Robert Covington (born December 14, 1990) 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 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 ...

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). 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 the Tennessee State Tigers. In 2018, he was named to the

NBA All-Defensive First Team The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in two ...

High school career

Covington attended Proviso West High School in

Hillside, Illinois Hillside is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 8,320. Geography Hillside is located at (41.874797, −87.900372). According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Hillside has a total ar ...

. As a senior in 2008–09, he averaged 18 points, 11 rebounds and 7 blocks per game as he was named the West Suburban Conference Player of the Year after leading Proviso West to the West Suburban Championship. He was also an All-Area and All-Conference first-team honoree.

College career

In his freshman season at Tennessee State, Covington was named to the

Ohio Valley Conference The Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in the Football Cham ...

All-Newcomer team and earned Mid-Major Freshman All-America honors from ''Collegeinsider.com''. In 32 games (28 starts), he averaged 11.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks in 27.3 minutes per game. In his sophomore season, Covington recorded eight double-doubles and was named OVC Player of the Week on December 27, 2010. He led the team in rebounds (7.5 rpg), field goal percentage (.500) and three-point field goal percentage (.460). He also led the OVC with his 46% three-point shooting as he earned second-team All-OVC and second-team NABC Division I All-District 19 honors. In 30 games (all starts), he averaged 13.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks in 30.8 minutes per game. In his junior season, Covington earned first-team All-OVC and first-team NABC Division I All-District 19 honors, and was named the 2011–12 ''CollegeInsider.com'' OVC co-MVP. He also earned OVC All-Tournament team and Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational All-Tournament team honors. At the season's end, he had 1,358 points and 693 rebounds, ranking for 16th and 13th in school history respectively. In 33 games (32 starts), he averaged 17.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks in 31.2 minutes per game. In his senior season, Covington earned second-team All-OVC and second-team NABC Division I All-District 19 honors for the second time in his career despite missing ten games due to injury. In 23 games (22 starts), he averaged 17.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.7 blocks in 31.0 minutes per game. He finished his career ranked seventh on Tennessee State's all-time list in both scoring and rebounding, with 1,749 points and 876 rebounds.

Professional career

Houston Rockets (2013–2014)

Robert Covington of the Houston Rockets (2013)

After going undrafted in the 2013 NBA draft, Covington joined the Houston Rockets 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 ...

. On July 15, 2013, he signed a multi-year deal with the Rockets. He spent the majority of the 2013–14 season in the NBA Development League with the Rockets' affiliate team, 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 ...

, appearing in just seven NBA games. He participated in the 2014 NBA D-League All-Star Game in February, where scored an NBA D-League All-Star record 33 points, 22 of which came in the game's final six minutes, en route to earning MVP honors in the game. He connected on 12 of his 23 shots, including four-of-eight three-pointers at NBA All-Star festivities in New Orleans. In April, he was named the NBA D-League Rookie of the Year. He played in 42 of the Vipers 50 regular season games, 41 as a starter. He averaged a team-high 23.2 points, good for second best in the NBA D-League, while shooting 44 percent from the field. He also averaged 9.2 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game. After spending Summer League, training camp and preseason with the Rockets, Covington was waived on October 27, 2014. Covington was selected 3rd overall by the Grand Rapids Drive in the 2015 D-League Draft, however he never played for the team.

Philadelphia 76ers (2014–2018)

On November 15, 2014, Covington signed a reported five-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. He made his debut for the 76ers two days later, recording six points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals in 16½ minutes off the bench in a 100–75 loss 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 ...

. On December 3, he scored a career-best 17 points in an 85–77 win over 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 ...

. Two nights later against 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 ...

, he set a new career high. In 28 minutes, he scored 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting and 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. A day later, he did it again, dropping 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting in 29 minutes off the bench in a 108–101 overtime victory over 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 ...

. On March 25, he had a second 25-point effort against the Denver Nuggets. On April 8, Covington scored a career-high 27 points on 8-for-11 shooting in a 119–90 loss to 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 ...

. Five days later, he had a third 25-point effort against the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...

. After battling injury early in the 2015–16 season, Covington quickly began to excel, leading the NBA with 3.6 steals per game come December. In the final three games of November, Covington secured six-plus steals in each contest, making him the first NBA player to accomplish the feat in three-consecutive games since

Alvin Robertson Alvin Cyrrale Robertson (born July 22, 1962) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1984 to 1993, and for one final season in 1995–96. Robertson holds the record for th ...

in 1986. On November 27, he recorded career highs of 28 points and eight steals in a 116–114 loss to the Houston Rockets. On December 1, he scored a game-high 23 points to help the 76ers defeat the Los Angeles Lakers 103–91 and end a 28-game losing streak that began on March 27, 2015, during the 2014–15 season. On February 10, he scored a career-high 29 points and hit a career-high seven three-pointers in a loss 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 ...

. He set a new career high for scoring on April 8 with 30 points against the New York Knicks. On April 12, in a loss to 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 ...

, Covington had his seventh game of the season with six or more three-pointers, joining Stephen Curry,

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 ...

and J. R. Smith as the only players to do so in 2015–16. In the team's season finale the following day, Covington scored 27 points and again hit six three-pointers in a 115–105 loss 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 ...

On December 14, 2016, Covington had season highs of 26 points and 12 rebounds in a 123–114 loss to the Raptors. On January 20, 2017, he scored 22 points and made two three-pointers in the final 40 seconds to lead the 76ers to a come-from-behind 93–92 win over 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 ...

. On January 29, 2017, he scored 21 points and tied his season high of 12 rebounds in a 121–108 loss to the Bulls. In March 2017, he had 13 rebounds on three occasions. On March 31, he was ruled out for the rest of the season with right knee soreness and swelling. In the 76ers' season opener on October 18, 2017, Covington scored 29 points in a 120–115 loss to the Wizards. On November 13, he scored a season-high 31 points against the

. On November 17, after restructuring the terms of his contract for the 2017–18 season, he signed a four-year, $62 million contract extension with the 76ers. In May 2018, he was named to the

. Covington started the first 13 games for the 76ers to begin the 2018–19 season.

Minnesota Timberwolves (2018–2020)

On November 12, 2018, Covington was traded to the

, along with

Jerryd Bayless Jerryd Andrew Bayless (born August 20, 1988) is an American former professional basketball player. He played a year of college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats after playing high school basketball at St. Mary's High School in Phoenix. He was ...

Dario Šarić Dario Šarić (; born 8 April 1994) is a Croatian professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft. He also represents the senior ...

and a 2022 second-round pick, in exchange for

Jimmy Butler Jimmy Butler III (born September 14, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Jimmy Buckets", he is a six-time NBA All-Star, a four-time All-NBA Team honore ...

and Justin Patton. He made his debut for the Timberwolves two days later, recording 13 points and seven rebounds in a 107–100 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. On December 31, late in the Timberwolves' loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, Covington sustained a bone bruise on his right knee. After missing 23 games, he was assigned to the

Iowa Wolves The Iowa Wolves are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Des Moines, Iowa, and are affiliated with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves play their home games at the Wells Fargo Arena and compete in the Western ...

of the

NBA G 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 De ...

on February 27. On March 21, after suffering a setback in his quest for a return, Covington was ruled out for the rest of the season. He underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on April 1.

Return to Houston (2020)

On February 5, 2020, Covington returned to the Rockets in a four-team, 12-player trade with Jordan Bell from the Timberwolves; Minnesota received Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley, Juan Hernangómez,

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 ...

, and a 2020 first-round draft pick. The following day, Covington made his debut in a 121–111 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, scoring 14 points along with eight rebounds in 30 minutes. On February 29, in a 111–110 overtime win over the Boston Celtics, Covington had 16 points, 16 rebounds, and 3 blocks.

Portland Trail Blazers (2020–2022)

On November 22, 2020, Covington was traded to the

in exchange for Trevor Ariza, the draft rights to

Isaiah Stewart Isaiah Stewart II (born May 22, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Washington Huskies. Listed at and , he plays the cent ...

and a conditional future first-round pick.

Los Angeles Clippers (2022–present)

On February 4, 2022, Covington was traded, alongside Norman Powell, to the

in exchange for Eric Bledsoe, Keon Johnson,

Justise Winslow Justise Jon Winslow (born March 26, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils, with whom he won the 201 ...

, and a 2025 second-round pick. On April 1, Covington logged a career-high 43 points, along with eight rebounds and three blocks, in a 153–119 blowout win over the

. He also made 11 three-pointers during the game, setting a Clippers franchise record for most three-pointers made in a game. On May 8, Covington signed a two-year, $24 million extension with the Clippers.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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, 70, , 49 , , 27.9 , , .396 , , .374 , , .820 , , 4.5 , , 1.5 , , 1.4 , , .4 , , 13.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 67 , , 49 , , 28.4 , , .385 , , .353 , , .791 , , 6.3 , , 1.4 , , 1.6 , , .6 , , 12.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 67 , , 67 , , 31.6 , , .399 , , .333 , , .822 , , 6.5 , , 1.5 , , 1.9 , , 1.0 , , 12.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 80 , , 80 , , 31.7 , , .413 , , .369 , , .853 , , 5.4 , , 2.0 , , 1.7 , , .9 , , 12.6 , - , rowspan=2 style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 13 , , 13 , , 33.8 , , .427 , , .390 , , .739 , , 5.2 , , 1.1 , , 1.8 , , 1.8 , , 11.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

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 ...

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, 48 , , 47 , , 29.4 , , .435 , , .346 , , .798 , , 6.0 , , 1.2 , , 1.7 , , .9 , , 12.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, 22 , , 21 , , 33.0 , , .392 , , .315 , , .800 , , 8.0 , , 1.5 , , 1.6 , , 2.2 , , 11.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Portland , 70 , , 70 , , 32.0 , , .401 , , .379 , , .806 , , 6.7 , , 1.7 , , 1.4 , , 1.2 , , 8.5 , - , style="text-align:left;"rowspan=2, , style="text-align:left;", Portland , 48 , , 40 , , 29.8 , , .381 , , .343 , , .833 , , 5.7 , , 1.4 , , 1.5 , , 1.3 , , 7.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 23 , , 2 , , 22.1 , , .500 , , .450 , , .848 , , 5.1 , , 1.0 , , 1.3 , , 1.2 , , 10.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 537 , , 460 , , 29.9 , , .406 , , .360 , , .813 , , 5.8 , , 1.5 , , 1.6 , , 1.0 , , 11.6

Playoffs

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, 10 , , 8 , , 28.1 , , .325 , , .313 , , .750 , , 5.3 , , 2.5 , , 1.1 , , .9 , , 8.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

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, 12 , , 12 , , 31.6 , , .495 , , .500 , , .857 , , 5.0 , , 1.3 , , 2.5 , , 1.1 , , 11.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",

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, style="text-align:left;", Portland , 6 , , 6 , , 38.0 , , .500 , , .500 , , .900 , , 7.8 , , 1.2 , , 1.5 , , 1.1 , , 9.3 , - class"sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 28 , , 26 , , 31.7 , , .430 , , .435 , , .818 , , 5.7 , , 1.7 , , 1.8 , , 1.0 , , 9.7

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2009–10 , style="text-align:left;", Tennessee State , 32 , , 28 , , 27.3 , , .428 , , .385 , , .797 , , 6.5 , , 1.2 , , 1.1 , , 1.1 , , 11.5 , - , 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;", Tennessee State , 30 , , 30 , , 30.8 , , .498 , , .460 , , .782 , , 7.5 , , 1.2 , , 1.5 , , 1.0 , , 13.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2011–12 , style="text-align:left;", Tennessee State , 33 , , 32 , , 31.2 , , .526 , , .448 , , .775 , , 7.9 , , 1.3 , , 1.5 , , 1.4 , , 17.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2012–13 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. I ...

, style="text-align:left;", Tennessee State , 23 , , 21 , , 31.0 , , .435 , , .388 , , .850 , , 8.0 , , 1.3 , , 2.2 , , 1.7 , , 17.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 118 , , 111 , , 30.0 , , .476 , , .422 , , .802 , , 7.4 , , 1.2 , , 1.5 , , 1.3 , , 14.8

Personal life

Covington is the son of Dennis and Teresa Bryant. Covington is in a relationship with model Amirah Dyme. As of March 2022, the couple are expecting their first child.

Awards and achievements

NBA Awards: *

() NBA G League Awards: * NBA G League All-Star () * NBA G League All-Star Game MVP () * All-NBA G League First Team () * NBA G League Rookie of the Year ()

References

External links

Robert Covington: If You Don't Know, Now You Know

NBA G League profile

Tennessee State Tigers bio
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Covington, Robert 1990 births Living people 21st-century African-American sportspeople African-American basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Illinois Houston Rockets players Los Angeles Clippers players Minnesota Timberwolves players People from Bellwood, Illinois Philadelphia 76ers players Portland Trail Blazers players Rio Grande Valley Vipers players Shooting guards Small forwards Sportspeople from Cook County, Illinois Tennessee State Tigers basketball players Undrafted National Basketball Association players