A. J. Lawson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
A. J. Lawson

Lawson with South Carolina in 2020
No. 0 – Toronto Raptors
Shooting guard
Personal information
Born	(2000-07-15) July 15, 2000 (age 24) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
High school	St. Marguerite d'Youville (Brampton, Ontario) GTA Prep (Mississauga, Ontario)
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–present	→Raptors 905
Career highlights and awards
Second-team All-SEC – Coaches (2021) SEC All-Freshman Team (2019)
Medals Men's basketball Representing  Canada FIBA Americas U18 Championship Silver 2018 Canada Team

Anthony Randolph "A. J." Lawson (born July 15, 2000) is a Canadian professional basketball player. He plays for the Toronto Raptors in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also plays for Raptors 905 in the NBA G League on a special two-way contract. Before becoming a pro, he played college basketball for the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Early Life and Basketball Beginnings

A. J. Lawson grew up in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. He went to GTA Prep in Mississauga, which is a special basketball school. His coach there was David Cooper. In his final year of high school, Lawson was named a First Team All-Star. He helped his team finish second in the NPA championships.

Lawson was originally going to finish high school in 2019. But he decided to finish a year early in 2018. He was a top player, ranked 40th in his class by 247Sports. He was also the fourth-best Canadian player. Lawson chose to play college basketball for South Carolina. He picked them over other schools like Tulane and Creighton.

College Basketball Career

Lawson playing in February 2019

Lawson played for the South Carolina Gamecocks. In his first year, he scored about 13.4 points per game. He also grabbed 4.3 rebounds and made 2.9 assists per game. He was named to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) All-Freshman team. This means he was one of the best new players in the league.

In November 2018, he was named SEC Freshman of the Week. This was after he played great in three games. After his first year, he thought about joining the NBA draft. But he decided to stay at South Carolina for his second year.

For his second year, Lawson was named to the preseason first team All-SEC. He was also on the Jerry West Award watchlist. This award is for the best shooting guard in college basketball. He scored a season-high 28 points in a game in November 2019. He led his team in total points that season. He averaged 13.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. After this season, he again thought about the NBA draft. But he chose to return to South Carolina for his junior year.

In January 2021, Lawson scored a career-high 30 points in a game. As a junior, he averaged 16.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game. He was named to the SEC All-Second Team. In April 2021, he officially declared for the 2021 NBA draft and hired an agent.

Professional Basketball Journey

Starting in the G League

A. J. Lawson was not chosen in the 2021 NBA draft. But he still got a chance to play. He joined the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks for 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 them. He averaged 11.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.

Playing in Canada

In April 2022, Lawson signed with the Guelph Nighthawks. This team plays in the CEBL, which is Canada's own professional basketball league.

Moving to the NBA

Lawson joined the Dallas Mavericks for the 2022 NBA Summer League. He played very well, averaging 15.6 points and 6.0 rebounds in five games. Because of his good play, he signed a two-way contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves in July 2022. A two-way contract means he could play for both the Timberwolves (NBA) and their G League team, the Iowa Wolves. He was later waived by the Timberwolves.

He returned to the College Park Skyhawks in November 2022. He signed another two-way contract with the Timberwolves but was waived again.

With the Dallas Mavericks

In December 2022, Lawson signed another two-way contract. This time it was 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. Lawson and the Mavericks made it all the way to the 2024 NBA Finals. They played against the Boston Celtics but lost in five games. He was later waived by the Mavericks in October 2024.

Recent Teams

After leaving the Mavericks, Lawson signed with the Long Island Nets in October 2024. Then, in December 2024, he signed a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors. This means he can play for the Raptors and their G League team, Raptors 905.

Playing for Team Canada

Lawson has also played for the Canadian national basketball team.

Youth National Team

He played for the Canada men's national under-19 basketball team. In the 2018 FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship, he averaged 14.8 points and 5.4 rebounds. Canada finished second in that tournament. Lawson had a great game in the final against the United States. He scored 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

In the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup, Lawson was the top scorer for Canada. He averaged 16.7 points per game. He also had the highest scoring game of the whole tournament, with 31 points against Senegal.

Senior National Team

Lawson made his first appearance for Canada's senior men's national team. This was during the qualifying games for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.

See also

In Spanish: A. J. Lawson para niños