A. J. Lawson facts for kids
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Lawson with South Carolina in 2020
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| No. 0 – Toronto Raptors | ||||||||||||||
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| Shooting guard | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
| Born | July 15, 2000 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
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| High school |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 179 lb (81 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | South Carolina (2018–2021) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2021 / Undrafted | |||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2021–present | |||||||||||||
| League | NBA | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | College Park Skyhawks | |||||||||||||
| 2022 | Guelph Nighthawks | |||||||||||||
| 2022 | College Park Skyhawks | |||||||||||||
| 2022 | Minnesota Timberwolves | |||||||||||||
| 2022 | →Iowa Wolves | |||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | Dallas Mavericks | |||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | →Texas Legends | |||||||||||||
| 2024 | Long Island Nets | |||||||||||||
| 2024–present | Toronto Raptors | |||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | →Raptors 905 | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Anthony Randolph "A. J." Lawson, born on July 15, 2000, is a professional basketball player from Canada. He plays for the Toronto Raptors in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the NBA, A. J. played college basketball for the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Contents
Early Life and High School Basketball
A. J. Lawson grew up in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. He went to a special basketball school called GTA Prep in Mississauga. There, he was coached by David Cooper. In his last year of high school, A. J. was a top player, named a National Preparatory Association First Team All-Star. He helped his team reach second place in the NPA championships.
A. J. was first expected to finish high school in 2019. However, he decided to finish a year early in 2018. He chose to play college basketball for the South Carolina Gamecocks. Their coach, Frank Martin, started recruiting A. J. after seeing him play.
College Basketball Career
Freshman Year (2018-2019)
In his first year at South Carolina, A. J. played 29 games. He scored about 13.4 points, grabbed 4.3 rebounds, and made 2.9 assists per game. He was named to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) All-Freshman team. He also earned the SEC Freshman of the Week award in November 2018. After this successful season, he thought about joining the NBA draft. But he decided to stay at South Carolina for his second year.
Sophomore Year (2019-2020)
Before his second year, A. J. was named to the preseason first team All-SEC. He was also on the watchlist for the Jerry West Award, which goes to the best shooting guard. Experts at CBS Sports and ESPN also ranked him as one of the top college players and NBA draft prospects.
On November 15, 2019, A. J. scored his highest points of the season, with 28 points. He led his team in total points that season, scoring 416 points. He also averaged 13.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. After this season, he again thought about the NBA draft. But he chose to return to South Carolina for his junior year.
Junior Year (2020-2021)
On January 6, 2021, A. J. scored a career-high 30 points in a game against Texas A&M. As a junior, he averaged 16.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. He was named to the SEC All-Second Team. On April 19, 2021, he officially decided to enter the 2021 NBA draft.
Professional Basketball Career
Starting in the G League (2021-2022)
A. J. Lawson was not chosen in the 2021 NBA draft. He then played for the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks in the NBA Summer League. In October 2021, he signed with the College Park Skyhawks. This team is part of the NBA G League, which is like a development league for the NBA. He played 26 games for the Skyhawks. He averaged 11.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.
Canadian Elite Basketball League (2022)
On April 26, 2022, A. J. signed with the Guelph Nighthawks. This team plays in the CEBL, Canada's professional basketball league.
NBA Opportunities (2022-2024)
A. J. joined the Dallas Mavericks for the 2022 NBA Summer League. He played well, averaging 15.6 points and 6.0 rebounds in five games. On July 19, 2022, he signed a special "two-way contract" with the Minnesota Timberwolves. This type of contract allows a player to play for both an NBA team and its G League team. He was later waived by the Timberwolves in October 2022.
He returned to the College Park Skyhawks in November 2022. He signed another two-way contract with the Timberwolves but was waived again in December. He then went back to College Park.
On December 26, 2022, A. J. signed a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks. He split his time between the Mavericks and their G League team, the Texas Legends. In March 2024, his two-way contract was changed to a regular NBA contract. A. J. and the Mavericks reached the 2024 NBA Finals in June 2024. They played against the Boston Celtics but lost in five games. He was waived by the Mavericks in October 2024.
Recent Teams (2024-Present)
On October 27, 2024, A. J. signed with the Long Island Nets. Then, on December 11, 2024, he signed a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors. On March 10, 2025, A. J. scored a career-high 32 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a game against the Washington Wizards. Two days later, he scored 28 points against the Philadelphia 76ers, helping the Raptors win. In April 2025, his two-way contract with the Raptors was changed to a two-year contract.
Playing for Team Canada
A. J. Lawson has also played basketball for Canada's national teams.
Under-18 Team
In the 2018 FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship, he averaged 14.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Canada finished second in the tournament, earning a silver medal. In the final game against the United States, A. J. led his team with 18 points and 12 rebounds.
Under-19 Team
In the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup, A. J. was the top scorer for Canada. He averaged 16.7 points per game. He also had the highest scoring game of the tournament, with 31 points against Senegal. Canada reached the quarterfinals in this competition.
Senior National Team
A. J. made his first appearance for Canada's senior men's national team during the qualifying games for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.
Career Statistics
NBA Regular Season Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | Minnesota | 1 | 0 | 1.8 | 1.000 | — | — | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 2.0 |
| Dallas | 14 | 0 | 7.6 | .488 | .400 | .250 | 1.4 | .1 | .1 | .0 | 3.9 | |
| 2023–24 | Dallas | 42 | 0 | 7.4 | .446 | .260 | .652 | 1.2 | .5 | .2 | .1 | 3.2 |
| 2024–25 | Toronto | 26 | 2 | 18.6 | .421 | .327 | .683 | 3.3 | 1.2 | .5 | .2 | 9.1 |
| Career | 83 | 2 | 10.9 | .439 | .318 | .638 | 1.9 | .6 | .3 | .1 | 5.2 | |
NBA Playoffs Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Dallas | 10 | 0 | 3.0 | .444 | .333 | .500 | .3 | .0 | .0 | .1 | 1.1 |
| Career | 10 | 0 | 3.0 | .444 | .333 | .500 | .3 | .0 | .0 | .1 | 1.1 | |
College Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | South Carolina | 29 | 28 | 29.9 | .411 | .358 | .667 | 4.3 | 2.9 | 1.1 | .2 | 13.4 |
| 2019–20 | South Carolina | 31 | 31 | 29.1 | .414 | .339 | .724 | 3.7 | 1.9 | 1.2 | .1 | 13.4 |
| 2020–21 | South Carolina | 21 | 21 | 31.3 | .394 | .351 | .700 | 4.1 | 1.2 | 1.5 | .1 | 16.6 |
| Career | 81 | 80 | 30.0 | .407 | .349 | .697 | 4.0 | 2.1 | 1.2 | .2 | 14.2 | |
See also
In Spanish: A. J. Lawson para niños
