Nassir Little
Nassir Shamai Little (born February 11, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Little finished his high school career as one of the top-ranked players in his class, having led Orlando Christian Prep to consecutive Florida state championships. The 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) small forward went on to play college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels.
No. 9 – Portland Trail Blazers | |
---|---|
Position | Small forward |
League | NBA |
Personal information | |
Born | Pensacola, Florida | February 11, 2000
Nationality | American |
Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
Listed weight | 220 lb (100 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | |
College | North Carolina (2018–2019) |
NBA draft | 2019 / Round: 1 / Pick: 25th overall |
Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers | |
Playing career | 2019–present |
Career history | |
2019–present | Portland Trail Blazers |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com | |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com |
High school career
Little played his freshman and sophomore seasons (2014-16) at Oakleaf High School then transferred to Orlando Christian Prep, where he played for the rest of his high school career. In his junior and senior season (2016-18), he led Orlando Christian Prep to back-to-back Florida state titles.[1] Little stood out during the McDonald's All-American Game in 2018 as he posted 28 points and tore down 5 rebounds, added 1 assist and 1 steal, to lead the West past the East and claim the most valuable player (MVP) award. He also won MVP honors at the Jordan Brand Classic after putting up 24 points in 25 minutes. Thus he joined LeBron James as only the second player to win MVP honors at both high school All-American games.[2] Little was ranked the second-best high school prospect of 2018 by the recruiting service Rivals.[3]
Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nassir Little SF |
Orange Park, FL | Orlando Christian Prep (FL) | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | Oct 4, 2017 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: | ||||||
Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 2 247Sports: 2 ESPN: 6 | ||||||
Sources:
|
College career
Little committed to play for North Carolina on October 4, 2017.[4] He made his debut for the Tar Heels on November 6, 2018, recording 7 points, 3 assists, and 2 blocks during North Carolina's 78–67 victory over the Wofford Terriers.[5] Little scored a career-high 23 points to go along with 6 rebounds and 3 assists as North Carolina defeated the Virginia Tech Hokies 103–82.[6]
At the conclusion of his freshman season, Little announced his decision to forgo his collegiate eligibility and declare for the 2019 NBA draft, where he was projected to be a first-round selection.[7]
Professional career
On June 20, 2019, the Portland Trail Blazers drafted Little with the 25th overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft.[8] On July 1, 2019, Little officially signed with the Blazers.[9]
Career statistics
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
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018–19 | North Carolina | 36 | 0 | 18.2 | .478 | .269 | .770 | 4.6 | .7 | .5 | .5 | 9.8 |
References
- "Little drafted into NBA". Clay Today. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
- "Nassir Little Is Learning the Hard Way". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
- Boone, Kyle (March 29, 2018). "McDonald's All-American Game: North Carolina signee Nassir Little takes home MVP honors". CBS Sports. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
- Rapaport, Daniel (October 4, 2017). "Five-Star Recruit Nassir Little Commits to North Carolina". SI.com. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
- Daniels, Tim (October 5, 2017). "5-Star SF Prospect Nassir Little Commits to North Carolina". Bleacher Report. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
- Alexander, Jonathan M. (November 6, 2018). "North Carolina withstands a late push by Wofford to win season opener on the road". newsobserver. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
Freshman wing Nassir Little added seven points, and three assists. But his biggest plays were on defense. He had two blocks.
- Underhill, Maxwell (January 22, 2019). "UNC's Long-Awaited Nassir Little Awakening Should Scare Rest of ACC". 12up.com. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
- Zucker, Joseph (January 22, 2019). "Nassir Little, Coby White Pace No. 11 UNC to Blowout Win vs No. 10 Virginia Tech". Bleacher Report. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
- "UNC freshman Little declares for NBA Draft". ESPN. April 1, 2019.
- "Nassir Little to Trail Blazers: Portland's Current Roster After 2019 NBA Draft". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
- "Trail Blazers Sign Nassir Little". NBA.com. Retrieved July 2, 2019.