Noah Vonleh (born August 24, 1995) 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 last played for the
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
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
Indiana Hoosiers
The Indiana Hoosiers are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of Indiana University Bloomington, named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Indiana. The Hoosiers participate in Division I of the National Collegiate Ath ...
Haverhill, Massachusetts
Haverhill ( ) is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Haverhill is located 35 miles north of Boston on the New Hampshire border and about 17 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. The population was 67,787 at the 2020 United States Cen ...
, before transferring to
New Hampton School
New Hampton School is an independent college preparatory high school in New Hampton, New Hampshire, United States. It has 305 students from over 30 states and 22 countries. The average class size is eleven, and the student-faculty ratio is five ...
in New Hampton, New Hampshire, in 2011. As a junior in 2011–12, he averaged 16 points and nine rebounds per game. As a senior in 2012–13, he averaged 17 points, 12 rebounds and four assists per game, going on to earn McDonald’s All-American honors.
On November 10, 2012, Vonleh signed a
letter of intent
A letter of intent (LOI or LoI, or Letter of Intent) is a document outlining the understanding between two or more parties which they intend to formalize in a legally binding agreement. The concept is similar to a heads of agreement, term sh ...
to play for
Indiana University
Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana.
Campuses
Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI.
*Indiana Universi ...
, turning down offers from
Kansas
Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...
,
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...
,
UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...
, and
Ohio State
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
, among others. Upon committing to Indiana he said, "Their academics are good, they're the No. 1 team in the country and they've got another great class coming in next year."
Big Ten
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
Freshman of the Year and third team All-Big Ten by the coaches and media. In 30 games (29 starts), he averaged 11.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 26.5 minutes per game.
On April 3, 2014, Vonleh declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his final three years of college eligibility.
Professional career
Charlotte Hornets (2014–2015)
On June 26, 2014, Vonleh was selected with the ninth 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 player ...
by the
Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...
. On July 25, 2014, he signed with the Hornets. On September 2, 2014, he underwent successful surgery to repair a sports hernia and was ruled out for six to eight weeks. After making just four appearances for the Hornets to start the 2014–15 season, he was assigned to 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 ...
on December 28, 2014. He was recalled three days later. On April 12, 2015, he had a season-best game with 16 points and 12 rebounds against 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 ...
. Three days later in Charlotte's season finale, Vonleh had another 12-rebound game against 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 ...
.
Portland Trail Blazers (2015–2018)
On June 24, 2015, Vonleh was traded, along with
Gerald Henderson
Jerome McKinley "Gerald" Henderson Sr. (born January 16, 1956) is an American retired basketball player. He was a combo guard who had a 13-year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1979 until 1992. He played for the Boston C ...
, 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
Nicolas Batum
Nicolas Batum (; born December 14, 1988) is a French professional
< ...
. On November 15, 2015, he registered his first career start in a game against his former team, the Charlotte Hornets. In just under 24 minutes of action, he recorded nine points and six rebounds. On January 23, 2016, he scored a season-high 11 points against the
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 ...
. In late March, Vonleh was replaced in the starting lineup by
Maurice Harkless
Maurice José "Moe" Harkless (born May 11, 1993) is an American-Puerto Rican professional basketball player who is currently a free agent. He played college basketball for the St. John's Red Storm before being drafted 15th overall, after his fres ...
.
In his 47 games prior to center
Jusuf Nurkić
Jusuf Nurkić (; born 23 August 1994), nicknamed "the Bosnian Beast", is a Bosnian professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Standing at tall and weighing 290 lb (132 ...
joining the Trail Blazers in a trade in February 2017, Vonleh averaged just 3.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in 13 minutes per game. With Nurkić in the lineup, Vonleh began to thrive after the All-Star Break, averaging 6.7 points on 57.5% shooting and 7.2 rebounds in the final 26 games of the season. Vonleh recorded four double-doubles in that span, and netted his first game-winner as Portland topped 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 ...
at the buzzer on April 10. He had 11 double-digit rebounding performances during the season, with six coming in March and April, culminating in a career-high 19-rebound game against the
New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...
in the regular season finale.
On November 20, 2017, Vonleh had a season-best game with 11 points and 18 rebounds in a 100–92 win over 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 ...
.
Chicago Bulls (2018)
On February 8, 2018, Vonleh was traded, along with cash considerations, to the
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January ...
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
. On January 25, 2019, he had a career-high 22 points and 13 rebounds in a 109–99 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 ...
.
Minnesota Timberwolves (2019–2020)
On July 8, 2019, Vonleh 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 ...
.
Denver Nuggets (2020)
On February 5, 2020, the Timberwolves traded Vonleh to 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 ...
in a four-team trade.
On November 27, 2020, Vonleh signed with the Chicago Bulls. He was waived by the Bulls on December 14.
Brooklyn Nets (2021)
On February 8, 2021, Vonleh signed with 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 ...
. He played four games for the Nets before being waived.
Shanghai Sharks (2021–2022)
On September 18, 2021, Vonleh signed with 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 ...
.
Boston Celtics (2022–2023)
On August 2, 2022, Vonleh signed with the
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
on a 1-year contract. On October 15, 2022, reports confirmed Vonleh secured a Celtics roster spot for the 2022 regular season. On January 5, 2023, Vonleh was traded to 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 ...
in exchange for draft consideration. The Spurs then waived Vonleh later that day.
Charlotte
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
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 t ...
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...
Vonleh is the son of Samuel Vonleh and Renell Kumeh, and has two siblings Aaronette Vonleh and Samnell Vonleh. His paternal great-grandfather, Chief Blahsue Vonleh, was Paramount Chief of the Doe Clan, Nimba County, Liberia from 1920 until his death in 1947.