Every NBA player has something that sets him apart from other players. For some, it’s their agility, for others it’s their speed, and for others, it’s the combination of both and more. For the Los Angeles Lakers Shooting Guard, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, it’s a combination of his roll, isolation, and pull-up jump shot that has become one of his best weapons for scoring goals.
These tactics are really nothing new to the experienced player who has been playing the game since his days at Greenville High School in Greenville, Georgia, which he graduated from in 2011 as one of the best basketball players in his senior class. He would play college basketball at Georgia Bulldog for two years before being nominated for the NBA draft in 2013 and selected by the Detroit Pistons as the eighth overall pick. Learn more about him, his biography, the highlights of his basketball career, and his body statistics.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s Bio (Age)
Caldwell-Pope was born on February 18, 1993, in Thomaston, Georgia, as Kentavious Tannell Caldwell-Pope. He is the only child of his parents – Rhonda Caldwell and Lawrence Pope.
Kentavious’s basketball career began during his high school days at Greenville High School in Greenville, Georgia. He was one of the precursors of the school, who was named one of the best basketball players in his senior class at the end of his high school career.
Caldwell-Pope led the school team to consecutive Sweet 16 berths in the 2009/10 season and to the State Class A Final Four in 2011. He was also selected to play as a senior at the Jordan Brand Classic and the 2011 McDonald’s All-American Game.
In his senior year, he averaged 8.2 rebounds and thirty-two points per game and was named the #3 Shooting Guard candidate in the nation; Rivals.com ranked him 12th overall.
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After high school, Caldwell-Pope chose Georgia over Florida, Alabama, and Tennessee Georgia Tech, among others. He had a very successful season as a rookie, and at the end of the season, he was appointed to the Coaches’ Freshman All-SEC Team. In his second year, Kentavious averaged 7.1 rebounds and 18.5 points per game to earn the title of SEC Player of the Year.
His college career ended with a career highlight of thirty-two points and thirteen rebounds, which he recorded at the SEC tournament in Nashville in a game against LSU that ended in defeat.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope NBA Career
After two seasons with the Georgia Bulldog, Kentavious declared Caldwell-Pope for the 2013 NBA draft and was selected by the Detroit Pistons as the eighth overall pick this year.
Later, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope signed his rookie-scale contract with the team and joined them for the NBA Summer League, where he scored his first career success in a game against Oklahoma City Thunder – 30 points. The following year he joined the team again for the next NBA Summer League, scoring an average of 7.4 rebounds and 24.0 points in just 5 games.
Caldwell-Pope finished this season with a total of one hundred and fifty-three (153) points, he had a tie with Kevin Love, as both were in 16th place in the NBA. In June 2017, he was suspended for two games for drunkenly operating a motor vehicle. The following month, the team waived his rights and made him a free agent (unrestricted).
A few weeks later, on July 13, Caldwell signed a one-year, $18 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. His first game with the team was a game against the New Orleans Pelicans in which he scored twenty points. In November, he scored his first season highlight with twenty-nine points in a game against the L.A. Clippers.
In December, however, he was found guilty of violating a probation rule during the summer and sentenced to a twenty-five-day prison term, which he served under a work-release program, meaning he was not allowed to travel outside the state, but he was allowed to go to home games, training sessions and street games, but only within the state.
At the end of his sentence, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope returned to playing with his teammates. In February 2018, he recorded his first season highlight of thirty-four points in a game against the Sacramento Kings that ended in a 113-108 win.
In July 2018, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope signed another one-year contract with the Lakers worth $12 million.
Is He Married and Who is His Wife?
Born in Georgia, he is happily married to McKenzie Caldwell-Pope. The couple met in Dallas, Texas, when Caldwell-Pope played for the Detroit Pistons. According to McKenzie, she was working for a local designer when her beau and his teammates were in town to play the Dallas Mavericks.
After the game, Kentavious and his teammates decided to hang out in the city and ended up in a lounge in the city where their company was hosting an event that night. They met and took pleasure in each other, and their dates followed. After three years of dating, the couple decided to tie the knots on June 11, 2016.
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McKenzie had a son (Kenzo) from a previous relationship who was only a son when the couple started dating. After their marriage, Kenzo began playing the role of little Kenzo’s mother, and in 2017 the couple welcomed a son together, Ken Jr.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Height, Weight, and Measurements
The shooting guard stands at an altitude of 6’4″ (1.96 m) with a well-built athletic body weighing 93 kg (205 Ibs). His wingspan is 2.03 m. Kentavious undoubtedly makes the best possible use of his physique for the game on the court. He has largely succeeded in this.
