JaVale McGee

JaVale Lindy McGee (born January 19, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

He played college basketball for the Nevada Wolf Pack.

His career-high 12 blocks was the most since Keon Clark had 12 on March 23, 2001.

However, he received some criticism for taking ill-advised shots in the fourth quarter to ensure he reached 10 points while his team was being blown out, and even received a technical foul for excessive celebration by pulling himself on the rim after a dunk for his final points.

Television commentator Kevin McHale called it a "bad triple-double".

In response to the criticism, McGee said, "I got a triple-double. Who can say they got a triple-double? I'm not really worried about it."

He was selected 18th overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2008 NBA draft.

After his sophomore campaign, in which he averaged 14.3 points and 7.3 rebounds, shooting 53% from the field and 33% from three-point range, McGee decided to hire an agent and declare for the 2008 NBA draft.

McGee was selected 18th overall by the Wizards in the 2008 NBA draft.

On July 9, 2008, he signed a two-year, $2.4 million deal with the Wizards.

On January 9, 2010, McGee was fined $10,000 by the Wizards for participating in Gilbert Arenas' antics before a game on January 5, 2010, against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Arenas was being investigated for a prior incident involving guns in the Wizards' locker room, but made light of the accusations by pointing his finger at his teammates, as if he were shooting them.

His teammates were photographed smiling and laughing with him.

McGee averaged over 10 points and eight rebounds in 2010–11 and 2011–12 with the Wizards.

On January 6, 2011, McGee was chosen to participate in the 2011 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.

McGee was the first Wizard to ever participate in the contest.

He finished in second place, losing to Blake Griffin.

McGee was the first player to use three balls at one time in a dunk contest, which was later cited by the Guinness World Records as the most basketballs dunked in a single jump.

The third ball was passed to him from teammate John Wall.

On March 15, 2011, in a 98–79 loss against the Chicago Bulls, McGee notched his first career triple-double, recording 11 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 blocks.

During the 2011 NBA lockout, NBPA leaders met with around 30 players on October 14 and stressed unity.

McGee left the meeting early and told reporters there were some players "saying that they're ready to fold", but the majority was united.

McGee later denied mentioning that players were ready to fold, but his comment was recorded by reporters.

Derek Fisher said McGee had "no ability to make that statement" based on the limited time he spent at the meeting.

On March 15, 2012, McGee was traded to the Nuggets along with Ronny Turiaf in a deal that sent Nenê to the Wizards.

As a member of the Wizards, he started 40 of 41 games in which he appeared; with the Nuggets, he would start in 5 of 20 games in which he appeared.

His minutes would also be reduced, averaging 27.4 with Washington but 20.6 with Denver.

On March 21, in his Nuggets debut, McGee made the game-winning dunk off an Arron Afflalo missed free throw with 5 seconds left on the clock.

At the end of the regular season, the Nuggets earned the West's sixth seed, and McGee appeared in the 2012 NBA playoffs, which was his first playoff appearance in his career.

McGee's series-high was 21 points in Game 5 against first-round opponent Los Angeles Lakers.

McGee's numbers were up and down throughout the series, including Game 7, when he scored just 6 points on 1–7 shooting in 32 minutes of floor time.

On July 18, 2012, McGee re-signed with the Nuggets on a four-year, $44 million contract.

McGee's 2013–14 season was ended on February 20, 2014, when he underwent surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left tibia in which he sustained on November 8, 2013.

On October 29, 2014, McGee made his return for the Nuggets, recording 2 points and 2 rebounds in the season opening 89–79 win over the Detroit Pistons.

On February 19, 2015, McGee was traded, along with the rights to Chukwudiebere Maduabum and a 2015 first-round pick, to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for the rights to Cenk Akyol.

He is a three-time NBA champion, having won consecutive titles with the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018 before winning a third title with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.

The son of Olympic gold medalist Pamela McGee, he won a gold medal with the 2020 U.S. Olympic team.

McGee was born in Flint, Michigan, and attended two high schools in Michigan, Detroit Country Day School and Providence Christian, before transferring to Hales Franciscan High School in Chicago, Illinois.

According to Hales Franciscan coach Gary London, McGee's natural position in college was ideally small forward, and he could play both forward spots.

McGee was the starting center for the University of Nevada.