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Charles Bassey

Charles A. Bassey (born October 28, 2000) is a Nigerian basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. He was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2021 NBA draft.

Charles Bassey
Bassey in 2024
No. 28 – San Antonio Spurs
PositionCenter / power forward
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (2000-10-28) October 28, 2000 (age 24)
Lagos, Nigeria
Listed height6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeWestern Kentucky (2018–2021)
NBA draft2021: 2nd round, 53rd overall pick
Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers
Playing career2021–present
Career history
2021–2022Philadelphia 76ers
2021–2022→Delaware Blue Coats
2022–presentSan Antonio Spurs
2022–2023→Austin Spurs
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Early life

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Bassey was born in Lagos, Nigeria, where he played soccer until age 12, standing 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) at the time.[1] At that age, he was discovered by a youth basketball coach while Bassey was selling fried chicken on the side of a road and wearing flip-flops that were too small for him.[2][3] He stopped playing soccer soon after, instead focusing on developing his basketball skills.[3] At age 14, Bassey was named most valuable player (MVP) of basketball camp Giants of Africa, a program established by Toronto Raptors executive Masai Ujiri.[2][4]

High school career

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At age 14, Bassey stood 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 m) and moved to the United States to continue his basketball career at St. Anthony Catholic High School, a private school in San Antonio, Texas.[5] By then, recruiting analysts considered him one of the best prospects in his class.[6][7] As a freshman, Bassey averaged 20.2 points, 17.1 rebounds and 5.9 blocks per game, leading his team to the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) title game.[8][9] Bassey competed in the Jordan Brand Classic International Game, where he was named MVP.[10] Before his sophomore season, Bassey was ruled ineligible by the TAPPS, with St. Anthony filing an appeal.[11][12] He still made his season debut, and head coach Jeff Merritt was fired for playing an ineligible player.[13] St. Anthony withdrew from the TAPPS and joined the Texas Christian Athletic League, allowing Bassey to become eligible again.[14]

For his junior season, Bassey transferred to DeSales High School in Louisville, Kentucky and began playing basketball for Aspire Basketball Academy in Louisville. He made the decision after Hennssy Auriantal, his legal guardian and an assistant coach at St. Anthony, was dismissed from the program.[15][16] As a junior, he averaged 19.4 points and 12.8 rebounds per game.[17]

Recruiting

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Bassey was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top centers in the 2018 class. On June 13, 2018, he reclassified to the 2018 class and committed to playing college basketball for Western Kentucky.[17]

College recruiting information
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Charles Bassey
C 		Lagos, Nigeria Aspire Academy (KY) 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Jun 13, 2018 
Star ratings: Rivals:5/5 stars    247Sports:5/5 stars     ESPN:5/5 stars    ESPN grade: 92
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 9  247Sports: 9  ESPN: 18
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Western Kentucky 2018 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  • "2018 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  • "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved January 14, 2018.

College career

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On November 18, 2018, Bassey recorded a freshman season-high 25 points and 10 rebounds in a 78–62 loss to UCF.[18] On January 31, 2019, he posted 22 points and 18 rebounds, the most rebounds by a Western Kentucky freshman since 1972.[19] As a freshman, Bassey averaged 14.6 points, 10 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game, earning First Team All-Conference USA, Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors. He recorded the most rebounds, blocks and double-doubles by a freshman in program history.[20] Bassey's sophomore season was cut short by a tibial plateau fracture he suffered against Arkansas that required surgery. Through 10 games, he was averaging 15.3 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.[21]

On November 26, 2020, Bassey recorded 21 points, 14 rebounds and a career-high seven blocks in a 75–69 win over Memphis.[22] On December 10, he had a career-high 29 points and 14 rebounds in an 86–84 victory over Gardner–Webb.[23] At the close of the 2020–21 regular season, he was named the Conference USA Player of the Year, while repeating as the league's Defensive Player of the Year. He averaged 17.6 points per game, 11.6 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game.[24] Following the season, he declared for the 2021 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.[25]

Professional career

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Philadelphia 76ers (2021–2022)

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Bassey was selected in the second round of the 2021 NBA draft with the 53rd pick by the Philadelphia 76ers,[26] subsequently joining them for the 2021 NBA Summer League.[27] On September 24, 2021, he signed with the 76ers.[28]

On October 13, 2022, Bassey was waived by the 76ers.[29]

San Antonio Spurs (2022–present)

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On October 24, 2022, the San Antonio Spurs announced that they had signed Bassey to a two-way contract, splitting time with the Spurs' NBA G League affiliate, the Austin Spurs.[30] He was named to the G League's inaugural Next Up Game for the 2022–23 season.[31] On February 14, 2023, the Spurs converted Bassey's deal to a four-year, $10.2 million standard contract.[32][33] On March 14, 2023, during a 132–114 win over the Orlando Magic, he suffered a left knee injury. The next day, the Spurs announced that Bassey was diagnosed with a fracture of his left patellar tendon, ending his season.[34] In December 2023, Bassey tore his left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), prematurely ending another season.[35] On July 8, 2024, Bassey was waived by the Spurs[36] only to be re-signed nine days later.[37]

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

NBA

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Regular season

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2021–22 Philadelphia 23 0 7.3 .638 .000 .750 2.7 .3 .2 .7 3.0
2022–23 San Antonio 35 2 14.5 .644 .375 .595 5.5 1.4 .5 .9 5.7
2023–24 San Antonio 19 0 10.8 .725 .000 .833 4.0 1.1 .4 .9 3.3
Career 77 2 11.4 .658 .231 .655 4.3 1.0 .4 .9 4.3

Playoffs

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2022 Philadelphia 3 0 4.0 .500 — .000 1.7 .3 .0 .3 .7
Career 3 0 4.0 .500 — .000 1.7 .3 .0 .3 .7

College

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2018–19 Western Kentucky 34 34 31.4 .627 .450 .769 10.0 .7 .8 2.4 14.6
2019–20 Western Kentucky 10 10 28.1 .533 .167 .787 9.2 1.3 .8 1.6 15.3
2020–21 Western Kentucky 28 28 30.4 .590 .305 .759 11.6 .7 .4 3.1 17.6
Career 72 72 30.5 .596 .319 .768 10.5 .8 .6 2.6 15.9

Personal life

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Shortly after arriving in the United States at age 14, Bassey's mother died. At the time, Bassey considered moving back to Nigeria, but his father Akpan Ebong Bassey encouraged him to stay for financial reasons.[7][38][39]

Canadian-born basketball coach, Hennssy Auriantal, who runs the Yes II Success organization that brings international players to American private schools, helped bring Bassey to the United States.[1][40] On March 31, 2017, Auriantal and his wife were granted conservatorship over Bassey.[39] Bassey's father later filed a petition to reopen the case and give Nigerian basketball tournament organizer John Faniran custody over his son, but the petition was dropped due to lack of verification.[9][39]

References

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  1. ^ a b Estes, Gentry (February 14, 2018). "How one of the nation's top 2019 prospects, Charles Bassey, ended up playing in Louisville". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  2. ^ a b Rosser, Evan (October 11, 2015). "All Access: In Africa with Raptors GM Masai Ujiri". Sportsnet. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Charles Bassey: From Selling Fried Chicken In Nigeria At Age 12 To Top Prospect In Four Years". lex18. January 9, 2017. Archived from the original on June 18, 2018. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  4. ^ Hickman, Jason (November 20, 2015). "6-foot-10 Nigerian import Charles Bassey could be high school basketball's best freshman". MaxPreps. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  5. ^ Hille, Bob (June 14, 2018). "5-star C Charles Bassey commits to WKU, reclassifies to class of 2018". Sporting News. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  6. ^ Burlison, Frank (November 12, 2015). "My Top 35, and more, Pangos Frosh/Soph wrap-up". Burlison on Basketball. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  7. ^ a b Harvey, Buck (October 31, 2015). "The next Shaq? Road runs through San Antonio again". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  8. ^ Harris, Don (February 26, 2016). "Move over Shaq, meet San Antonio's next basketball superstar". WOAI-TV. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  9. ^ a b Zuvanich, Adam (June 23, 2017). "Ticket to the top". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  10. ^ Halley, Jim (April 15, 2016). "Nigerian Charles Bassey makes up for late start, lifts Black team in International game at Jordan Classic". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  11. ^ Bossi, Eric (November 17, 2016). "Nation's top sophomore Charles Bassey ruled ineligible". Rivals. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  12. ^ Zuvanich, Adam (November 18, 2016). "St. Anthony names ineligible players, awaits response from TAPPS". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  13. ^ Zuvanich, Adam (December 1, 2016). "St. Anthony fires coach for playing ineligible Bassey". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  14. ^ Marquez, RJ (December 6, 2016). "Charles Bassey, other players now eligible as St. Anthony HS leaves TAPPS". KSAT. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  15. ^ Zuvanich, Adam (July 25, 2017). "St. Anthony coach Hennssy Auriantal dismissed after Charles Bassey controversy". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  16. ^ Zuvanich, Adam (August 26, 2017). "Boys basketball: Aspire Academy introduces former St. Anthony players". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  17. ^ a b Borzello, Jeff (June 13, 2018). "Charles Bassey commits to Western Kentucky, reclassifies to 2018". ESPN. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  18. ^ "UCF beats WKU 78-62 for Myrtle Beach title". Associated Press. November 18, 2018. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  19. ^ "Surging Bassey Wins Sixth C-USA Freshman of the Week Award". Western Kentucky University Athletics. February 4, 2019. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  20. ^ Stephens, Brad (January 25, 2019). "Bassey climbing up Hilltopper freshman record lists". The Daily News. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  21. ^ Borzello, Jeff (December 9, 2019). "Western Kentucky's Charles Bassey out with tibia fracture". ESPN. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  22. ^ MacDonald, Jared (November 26, 2020). "Bassey's Back: Hilltoppers beat Memphis to advance to Crossover Classic final". The Daily News. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  23. ^ Kim, David J. (December 10, 2020). "Charles Bassey scores career-high 29 points, helps WKU escape Gardner-Webb with a win". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  24. ^ "MBB: Superlative Awards Announced" (Press release). Conference USA. March 9, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  25. ^ Givony, Jonathan (April 1, 2021). "Western Kentucky center Charles Bassey entering 2021 NBA draft". ESPN. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  26. ^ Narducci, Marc (July 31, 2021). "Sixers second-round pick Charles Bassey willing to show he has a shot". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  27. ^ "Philadelphia 76ers 2021 MGM Resorts NBA Summer League Roster". NBA.com. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  28. ^ "76ers Sign Second-Round Pick Charles Bassey". NBA.com. September 24, 2021. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  29. ^ Pompey, Keith (October 13, 2022). "Sixers waive Charles Bassey and Isaiah Joe as they work to get roster to 15 players". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  30. ^ Pederson, Landon (October 24, 2022). "SPURS SIGN CHARLES BASSEY TO TWO-WAY CONTRACT". NBA.com. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  31. ^ "Wolves' Garza And Ignite's Henderson Named Captains For NBA G League Next Up Game". NBA.com. February 7, 2023. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  32. ^ Haffner, Cassidy (February 14, 2023). "SPURS CONVERT CONTRACT OF CHARLES BASSEY". NBA.com. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  33. ^ Dimmitt, Zach (February 14, 2023). "Spurs Sign Charles Bassey to New Deal: Full Details". SI.com. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  34. ^ Orsborn, Tom (March 15, 2023). "Charles Bassey's injury puts damper on Spurs' record-setting night". San Antonio Express News. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  35. ^ Stiner, Ben (December 12, 2023). "BREAKING: San Antonio Spurs Player Ruled Out For Remainder Of Season". SI.com. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  36. ^ "Spurs Acquire Harrison Barnes". NBA.com. July 8, 2024. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  37. ^ sasmcasey (July 17, 2024). "Spurs Re-Sign Charles Bassey". NBA.com. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  38. ^ "Nike Hoop Summit, World Team notebook: Florida commit Andrew Nembhard is a wizard with the ball". OregonLive. April 11, 2018. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  39. ^ a b c Zuvanich, Adam (July 14, 2017). "St. Anthony coach wins custody battle over Bassey". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  40. ^ Klibanoff, Eleanor (June 22, 2018). "Louisville's Aspire Academy splits with partner school, controversial recruiter". College Heights Herald. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
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