Kyshawn Shanty Alonzo George (born 12 December 2003) is a Swiss-Canadian professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Miami Hurricanes.

Kyshawn George
George with the Miami Hurricanes in 2024
No. 18 – Washington Wizards
PositionSmall forward / shooting guard
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (2003-12-12) 12 December 2003 (age 20)
Aigle, Switzerland
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High schoolLycée Emiland Gauthey
(Chalon-sur-Saône, France)
CollegeMiami (Florida) (2023–2024)
NBA draft2024: 1st round, 24th overall pick
Selected by the New York Knicks
Playing career2022–present
Career history
2022–2023Élan Chalon
2024–presentWashington Wizards
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Early life and career

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George was born on 12 December 2003 and grew up in Monthey, Switzerland.[1] He was part of the team that won the Swiss U16 basketball championship in 2016.[2] He later moved to France and played four years with the club Élan Chalon.[3][4]

George played mainly for the U18 team from 2019–20 to 2020–21 before then playing for the U21 team in 2021–22 and 2022–23, also spending time with the first-team squad in his last season.[1] He averaged 11.1 points and two rebounds per game in 2021–22 and had 17.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.4 steals per game with the team in 2022–23, being named first-team All-U21 Espoir Pro B.[1] With the first team, he averaged 2.9 points and appeared in 16 games in 2022–23.[5]

George attended Lycée Emiland Gauthey in Chalon-sur-Saône, France.[3] He had a growth spurt in high school, going from a height of 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 m) to 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) and 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m) by the time he entered college.[6] He committed to play college basketball in the United States for the Miami Hurricanes in April 2023, being ranked a three-star prospect.[7][8][9]

College career

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Initially a backup, George became a starter midway through his freshman season at Miami due to injuries and soon became a top player, receiving attention as a potential 2024 NBA draft prospect.[6][10][11] Following his freshman season, he declared for the 2024 NBA draft and received a green room invite.[12]

Professional career

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Washington Wizards (2024–present)

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On June 26, 2024, George was selected with the 24th overall pick by the New York Knicks in the 2024 NBA draft, however, immediately on draft night, he was traded for the 26th and 51st overall picks in the 2024 draft.[13] On July 6, he signed with the Wizards.[14]

National team career

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At age 13, George played for the Switzerland men's national under-16 basketball team.[6] He later played six games for the team at the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship Division B.[2]

Career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

College

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2023–24 Miami 31 16 23.0 .426 .408 .778 3.0 2.2 .9 .4 7.6

Personal life

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George's father, Deon, is from Canada and played basketball professionally in Switzerland.[15]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Kyshawn George". Miami Hurricanes. 16 June 2023.
  2. ^ a b Benjamin, Marcus (20 April 2023). "Men's BB: Miami lands commitment from Kyshawn George". Rivals.com.
  3. ^ a b "Miami freshman guard Kyshawn George seizing opportunity with Louisville up next tonight: "It's just me getting confidence in the team"". WOOF. January 2024.
  4. ^ "Kyshawn George gagne en responsabilités, Jermaine Love efficace" [Kyshawn George gains responsibilities, Jermaine Love efficient]. Le Journal de Saône-et-Loire (in French). 16 January 2024.
  5. ^ Kaufman, Michelle (21 April 2023). "Versatile Swiss guard added to UM's '23 recruiting class". The Miami Herald – via Newspapers.com.  
  6. ^ a b c "Swiss import makes quick impact as first-year guard for Hurricanes". The Miami Herald. 10 January 2024. p. A22 – via Newspapers.com.  
  7. ^ Smith, Brian (20 April 2023). "Canes Hoops Lands Recruit From Switzerland". Sports Illustrated.
  8. ^ Willerup, Liam (28 January 2024). "It's Time To Buy Your Stock In Miami's Kyshawn George". Sports Illustrated.
  9. ^ Délèze, Adrien (27 April 2023). "Basket: le Montheysan Kyshawn George fait un pas de plus vers son rêve de NBA" [Basketball: Montheysan Kyshawn George takes another step towards his NBA dream]. Le Nouvelliste (in French).
  10. ^ Stock, Christopher (29 January 2024). "'He's a matchup problem': Freshman Kyshawn George impressing coaches, NBA scouts". 247Sports.
  11. ^ Kaufman, Michelle (29 January 2024). "UM freshman Kyshawn George on NBA radar as Hurricanes play NC State on road Tuesday". The Miami Herald.
  12. ^ "Several More Players Invited to Green Room for 2024 Draft".
  13. ^ "2024 NBA Draft: New York Knicks Acquire Six Draft Picks". NBA.com. 26 June 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
  14. ^ Adams, Luke (6 July 2024). "Wizards Sign First-Rounders Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George". HoopsRumors.com. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  15. ^ Kaufman, Michelle (20 April 2023). "Versatile Swiss guard Kyshawn George (Class of '23) signs with University of Miami". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
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