Samuel Thomas Dekker (born May 6, 1994) 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 (appro ...

player for the

Joventut Badalona Club Joventut Badalona, S.A.D. () is a Spanish professional basketball club based in Badalona, Catalonia, Spain, playing in the Liga ACB and the EuroCup. Known to their fans as ''La Penya'' (in English, ''The Club''), it is one of only two team ...

of the Spanish

Liga ACB The Liga ACB, known as Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional basketball division of the Spanish basketball league system. Administered by the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto (ACB), Liga ACB is contested by 18 teams, w ...

. Dekker played

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

for the

Wisconsin Badgers The Wisconsin Badgers are the College athletics in the United States, athletic teams representing the University of Wisconsin–Madison. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I ...

. After finishing college on a championship game run in the 2015 NCAA Tournament, Dekker was selected by the

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...

with the 18th overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft.

High school career

Dekker was named the Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year following his senior season. He was also named 2012 ''Parade'' All-American, AP first-team all-state and Wisconsin Basketball Coaches' Association's Mr. Basketball award. He led Sheboygan Lutheran to the school's first-ever WIAA state title. Dekker scored 40 points, including the last 12, in the state title game including the game-winning three-point shot with two seconds left.

College career

Freshman season

Dekker played in 35 games (3 starts) as a freshman on the

. He was one of only four true freshman to start under Bo Ryan, joining Devin Harris, Alando Tucker and Josh Gasser. He earned Big Ten All-Freshman team recognition as well as honorable mention All-Big Ten honors. He was also two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week (January 14 and March 4, 2013). Dekker scored a season-high 19 points against

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

on November 24, 2012, and

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

on February 26, 2013.

Sophomore season

Before the season, Dekker was named to the Wooden Award and

Naismith Trophy The Naismith Trophy is a trophy awarded to the men's champion of the FIBA Basketball World Cup, and is named in honor of basketball's inventor, James Naismith. The trophy was first awarded to the winner of the 1967 FIBA World Championship. The ...

watch lists. At the conclusion of the regular season in which he started all 38 games, Dekker was named to the Second Team All-Big Ten by the coaches and Third Team All-Big Ten by the media.

Junior season

Before the season, Dekker was named to the Wooden Award and Naismith Trophy watch lists. At the conclusion of the regular season, Dekker was named to the Second Team All-Big Ten by the coaches and by the media. But he really only took off in the NCAA Tournament. In the Sweet 16 against the number four seeded North Carolina Tar Heels, Dekker scored a career high 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the 1-seed Wisconsin to a 79–72 victory. In the Elite 8 against the number 2-seeded Arizona Wildcats, Dekker again came up big, scoring a new career high 27 points, including 5 of the Badgers's 10 second-half threes, the final of which is now known nationally as the "Dekker Dagger" shot because it sealed the win for Wisconsin. For these efforts, he was named West Regional Most Outstanding Player during the 2015 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. In the Final Four game against the heavily favored and undefeated Kentucky Wildcats, Dekker came through with another huge game, scoring 16 points, including the three that gave Wisconsin the lead for good. The Badgers finished second in the NCAA tournament after losing to Duke in the championship game. A week later, Dekker declared for the 2015 NBA draft, forgoing his final year of college eligibility.

Professional career

Houston Rockets (2015–2017)

On June 25, 2015, Dekker was selected by the

with the 18th overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft. On July 7, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Rockets but subsequently missed the entire

2015 NBA Summer League The 2015 NBA Summer League consisted of three professional sports, pro basketball sports league, leagues organized by the National Basketball Association, NBA: the Orlando Magic, Orlando Pro Summer League, Utah Jazz Summer League, and Las Vegas S ...

due to a back injury. He appeared in all eight of the Rockets' preseason games, but managed game time in just three of the team's first 11 regular-season games. On November 18, 2015, he was ruled out for three months after requiring back surgery. On February 19, 2016, he was assigned to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets' D-League affiliate, on a rehab assignment. He was recalled by the Rockets on February 22. He went on to receive two more assignments to the Vipers. On December 14, 2016, Dekker scored a career-high 19 points in a 132–98 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 Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...

. On January 21, 2017, he made his first career start and set a new career high with 30 points in a 119–95 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 Southwest Division of the ...

Los Angeles Clippers (2017–2018)

On June 28, 2017, the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...

acquired Dekker, Patrick Beverley, Montrezl Harrell, Darrun Hilliard, DeAndre Liggins, Lou Williams, Kyle Wiltjer and a 2018 first-round pick from the Houston Rockets in exchange for

Chris Paul Christopher Emmanuel Paul (born May 6, 1985), nicknamed "CP3" and "the Point God", is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Regarded by some as one of the greatest p ...

Cleveland Cavaliers (2018)

On August 7, 2018, Dekker was traded, along with the draft rights to Renaldas Seibutis and cash considerations, to the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers, often referred to as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...

in exchange for the draft rights to Vladimir Veremeenko.

Washington Wizards (2018–2019)

On December 7, 2018, Dekker was traded 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 Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...

in a five-player, three-team deal. The Wizards traded Jason Smith and cash considerations to 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 Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

. The Bucks sent John Henson,

Matthew Dellavedova Matthew William Dellavedova (born 8 September 1990) is an Australian professional basketball player for the Sydney Kings of the National Basketball League (Australia), National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for Saint Mar ...

, and 2021 first- and second-round picks to the

and received George Hill and a 2021 second-round pick. The Wizards also sent a 2022 second-round pick to the Cavs.

Lokomotiv Kuban (2019–2020)

On August 5, 2019, Dekker signed with Russian club

PBC Lokomotiv Kuban PBC Lokomotiv Kuban () is a Russian professional basketball team based in Krasnodar. It participates in the VTB United League. Their honour list includes a EuroCup Basketball, EuroCup championship in the 2012–13 season, and two Russian Basketb ...

of the

VTB United League The VTB United League () is an international professional men's club basketball league that was founded in 2009. It is made up of mostly Russian clubs, along with one each from Belarus and Kazakhstan. Since 2013, it is the first tier of Russian ...

and the EuroCup.

Türk Telekom (2020–2021)

On July 23, 2020, Dekker signed with Türk Telekom of the

Turkish Super League Turkish may refer to: * Something related to Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities in the former Ottoman Empire * The ...

(BSL).

Toronto Raptors (2021)

On August 10, 2021, Dekker 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 Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), E ...

. However, he was waived on November 6, after making a single regular season appearance.

Bahçeşehir Koleji (2021–2022)

On December 4, 2021, Dekker signed with Bahçeşehir Koleji of the Turkish Basketball Super League. The team won the 2021-22 FIBA Europe Cup, with Dekker averaging 13.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. He helped Bahçeşehir win the

2021–22 FIBA Europe Cup The 2021–22 FIBA Europe Cup was the seventh season of the FIBA Europe Cup, a European professional basketball competition for clubs, that was launched by FIBA. The season began on 13 October 2021 and ended on 27 April 2022 with the 2022 FIBA ...

, contributing averages of 11 points and 5.5 rebounds in the

Finals Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...

London Lions (2022–2024)

On August 7, 2022, Dekker signed with the London Lions of the

British Basketball League The British Basketball League (BBL) was a men's professional basketball sports league, league in Great Britain. Since its establishment in 1987 the BBL represented the highest level of basketball competition within the United Kingdom. The orga ...

(BBL) and the EuroCup. In his inaugural season, the Lions won both the 2022–23 BBL Cup and Championship, and Dekker was the top scorer in the EuroCup regular season. In May, Dekker was named the MVP of the 2022–23 BBL season. In the 2022-23 Eurocup season, club debut in the second european competition, they reached the play-offs but being knocked in the eightfinals against Joventut Badalona. Sam was the best player of the team in the whole season and play-offs, and got into the

All-Eurocup second team The EuroCup Basketball All-EuroCup Team is an annual award of the secondary level European-wide professional club basketball league, the EuroCup. The EuroCup is the European-wide professional basketball league that is one tier level below the ...

. He won the BBL again in the 2023–24 season, becoming MVP of the Final. In the 2023–24 Eurocup season they reached the semi-finals for the first time in the history of the club but also for an english club in European competitions, being knocked by the future champions of the competition, Paris Basketball.

Joventut Badalona (2024–2025)

On November 2024, Dekker signed a temporary contract with

, a historic team from Catalonia (Spain) in the ACB League. Joventut was also participating at the Eurocup but didn't reach the play-offs due to a bad start of the season of the Catalan team. After being classified in 5th position for the Spanish King's Cup and his big impact on the team, Sam extended his contract until the end of the season as he became a key player since his arrival. He was named ACB ''Week 12 MVP'' after a memorable performance with 30 points (8 three-pointers) and 8 rebounds against Leyma Coruña. Finishing in 6th position in ACB league with great numbers, Sam played the play-offs for the title.

Personal life

Dekker has remained a Sheboygan resident throughout his NBA career. In November 2016, Dekker purchased a 1,568-square-foot condo on the Sheboygan River for $289,000. In May 2017, Dekker became engaged to Olivia Harlan, an

ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...

and

SEC Network SEC Network (SECN) is an American multinational sports network owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which operates the network, through its 80% controlling ownership interest) and Hearst Communications (which hold ...

reporter, daughter of NBA announcer

Kevin Harlan Kevin Robert Harlan (born June 21, 1960) is an American television and radio sports announcer, and a 3 time National Sportscaster of Year as voted by his peers. The son of former Green Bay Packers President and CEO Bob Harlan, he broadcasts NF ...

, and granddaughter of NFL

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

Chairman Emeritus Bob Harlan. The two were married on July 14, 2018. In 2022, they welcomed their first child.

National team career

In Summer 2012, Dekker was on the under-18 United States national team that defeated Brazil for the gold medal in the

FIBA The International Basketball Federation (FIBA ; French language, French: ) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. FIBA defines the rules of basketball, specifies the Basketball equipment ...

Americas championship, but his play was limited due to an injury.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

, 3 , , 0 , , 2.0 , , .000 , , .000 , , .000 , , 0.3 , , - , , 0.3 , , - , , - , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 77 , , 2 , , 18.4 , , .473 , , .321 , , .559 , , 3.7 , , 1.0 , , 0.5 , , 0.3 , , 6.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 73 , , 1 , , 12.1 , , .494 , , .167 , , .661 , , 2.4 , , 0.5 , , 0.3 , , 0.1 , , 4.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

, 9 , , 5 , , 18.8 , , .458 , , .385 , , .800 , , 3.7 , , 1.0 , , 1.2 , , - , , 6.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Washington , 38 , , 0 , , 16.3 , , .471 , , .286 , , .556 , , 3.0 , , 1.0 , , 0.7 , , 0.2 , , 6.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, 1 , , 0 , , 1.0 , , – , , – , , – , , - , , - , , - , , - , , - , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 201 , , 8 , , 15.4 , , .478 , , .288 , , .606 , , 3.0 , , 0.8 , , 0.5 , , 0.2 , , 5.5

Playoffs

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2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

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

, 4 , , 0 , , 7.8 , , .250 , , .500 , , .000 , , 2.5 , , 0.3 , , 0.3 , , 0.3 , , 2.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 4 , , 0 , , 7.8 , , .250 , , .500 , , .000 , , 2.5 , , 0.3 , , 0.3 , , 0.3 , , 2.3

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2012–13 , style="text-align:left;",

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

, 35 , , 3 , , 22.3 , , .476 , , .391 , , .690 , , 3.4 , , 1.3 , , 0.7 , , 0.4 , , 9.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2013–14 , style="text-align:left;",

, 38 , , 38 , , 29.8 , , .469 , , .326 , , .686 , , 6.1 , , 1.4 , , 0.8 , , 0.6 , , 12.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2014–15 , style="text-align:left;",

, 40 , , 40 , , 31.0 , , .525 , , .331 , , .708 , , 5.5 , , 1.2 , , 0.5 , , 0.5 , , 13.9 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 113 , , 81 , , 27.9 , , .493 , , .348 , , .695 , , 5.0 , , 1.3 , , 0.6 , , 0.5 , , 12.1

Eurocup

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2019–20 , style="text-align:left;", Lokomotiv Kuban , 10 , , 8 , , 27.0 , , .705 , , .303 , , .789 , , 5.3 , , 1.5 , , 0.9 , , 0.6 , , 13.1 , , 15.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2022-23 , style="text-align:left;", London Lions , 16 , , 16 , , 30.8 , , .528 , , .263 , , .677 , , 5.6 , , 2.9 , , 1.3 , , 0.7 , , 18.2 , , 19.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2023-24 , style="text-align:left;", London Lions , 11 , , 4 , , 21.5 , , .563 , , .355 , , .769 , , 4.4 , , 1.3 , , 0.7 , , 0.3 , , 11.8 , , 12.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2024-25 , style="text-align:left;",

, 10 , , 8 , , 25.1 , , .571 , , .263 , , .811 , , 4.7 , , 1.9 , , 0.8 , , 0.3 , , 13.1 , , 13.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 47 , , 36 , , 26.2 , , .630 , , .303 , , .773 , , 5.0 , , 1.8 , , 0.9 , , 0.5 , , 14.1 , , 15.2

FIBA

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2020-21 BCL , style="text-align:left;", Türk Telekom B.K. , 12 , , 11 , , 27.4 , , .686 , , .356 , , .733 , , 5.8 , , 2.1 , , 0.9 , , 0.6 , , 13.7 , , 15.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2021-22 FIBA Europe Cup , style="text-align:left;", Bahçeşehir Koleji S.K. , 10 , , 9 , , 26.2 , , .565 , , .337 , , .755 , , 7.2 , , 1.4 , , 1.1 , , 0.7 , , 13.1 , , 14.2

ACB

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2024-25 ACB , style="text-align:left;",

, 26 , , 16 , , 27 , , .482 , , .423 , , .813 , , 4.1 , , 1.2 , , 0.9 , , 0.3 , , 13 , , 11.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2025 Copa del Rey , style="text-align:left;",

, 1 , , 1 , , 28 , , .750 , , .625 , , .667 , , 2.0 , , 1.0 , , - , , - , , 23 , , 22 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2025 ACB Playoffs , style="text-align:left;",

, 2 , , 0 , , 27 , , .690 , , .333 , , .667 , , 2.0 , , 0.5 , , 1.0 , , - , , 11 , , 6.5

References

External links

Wisconsin Badgers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dekker, Sam 1994 births Living people 21st-century American sportsmen American expatriate basketball people in Canada American expatriate basketball people in Russia American expatriate basketball people in Spain American expatriate basketball people in Turkey American expatriate basketball people in the United Kingdom American men's basketball players Bahçeşehir Koleji S.K. players Basketball players from Wisconsin Cleveland Cavaliers players Houston Rockets draft picks Houston Rockets players Joventut Badalona players London Lions (basketball) players Los Angeles Clippers players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) PBC Lokomotiv-Kuban players Power forwards Rio Grande Valley Vipers players Small forwards Sportspeople from Sheboygan, Wisconsin Toronto Raptors players Türk Telekom B.K. players Washington Wizards players Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball players