Brandon Byron Jennings (born September 23, 1989) is an American former professional basketball player, who played 9 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is known for being the first American to go from high school to the pros in Europe.
After he graduated from Oak Hill Academy, Jennings played for professional basketball club Lottomatica Roma in Rome, Italy. After a year overseas, he declared for the 2009 NBA draft and was selected 10th overall by the Bucks. Jennings played four seasons in Milwaukee before being traded to the Detroit Pistons in 2013. He spent his next three seasons in Detroit before he was traded to the Orlando Magic in 2016. He went on to split the 2016–17 season between the New York Knicks and Washington Wizards, before a final stint in Milwaukee in the 2017–18 season. Jennings also played in the Chinese Basketball Association and the VTB United League.
Jennings attended Dominguez High School in Compton, California for his freshman and sophomore years. Before his junior year, Jennings transferred to Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia. In his last year of high school, Jennings averaged 35.5 points per game and set the school record for points in a season (1,312).[2] This performance earned him some of high school basketball's most prestigious awards: the 2008 Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award, 2007–08 Gatorade Player of the Year (Virginia), 2008 Parade Magazine Player of the Year and 2008 EA Sports Player of the Year. He led his 2006–2007 team to a 41–1 record and the top ranking in the USA Today Super 25 list of high school teams.[3] He was rated as the nation's #1 high school basketball prospect in the class of 2008 by Scout.com,[4] the #1 prospect in the ESPNU 150,[5] and the #4 prospect by Rivals.com.[6]
College career
In August 2006, Jennings was initially set to join USC. On April 24, 2007, he instead committed to the Arizona Wildcats, citing Arizona's quality academic faculty and his desire to play with Jerryd Bayless (Bayless left after one season to enter the 2008 NBA draft).[7] In November 2007, SLAM Magazine's third edition of PUNKS featured Jennings on the cover along with three other top-rated high school guards (Jrue Holiday, Tyreke Evans and Lance Stephenson).[8][9]
In June 2008, Jennings announced that he was considering becoming the first American to skip college to play professionally in the Euroleague. The NBA requires players to be at least 19 years old and one year removed from high school before entering the league, meaning that Jennings could not enter the 2008 NBA draft. Jennings declared that his goal was to play in the NBA and that playing overseas instead of at an American college could be his best route to gain experience and make money until he was eligible to join the NBA.[10]
Professional career
Lottomatica Roma (2008–2009)
On July 16, 2008, Jennings signed with Lottomatica Roma of the Italian Serie A.[11] The contract he signed with Roma was for $1.65 million net income guaranteed.[12] After earning the contract with Lottomatica, Under Armour gave Jennings a $2 million contract[13] to showcase their products in the Euroleague. Jennings was the first American player to go straight from high school to play professionally for a European team rather than play for a college basketball team since the NBA's age restriction rule was implemented.[14]
In the Italian Serie A 2008–09 season, Jennings averaged in 27 games, 5.5 points, 1.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.5 steals in 17.0 minutes per game. He shot 35.1 percent from the field and 20.7 percent from 3-point range in Serie A play.[15] In 16 Euroleague games, Jennings averaged 7.6 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.2 steals in 19.6 minutes per game. In the Euroleague he shot 38.7 percent from the field and 26.8 percent from 3-point range.[16]
Milwaukee Bucks (2009–2013)
Jennings was selected tenth overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2009 NBA draft. He became the first player who skipped college to play professional basketball in Europe to be drafted by an NBA team.[17]
Jennings in 2009
Jennings made his NBA regular season debut on October 30, 2009, against the Philadelphia 76ers, where he recorded 17 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists in 34 minutes.
On November 14, 2009, in just his seventh game in the NBA, after scoring 0 in the first quarter, Jennings scored 55 points in a win over the Golden State Warriors.[18] Jennings’ 55 points broke the team record for most points in a game by a rookie, previously set by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1970, and was more than any rookie scored since Earl "The Pearl" Monroe scored 56 in 1968. He became the youngest player to ever score 55, collecting the second-highest total for a player under 21, behind only LeBron James's 56 points in March 2005, and the second-most points scored by a Milwaukee Buck (behind Michael Redd's 57 in 2006).[19]
On October 30, 2010, Jennings recorded his first ever triple double, with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a win against the Charlotte Bobcats. On December 15, 2010, Jennings broke his left foot against the San Antonio Spurs when he came down awkwardly on his ankle.[22] Despite the injury, he finished the game and played 30 minutes the following game against the Jazz. The team later confirmed that Jennings would miss the next four to six weeks as he recovered from surgery to repair a fracture in his left foot.[23]
Jennings missed a total of 19 games with the injury before returning on January 29, 2011, in a 91–81 home victory over the New Jersey Nets.[24] He scored a season-high 37 points against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on March 25, 2011.[25]
With Milwaukee struggling in Jennings' absence and his slow return to form after the injury, the Bucks missed the playoffs.
With the NBA beginning the 2011–12 season in a lockout, Jennings played in the Drew League to stay in shape and prepare for the season. With the schedule shortened after the lockout ended, Jennings played and started in all of the 66 games. He recorded career highs with 19.1 points and 1.6 steals in 35.3 minutes per game.
Similar to the previous season, his season-high in points came in Madison Square Garden against the Knicks; this time, Jennings scored 36 points in a 100–86 win.[26]
The Bucks again missed the NBA playoffs, finishing in ninth place in the East.
With Jennings set to hit restricted free agency at the end of the 2012–13 season, he sought a long-term contract, saying he would not return to Milwaukee if they did not work out an agreement.[27]
During the Bucks’ home opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Jennings made a game-winning three at the buzzer to win the game for the Bucks.[28] Jennings teamed up with Monta Ellis, who was acquired at the 2012 trade deadline, to form one of the NBA's most potent backcourts that year.[29][30]
With improved play under new coach Jim Boylan,[31] Milwaukee returned to the playoffs for the first time since Jennings was a rookie. They qualified as the eighth seed. They were swept 4–0 by the reigning, and eventual, champions- the Miami Heat. After the team lost Game 2, Jennings proclaimed the Bucks would win the series in six. [32] The phrase “Bucks in 6” subsequently became a famous phrase among the fanbase, commonly used during the 2021 NBA Playoffs when the Bucks won the NBA Finals, coincidentally in six games after trailing 2-0. Jennings was subsequently invited to participate in the team’s championship parade and helped design their championship rings.[33]
On December 5, 2013, Jennings returned to Milwaukee in a 105–98 win over the Bucks, finishing with 17 points and 11 assists.[36] On January 11, 2014, in a game against the Phoenix Suns, Jennings recorded 16 assists in the first half, tying Isiah Thomas' franchise record for the most assists in a half.[37]
On January 16, 2015, Jennings scored a season-high 37 points on 10-of-23 shooting in the 98–96 win over the Indiana Pacers.[38] Five days later, he recorded 24 points and a career-high 21 assists in the 128–118 win over the Orlando Magic, becoming the first player to record a 20-point, 20-assist game in the NBA since Steve Nash in 2009.[39]
On January 25, 2015, Jennings was ruled out for the rest of the season due to a ruptured left Achilles tendon that required surgery.[40] On the season, he averaged 15.4 points, 6.6 assists and 1.1 steals in 41 games.[41]
On December 17, 2015, Jennings voluntarily reported to the Grand Rapids Drive, the Pistons' D-League affiliate, on a rehab assignment.[42][43] In his debut with the Drive on December 19, Jennings recorded a double-double with 11 points and 12 assists in 27 minutes against the Iowa Energy.[44] He was recalled by the Pistons the next day.[45] On December 29, Jennings made his first appearance of the season for the Pistons, scoring seven points and adding four assists in 16 minutes off the bench against the New York Knicks.[46] He had a season-best game in his fourth game back from injury, recording 17 points and 6 assists off the bench on January 4 in a 115–89 win over the Orlando Magic.[47]
Orlando Magic (2016)
On February 16, 2016, Jennings was traded to the Orlando Magic, along with Ersan İlyasova, in exchange for Tobias Harris.[48] The next day, he made his debut with the Magic in a 110–104 win over the Dallas Mavericks, recording 18 points, three rebounds and four assists in 25 minutes.[49]
New York Knicks (2016–2017)
Jennings with the Knicks
On July 8, 2016, Jennings signed with the New York Knicks.[50] He debuted in the Knicks's season opener on October 25, 2016, against the Cleveland Cavaliers. In 21 minutes off the bench, he recorded seven points, three rebounds and five assists in a 117–88 loss.[51] On December 11, he scored 15 of his season high-tying 19 points in the fourth quarter of the Knicks' 118–112 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.[52] On December 31, he set a new season high with 32 points in a 129–122 loss to the Houston Rockets.[53]
On February 27, 2017, he was waived by the Knicks.[54] He had previously requested a trade due to lack of playing time and team success in New York.[55]
Washington Wizards (2017)
On March 1, 2017, Jennings signed with the Washington Wizards.[56] That year the Wizards won the division for the first time in 38 years, losing to Boston in seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Shanxi Brave Dragons (2017)
On July 28, 2017, Jennings accepted a one-year, $1.5 million deal to play for the Shanxi Brave Dragons of the Chinese Basketball Association.[57] On December 9, 2017, he was released by Shanxi.[58] In 13 games, he averaged 27.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 2.7 steals per game.
On March 11, 2018, Jennings signed a 10-day contract with the Milwaukee Bucks, returning to the franchise for a second stint.[60] The following day, in his first game back with the Bucks, Jennings finished two rebounds shy of a triple-double with 16 points and 12 assists in a 121–103 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.[61] He signed a second 10-day contract on March 21,[62] and a multi-year contract on April 1.[63] On August 1, 2018, he was waived by the Bucks.[64]
During the 2013 NBA playoffs, Jennings came up with the phrase "Bucks in six," when asked about his expectations for the series against the Miami Heat, meaning the Bucks would win in six games. Despite being swept by the Heat in that series, the phrase later regained prominence when the Bucks were on their 2021 playoff run that culminated with a championship, winning the 2021 NBA Finals in six games. Coincidentally, the Bucks in 2021 opened their championship run by sweeping the Heat. Jennings was invited to the championship parade, and the phrase was engraved on the design of the championship rings.[65][66]
Zenit Saint Petersburg (2018)
On August 20, 2018, Jennings signed a one-year deal with the Russian team Zenit Saint Petersburg of the VTB United League.[67][68] His contract with Zenit was terminated on November 20, 2018, after only 10 games and days after an Instagram post he made stating "Lesson in life: I will never play for a team and the dad is coaching his SON! Never again!"[69][70] The father-son duo at the club at the time of his Instagram post were Vasily Karasev (then head coach of Zenit Saint Petersburg) and former NBA player Sergey Karasev.
Jennings, specifically his tense relationship with Milwaukee coach Scott Skiles, was the subject of the song "Chartjunk" by indie rock band Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks in 2014.[73]
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