Jamaal Eric Franklin (born July 21, 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 Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player, who most recently played for the

Shanghai Sharks The Shanghai Sharks () are a Chinese Basketball Association team based in Shanghai. It is best known outside China as the club that developed Yao Ming before he entered the National Basketball Association. With Yao on the team, the Sharks made t ...

of the

Chinese Basketball Association The Chinese Basketball Association (), often abbreviated as the CBA, is the first-tier professional men's basketball league in China. The league is commonly known by fans as the CBA, and this acronym is even used in Chinese on a regular basis ...

(CBA). He was selected with the 41st overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft by 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 ...

. He 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

San Diego State San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...

, where he was the

Mountain West Conference The Mountain West Conference (MW) is one of the collegiate athletic conferences affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) (formerly I-A). The MW officially began operations ...

Player of the Year as well as an All-American in his junior season.

High school career

Franklin played four years at

Serrano High School Serrano High School is a public high school in the California High Desert community of Phelan, California. It serves students from Phelan, Wrightwood and Piñon Hills. It is part of the Snowline Joint Unified School District. The school is named ...

in Phelan, California, then played a prep season at Westwind Prep in

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

. As a senior at Serrano, he led the state of

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

in scoring at 31.7

points per game Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by nu ...

and was a two-time All-

California Interscholastic Federation The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) is the governing body for high school sports in the U.S. state of California. CIF membership includes both public and private high schools. Unlike most other state organizations, it does not have a ...

selection. In his season at Westwind, he averaged 18.5 points and 6.3

rebounds per game 'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...

. Franklin was rated as the 24th-best shooting guard in the class of 2009 coming out of

and had an

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grade of 90. Out of high school, Franklin was offered to play basketball at

Long Beach State University California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) is a public research university in Long Beach, California. The 322-acre campus is the second largest of the 23-school California State University system (CSU) and one of the largest universities ...

and

San Diego State University San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...

. Franklin played three different sports at

: basketball, football (wide receiver and free safety), and track and field, where he was a state high jumper.

College career

Franklin enrolled at

to play for coach

Steve Fisher Steve Fisher may refer to: * Steve Fisher (American basketball coach) (born 1945), American college basketball coach * Steve Fisher (writer) Stephen Gould Fisher (August 29, 1912 – March 27, 1980) was an American author best known for h ...

. As a freshman, he was part of arguably the best season in school history, along with teammates

Kawhi Leonard Kawhi Anthony Leonard ( ; born June 29, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A two-time NBA champion, he is a five-time All-Star with three All-NBA ...

and Malcolm Thomas, as the Aztecs went 34–3 and captured a #2 seed in the 2011 NCAA Tournament. Franklin averaged 2.1 points and 1.9 rebounds in 8.1 minutes per game. In his sophomore campaign, Franklin was thrust into the starting lineup as the Aztecs returned only one starter. He responded by averaging 17.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game and leading the Aztecs to an unexpected shared regular-season title and a #6 seed in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Franklin was named Mountain West player of the year and was recognized nationally as an All-American by the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. new ...

. Franklin resisted the lure of the professional ranks and returned to San Diego State in 2012–13 for his junior season. He went on to average 16.9 points and 9.5 rebounds in 32 games. On April 12, 2013, Franklin announced he would forgo his senior season to enter the NBA draft.

Professional career

Memphis Grizzlies (2013–2014)

On June 27, 2013, Franklin was selected with the 41st overall pick by the

in 2013 NBA draft. On July 26, 2013, he signed with the Grizzlies despite not appearing for them in the 2013 NBA Summer League. During his rookie season, he had multiple assignments with the

Fort Wayne Mad Ants The Fort Wayne Mad Ants are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and are affiliated with the Indiana Pacers. The team plays their home games at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. The Mad ...

of the

NBA Development 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 Dev ...

. In July 2014, Franklin joined the Grizzlies for the

2014 NBA Summer League The 2014 NBA Summer League consists of two pro basketball leagues organized by the NBA and the Orlando Magic just after the 2014 NBA Draft. Ten teams took part in the week-long summer league at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, from July 5 t ...

. On August 31, 2014, he was waived by the Grizzlies.

Zhejiang Lions (2014–2015)

On October 7, 2014, Franklin signed a two-month contract with the Zhejiang Lions of the

. On November 26, 2014, he signed a one-month contract extension with the Lions. Later that day, he scored 53 points on 19-of-29 shooting in Zhejiang's 120–112 win over the Chongqing Flying Dragons. On January 5, 2015, he left Zhejiang after appearing in 26 games. Over those 26 games, he averaged 28.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game.

Los Angeles D-Fenders (2015)

On January 21, 2015, Franklin was acquired by the

Los Angeles D-Fenders LOS, or Los, or LoS may refer to: Science and technology * Length of stay, the duration of a single episode of hospitalisation * Level of service, a measure used by traffic engineers * Level of significance, a measure of statistical significan ...

of the NBA Development League. On February 21, he had a season-best game with 27 points and 13 rebounds in a loss to the Austin Spurs.

Denver Nuggets (2015)

On April 12, 2015, Franklin signed with 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 ...

. He made his debut for the team later that day, recording one rebound and one assist in a 122–111 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 July 13, 2015, he was waived by the Nuggets.

Second stint in D-League (2015–2016)

On August 29, 2015, Franklin signed with the

Guangdong Southern Tigers Guangdong Hongyuan Southern Tigers () or Guangdong Southern Tigers, also known as Guangdong Dongguan Bank () for sponsorship reasons, are a Chinese professional basketball team owned by the Guangdong Winnerway (Hongyuan) Group. The team is one o ...

of the Chinese Basketball Association, but left the team before appearing in a game for them. On December 4, he was reacquired by the Los Angeles D-Fenders.

Shanxi Brave Dragons (2015–2016)

On December 18, Franklin parted ways with the D-Fenders and signed with the

Shanxi Brave Dragons The Shanxi Loongs, also known as Shanxi SDIC Raptors Club or Shanxi Fenjiu Shares are a Chinese professional basketball team based in Taiyuan, Shanxi, which plays in the Northern Division of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). The Shanxi Fen ...

(Shanxi Zhongyu) of the Chinese Basketball Association. On January 10, 2016, Franklin recorded 44 points, 10 rebounds and 20 assists in a 133–123 win over the Jilin Tigers. He dominated the Chinese Basketball Association, averaging incredible numbers during his time with Shanxi. In 19 games, he averaged a triple-double with 33.9 points, 10.8 rebounds and 10.3 assists, in addition to 3.3 steals and 1.5 blocks.

Brujos de Guayama (2016)

On April 5, 2016, Franklin signed with

Brujos de Guayama Brujos de Guayama is a Puerto Rican professional basketball team of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional based in Guayama, Puerto Rico. Despite being in the league since 1971, the team has not won any BSN Championships but have made 2 finals appeara ...

of the Puerto Rican

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 ...

. He left the team later that month after appearing in just four games.

Third stint in China (2016–2017)

In May 2016, Franklin re-signed with the

for the 2016–17 season. On November 14, 2016, Franklin scored 61 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in a 125–104 win over the

Beijing Ducks The Beijing Shougang Ducks (''simplified Chinese'': 北京首钢鸭俱乐部篮球队), also known as Beijing Shougang or Beijing Ducks, are a professional basketball team based in Beijing, China, which plays in the North Division of the Chin ...

. Franklin's performance was the first 60-point triple double in the history of the CBA.

Sichuan Blue Whales (2017–2018)

On August 18, 2017, the

Sichuan Blue Whales The Sichuan Jinqiang Blue Whales (sometimes spelled Whale) (四川金强蓝鲸), also known as Sichuan Jinqiang or Sichuan Jinrong Industry, are a professional basketball team based in Wenjiang District, Chengdu, Sichuan, China, which plays in th ...

officially signed Jamaal Franklin. On August 11, 2018, Franklin re-signed with the Blue Whales.

Shanxi Loongs (2019–2021)

On July 29, 2019, Franklin agreed to a contract to re-join the Shanxi team, which had been renamed the Shanxi Loongs. On December 10, 2019, Franklin collected a quadruple-double with forty-two points, twelve rebounds, twelve assists and ten steals in a 110–114 loss to the

Xinjiang Flying Tigers The Xinjiang Guanghui Flying Tigers () is a professional basketball team based in Ürümqi, Xinjiang, China. The team play its home games at the Hongshan Arena, which has a capacity for 3,800 spectators. The club joined the Chinese Basketb ...

. He averaged 30.1 points, 9.5 rebounds, 10.1 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.4 blocks per game. On September 12, 2020, Franklin re-signed with the team.

Shanghai Sharks (2021–present)

On October 17, 2021, Franklin joined

of the Chinese Basketball Association.

Career Statistics

, - , align=center , 2013–14 , align=left ,

, NBA , 21 , , 7.7 , , .410 , , .456 , , 1.000 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , .2 , , .0 , , 1.9 , - , align=center , 2014–15 , align=left ,

, NBA , 3 , , 4.3 , , .500 , , .500 , , .000 , , .7 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , .3 , , 1.0 , - , align=center , 2014–15 , align=left ,

NBA 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 Dev ...

, 21 , , 34.1 , , .483 , , .339 , , .793 , , 8.9 , , 6.5 , , 1.5 , , .3 , , 19.2 , - , align=center , 2014–15 , align=left , Zhejiang Lions , CBA , 26 , , 33.6 , , .493 , , .361 , , .770 , , 6.2 , , 4.6 , , 1.9 , , .7 , , 28.5 , - , align=center , 2015–16 , align=left ,

, BSN , 4 , , 26.8 , , .368 , , .278 , , .750 , , 6.8 , , 2.8 , , 1.3 , , .8 , , 21.5 , - , align=center , 2015–16 , align=left ,

, CBA , 19 , , 40.6 , , .489 , , .349 , , .813 , , 10.8 , , 10.3 , , 3.3 , , 1.5 , , 34.0 , - , align=center , 2016–17 , align=left ,

, CBA , 36 , , 40.7 , , .470 , , .304 , , .837 , , 10.3 , , 8.8 , , 3.3 , , 1.2 , , 33.6 , - , align=center , 2017–18 , align=left ,

, CBA , 23 , , 34.3 , , .633 , , .368 , , .859 , , 9.4 , , 5.2 , , 2.4 , , 1.6 , , 31.5 , - , align=center , 2018–19 , align=left ,

, CBA , 42 , , 39.6 , , .607 , , .304 , , .845 , , 9.2 , , 7.4 , , 2.3 , , 1.7 , , 30.0 , - , align=center , 2019–20 , align=left , Shanxi Loongs , CBA , 27 , , 39.0 , , .563 , , .341 , , .836 , , 9.5 , , 10.1 , , 2.3 , , 1.4 , , 30.2 , - , -class=sortbottom , align="center" colspan=2 , Career , All Leagues , 222 , , 34.3 , , .519 , , .343 , , .827 , , 8.3 , , 6.7 , , 2.2 , , 1.1 , , 27.0

Personal life

Franklin is the cousin of platinum music producer, Hit-Boy.

References

External links

SDSU bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Franklin, Jamaal 1991 births Living people African-American basketball players American expatriate basketball people in China American men's basketball players Basketball players from California Denver Nuggets players Fort Wayne Mad Ants players Los Angeles D-Fenders players Memphis Grizzlies draft picks Memphis Grizzlies players People from Moreno Valley, California San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball players Shanxi Loongs players Shooting guards Sichuan Blue Whales players Sportspeople from Hawthorne, California Sportspeople from Riverside County, California Zhejiang Lions players 21st-century African-American sportspeople