joined the Minnesota Timberwolves for the 2010 NBA Summer League. On September 10, 2010, he was waived by the Timberwolves before appearing in a game for them. Later that month, he signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, he was later waived by the Cavaliers on October 2, 2010. Three days later, he signed a two-year deal 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 Basketball 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 and ...

2011–12 season

On August 21, 2011, Stiemsma signed with

BC Sukhumi BC Sukhumi ( ka, ს.კ. სოხუმი) is a professional basketball club from the city of Sukhumi, that plays in the Georgian Superliga. The club is currently based in Tbilisi. History The club was established in 1991 in Sukhumi. Shortly af ...

of the

Georgian Superliga The Georgian Basketball Super League ( ka, საკალათბურთო სუპერლიგა, Sakalatburto Superliga), also known as the Georgian Top League, is the highest professional basketball league in Georgia. The first season ...

but left before appearing in a game for them. On November 2, 2011, he was reacquired by the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Boston Celtics (2011–2012)

On December 9, 2011, Stiemsma signed with the Boston Celtics. On December 28, 2011, he made his NBA debut, recording 2 points, 6 blocks and 4 rebounds in a 78-97 loss to the New Orleans Hornets. In March 2012, he signed a sponsorship deal with

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...

. On June 29, 2012, the Celtics extended a $1.05 million qualifying offer to Stiemsma, thereby making him a restricted free agent.

Minnesota Timberwolves (2012–2013)

On July 21, 2012, Stiemsma received an offer sheet from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Two days later, the Celtics withdrew their qualifying offer to Stiemsma, clearing the way for the Timberwolves to sign him as an unrestricted free agent. On August 2, 2012, he officially signed with the Timberwolves. On July 7, 2013, he was waived by the Timberwolves.

New Orleans Pelicans (2013–2014)

On July 10, 2013, Stiemsma signed with the New Orleans Pelicans. On April 14, 2014, he was waived by the Pelicans.

Toronto Raptors (2014–2015)

On September 4, 2014, Stiemsma 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 ...

. On September 24, 2015, Stiemsma signed with the Orlando Magic. However, due to an Achilles' tendon strain, Stiemsma was prevented from playing early in the preseason, appearing in a total of two exhibition games for the Magic, collecting 1.5 rebounds in 8.3 minutes per game. He was subsequently waived by the Magic on October 22 prior to the start of the regular season. On September 12, 2016, Stiemsma signed with 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 ...

, but was waived on October 21 after appearing in four preseason games.

Coaching career

Minnesota Timberwolves (2019–2021)

On September 12, 2019, the

announced that they had named Stiemsma as player development associate.

San Antonio Spurs (2021-Present)

Stiemsma has been a Video Assistant with 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 ...

since August of 2021.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

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Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

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Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, 76 , , 19 , , 15.9 , , .457 , , .000 , , .768 , , 3.4 , , .4 , , .6 , , 1.2 , , 4.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

, 55 , , 20 , , 18.3 , , .574 , , .000 , , .594 , , 4.1 , , .7 , , .6 , , 1.0 , , 2.9 , - , 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 anch ...

, 17 , , 0 , , 3.9 , , .750 , , .000 , , .500 , , .9 , , .2 , , .1 , , .0 , , .8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 203 , , 42 , , 15.0 , , .509 , , .000 , , .705 , , 3.3 , , .5 , , .6 , , 1.1 , , 3.2 , -

Playoffs

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, 19 , , 0 , , 7.5 , , .667 , , .000 , , .667 , , 2.2 , , .3 , , .2 , , .6 , , 1.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 19 , , 0 , , 7.5 , , .667 , , .000 , , .667 , , 2.2 , , .3 , , .2 , , .6 , , 1.5

International career

In 2011, Stiemsma earned a bronze medal with

Team USA The United States national team or Team USA may refer to any of a number of sports team representing the United States in international competitions. Olympic teams Additionally, these teams may compete in other international competitions such as ...

at the Pan American Games where he led the tournament in field goal percentage (.889) and was second in the tournament in blocked shots with 11.

Personal life

Stiemsma is the son of Rick and Sharry Stiemsma, and has one sister, Erin. He is married to his wife Emily and they have a daughter together. He is of

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

origin. He has admitted to suffering from depression.Greg Stiemsma
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References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stiemsma, Greg 1985 births Living people American expatriate basketball people in Canada American expatriate basketball people in South Korea American expatriate basketball people in Turkey American people of Dutch descent Basketball players at the 2011 Pan American Games Basketball players from Wisconsin Boston Celtics players Suwon KT Sonicboom players Centers (basketball) Minnesota Timberwolves players New Orleans Pelicans players Oyak Renault basketball players Pan American Games bronze medalists for the United States Pan American Games medalists in basketball People from Randolph, Wisconsin Seoul SK Knights players Sioux Falls Skyforce players Toronto Raptors players Türk Telekom B.K. players Undrafted National Basketball Association players Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball players American men's basketball players Medalists at the 2011 Pan American Games