Kenneth Lamont "Kent" Bazemore Jr. (born July 1, 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 court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers of 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). As a junior at

Old Dominion University Old Dominion University (Old Dominion or ODU) is a public research university in Norfolk, Virginia. It was established in 1930 as the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary and is now one of the largest universities in Virginia w ...

in 2010–11, Bazemore won the

Lefty Driesell Award The Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's college basketball defender in NCAA Division I competition. The award was established in 2010 and is named for head coach Lefty Driesel ...

, an award given to the best defensive player in college basketball.

College career

Bazemore, a 6'5" shooting guard from Kelford, North Carolina,

redshirted Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically, a student's athletic eligibility in a given sport is four seasons, aligning with the ...

the 2007–08 season. As a freshman in 2008–09, Bazemore was a key rotation player for the Monarchs, averaging 4.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per game as ODU won the

2009 CollegeInsider.com Tournament The 2009 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) was a single-elimination tournament of 16 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I (NCAA), Division I teams that was won by 2008–09 Old Dominion Monarchs basketball team, ...

. As a sophomore, he moved into the starting lineup and was a driving force for the Colonial Athletic Association regular-season and tournament champions. Bazemore averaged 8.4 points, 3.4 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. He was named to the CAA All-Defensive team that season. As a junior, Old Dominion repeated as tournament champions and made the 2011 NCAA tournament, losing to eventual national runner-up Butler 60–58. Bazemore averaged career highs of 12.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game and was named the CAA Defensive player of the year and second team All-Conference. He also gained national recognition, receiving the Lefty Driesell Award given to the nation's top defensive player. Prior to the 2011–12 season Bazemore was named the CAA preseason player of the year. He was also named a preseason Mid-Major All-American by collegeinsider.com. In his final season at ODU, Bazemore averaged 15.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. At halftime of a game against state rival VCU on December 10, 2016, Old Dominion retired Bazemore's #24 Monarchs jersey and inducted him into the school's athletic Ring of Honor. Bazemore earned two college degrees from Old Dominion, in Human Services and Criminal Justice.

Professional career

Golden State Warriors (2012–2014)

After going undrafted in the

2012 NBA draft The 2012 NBA draft was held on June 28, 2012, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time (2300 UTC), and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Asso ...

, Bazemore joined 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 ...

for the Orlando Summer League and the Golden State Warriors for the Las Vegas Summer League. On July 26, he signed with Golden State. During his rookie season, he was assigned multiple times to 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 ...

of the NBA Development League. On March 15, 2013, he scored a season-high 14 points in a loss to the Chicago Bulls. In July 2013, Bazemore re-joined Golden State for the

2013 NBA Summer League The 2013 NBA Summer League is a pro basketball league run by the NBA just after the 2013 NBA draft. It gives newly drafted players a chance to test their skills against each other, and to give them a feel for professional basketball. All 30 NBA ...

, where he was named a Summer League All-Tournament Team Recipient. The Warriors won the Summer League championship. On February 1, 2014, he was reassigned to the Santa Cruz Warriors. He was recalled by Golden State on February 2, reassigned on February 11, and recalled again February 12.

Los Angeles Lakers (2014)

On February 19, 2014, Bazemore was traded, along with

MarShon Brooks MarShon Scitif Brooks (born January 26, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). Standing at , he plays at shooting guard and small forward positions. Origi ...

, to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for

Steve Blake Steven Hanson Blake (born February 26, 1980) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. After winning the 2002 NCAA Championship with Maryland, Blake was selected by the Washington Wizards with the 38th overall pick in the 2 ...

. On March 4, he tied his then career high of 23 points in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. On April 7, he was ruled out of the rest of the season after suffering a torn tendon in his right foot.

Atlanta Hawks (2014–2019)

On September 23, 2014, Bazemore signed with the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...

. On March 28, 2015, he scored a season-high 20 points in a 115–100 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. On November 7, 2015, Bazemore scored a career-high 25 points in a 114–99 win over 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 December 14, 2015, he set a new career high with 28 points in a 100–88 loss to 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 ...

. On July 7, 2016, Bazemore re-signed with the Hawks. On November 8, 2016, he scored a season-high 25 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers. On January 23, 2017, he scored 25 points for a second time 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 ...

. On March 2, 2018, Bazemore scored a then career-high 29 points in a 114–109 loss to the Golden State Warriors. On October 24, 2018, Bazemore scored a career-high 32 points in a 111–104 win over the Dallas Mavericks. On December 26, 2018, he tied a career high with 32 points in a 129–121 loss to the Indiana Pacers. On April 12, 2019, Bazemore exercised his $19.2 million player option for the 2019–20 season.

Portland Trail Blazers (2019–2020)

On June 24, 2019, Bazemore was traded 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 ...

in exchange for

Evan Turner Evan Marcel Turner (born October 27, 1988) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He was most recently an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted second overall ...

. He made his debut for the team on October 23, logging four points and five steals in a 100–108 loss to the Denver Nuggets.

Sacramento Kings (2020)

On January 20, 2020, Bazemore was traded, alongside

Anthony Tolliver Anthony Lamar Tolliver (born June 1, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Creighton Bluejays, and played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 11 different franchis ...

and two future second-round picks, to 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 ...

in exchange for

Trevor Ariza Trevor Anthony Ariza (born June 30, 1985) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He won an NBA championship in his first stint with the Lakers in 2009 ...

, Wenyen Gabriel and Caleb Swanigan. Bazemore made his debut for the team two days later, scoring seven points in a 106–127 loss to the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at L ...

Return to Golden State (2020–2021)

On December 1, 2020, Bazemore signed a one-year contract with the Golden State Warriors to join the team for a second stint. He made his debut for the team on December 22, logging two points, two rebounds and two assists in a 99–125 loss to 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 ...

. On February 17, 2021, Bazemore scored a season-high 26 points, alongside eight rebounds, three assists and three steals, in a 120–112 overtime win over the

Return to the Lakers (2021–2022)

On August 6, 2021, Bazemore signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. On January 28, 2022, he scored a season-high 13 points in a 114–117 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. On September 21, 2022, Bazemore signed with the

. He was waived on October 13.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Golden State , 61 , , 0 , , 4.4 , , .371 , , .294 , , .614 , , .4 , , .4 , , .3 , , .1 , , 2.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Golden State , 44 , , 0 , , 6.1 , , .371 , , .256 , , .528 , , .9 , , .5 , , .3 , , .1 , , 2.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

L.A. 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 ...

, 23 , , 15 , , 28.0 , , .451 , , .371 , , .644 , , 3.3 , , 3.1 , , 1.3 , , .3 , , 13.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

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 ...

, 75 , , 10 , , 17.7 , , .426 , , .364 , , .600 , , 3.0 , , 1.0 , , .7 , , .4 , , 5.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 75 , , 68 , , 27.8 , , .441 , , .357 , , .815 , , 5.1 , , 2.3 , , 1.3 , , .5 , , 11.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 73 , , 64 , , 26.9 , , .409 , , .346 , , .708 , , 3.2 , , 2.4 , , 1.3 , , .7 , , 11.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 65 , , 65 , , 27.5 , , .420 , , .394 , , .796 , , 3.8 , , 3.5 , , 1.5 , , .7 , , 12.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 67 , , 35 , , 24.5 , , .402 , , .320 , , .726 , , 3.9 , , 2.3 , , 1.3 , , .6 , , 11.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Portland , 43 , , 21 , , 25.8 , , .347 , , .327 , , .806 , , 4.0 , , 2.3 , , 1.4 , , .7 , , 7.9 , - , 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 ...

, 25 , , 0 , , 23.1 , , .418 , , .384 , , .733 , , 4.9 , , 1.3 , , 1.2 , , .4 , , 10.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Golden State , 67 , , 18 , , 19.9 , , .449 , , .408 , , .692 , , 3.4 , , 1.6 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , 7.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 39 , , 14 , , 14.0 , , .324 , , .363 , , .765 , , 1.8 , , .9 , , .6 , , .2 , , 3.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 657 , , 310 , , 20.6 , , .413 , , .356 , , .724 , , 3.2 , , 1.8 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , 8.2

Playoffs

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

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

, style="text-align:left;", Golden State , 9 , , 0 , , 1.8 , , .125 , , .000 , , .000 , , .6 , , .2 , , .1 , , .0 , , .2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2015 , style="text-align:left;",

, 16 , , 2 , , 18.9 , , .423 , , .214 , , .677 , , 3.3 , , .8 , , .7 , , .6 , , 5.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...

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

, 10 , , 10 , , 32.5 , , .364 , , .262 , , .682 , , 6.6 , , 1.9 , , 1.4 , , .6 , , 11.9 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...

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

, 6 , , 0 , , 25.0 , , .396 , , .292 , , .714 , , 3.8 , , 3.3 , , .7 , , .8 , , 9.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 41 , , 12 , , 19.4 , , .379 , , .254 , , .648 , , 3.6 , , 1.3 , , .8 , , .5 , , 6.5

College

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

Old Dominion Old Dominion most commonly refers to: *The Old Dominion, a nickname for the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia ** Colony of Virginia *Old Dominion University, a public university in Norfolk, Virginia **Old Dominion Monarchs, the athletic teams represe ...

, 35 , , 9 , , 16.3 , , .433 , , .265 , , .429 , , 3.1 , , 1.5 , , .9 , , .2 , , 4.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2009–10 , style="text-align:left;", Old Dominion , 36 , , 29 , , 26.7 , , .486 , , .300 , , .486 , , 4.2 , , 3.4 , , 1.9 , , .5 , , 8.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...

, style="text-align:left;", Old Dominion , 34 , , 33 , , 30.7 , , .481 , , .408 , , .662 , , 5.1 , , 2.9 , , 2.2 , , .9 , , 12.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2011–12 , style="text-align:left;", Old Dominion , 35 , , 32 , , 31.5 , , .407 , , .321 , , .632 , , 6.1 , , 3.1 , , 2.1 , , .3 , , 15.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 140 , , 103 , , 26.3 , , .447 , , .334 , , .581 , , 4.6 , , 2.7 , , 1.8 , , .5 , , 10.1

Personal life

Bazemore is a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. While with the Warriors, Bazemore was noted for his celebrations while on the team's bench, which became a fixture on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

and were included in the

NBA 2K14 ''NBA 2K14'' is a 2013 basketball video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K Sports. The fifteenth installment in the series, it was released on October 1, 2013, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, and the PlaySta ...

video game. Kent married Samantha Serpe in Asheville, North Carolina in 2017

Role in Stephen Curry endorsement contract

In March 2016,

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...

writer Ethan Sherwood Strauss published a story about how

Under Armour Under Armour, Inc. is an American sports equipment company that manufactures footwear, sports and casual apparel. Under Armour's global headquarters are located in Baltimore, Maryland, with additional offices located in Amsterdam (European head ...

successfully signed away Stephen Curry from

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 ...

in the 2013 offseason, and revealed that Bazemore played a significant role in the signing. During the 2012 offseason, when Bazemore was an undrafted rookie trying to make the Warriors roster, his agent contacted Under Armour and convinced the company to take a chance on Bazemore as an endorser, noting that rising Warriors stars Curry and

Klay Thompson Klay Alexander Thompson (born February 8, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A four-time NBA champion with the Warriors, he is a five-time NBA All-St ...

had endorsement deals set to expire in the near future. Under Armour signed Bazemore to a deal, mainly providing massive amounts of branded merchandise—enough to allow Bazemore to provide clothing to several Warriors staff members. Once Bazemore made the team, he and his fellow North Carolinian Curry bonded over their common origins and shared work ethic. Bazemore then sold Curry on signing with Under Armour, which he did following several missteps by Nike. According to Strauss, "UA owes him azemorenow. Big time." As a result, Bazemore has a six-figure deal with the company, an unusually high amount for a player of his stature in the league. The company also recognized Bazemore's role in luring Curry by signing an apparel deal with

for seven times the amount that the school had previously received from Nike. His deal with Under Armour enabled him to provide most of the funding for ODU's new basketball practice facility.

References

External links

Official website

Old Dominion Monarchs bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bazemore, Kent 1989 births Living people 20th-century African-American people 21st-century African-American sportspeople African-American basketball players American men's basketball players Atlanta Hawks players Basketball players from North Carolina Golden State Warriors players Los Angeles Lakers players Old Dominion Monarchs men's basketball players People from Bertie County, North Carolina Portland Trail Blazers players Sacramento Kings players Santa Cruz Warriors players Shooting guards Undrafted National Basketball Association players