Curtis Hollis facts for kids

Curtis Melvin Hollis, born on April 25, 1998, is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the Niagara River Lions in the Canadian Elite Basketball League. Before becoming a pro, he played college basketball for one season at Hutchinson Community College. In 2018, he also played for the Houston Ballers in the Junior Basketball Association (JBA).

Curtis Hollis: High School Years

Hollis attended Mansfield Summit High School for three seasons. During his junior year, he was named All-District, which means he was one of the best players in his area. For his senior year, he moved to Advanced Prep International (API). At API, he helped his team win the state championship.

Playing with Future Stars

At API, Hollis played alongside other talented players like Terrance Ferguson and Billy Preston. Even with these stars, Hollis was invited to the Pangos All-American Camp in 2016. This camp brings together some of the best young basketball players.

He also played on a team with Trae Young when they were both 16 years old. This was part of Nike's EYBL circuit, a big league for young players. Around that time, he also played with Deandre Ayton, who later became a top pick in the NBA draft. Hollis showed his scoring ability by getting 27 points in a semifinal game at the 2016 Neosho Holiday Classic. He also played for different Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) teams like NIKE Proskills, Houston Hoops, and YGC36.

Football Talent Too!

In his senior year, Hollis also joined the school football team. He played seven games as a wide receiver. He caught 12 passes for a total of 222 yards. Experts even rated him as a three-star football prospect.

Hollis was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the Dallas Cowboys U Camp. Jason Garrett, who was the Cowboys' head coach, spoke highly of him. Hollis received scholarship offers to play football from big universities like Kansas and Oklahoma State. He even decided to commit to North Texas. However, he chose not to play football there so he could focus entirely on his basketball career.

Curtis Hollis: College Basketball

After high school, Hollis went to Hutchinson Community College in Hutchinson, Kansas. This college was known for having one of the best junior college basketball programs. It even helped produce an NBA player named Kadeem Allen.

As a freshman, Hollis played well for the team. He averaged 6.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. He was also very accurate, shooting 50 percent from the field. His best game was on February 7, 2018, when he scored 19 points against Garden City Community College. Hutchinson's season ended when they lost to Florida SouthWestern in the NJCAA tournament. They were hoping to win their second championship in a row. After just one season, Hollis decided to become a professional basketball player.

Curtis Hollis: Professional Career

Starting with the Houston Ballers

In April 2018, Hollis joined the Houston Ballers in the Junior Basketball Association (JBA). He was convinced to join this new league after talking to its founder, LaVar Ball. Hollis learned that the top 10 players from the league would get to play against teams in Europe.

Hollis said that the idea of the JBA felt right to him. The Chicago Sun-Times newspaper even called him the best player on his team. In his first game on June 23, 2018, Hollis almost achieved a triple-double. He scored 24 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and made 8 assists. This helped his team win big, 116–91, against the New York Ballers.

Just three days later, he set a new season-high with 31 points and 13 rebounds. This was in a close 125–117 overtime loss to the Chicago Ballers. In his third game, on June 28, Hollis led all scorers with 34 points. He also had 7 rebounds and 6 assists, helping his team to a tight 105–102 victory over the Dallas.

On July 3, Hollis was very close to his first triple-double again. He recorded 29 points, a new season-high of 16 rebounds, and a career-high of 9 assists. This was in a 115–109 loss to the Atlanta Ballers. On July 17, Hollis had his best scoring game yet, with 37 points and 16 rebounds. This helped his team win 111–103 against the Philadelphia Ballers. On July 26, Hollis scored even more, reaching 40 points. He also had 11 rebounds and 9 assists in a 169–153 loss to the Los Angeles Ballers.

Because of his great play, Hollis was chosen for the West roster in the JBA All-Star Game. For the Houston Ballers, he averaged 29.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. After the first JBA season ended, Hollis was one of 14 players chosen for the JBA USA Team. This team went on an international tour in 2018 to play against European teams.

Playing in Germany: Dragons Rhöndorf

In July 2019, Hollis signed a contract to play with the Dragons Rhöndorf team in Germany. They play in the German ProB league. The head coach of the Dragons, Yassin Idhibi, learned about Hollis during the JBA European tour.

Hollis quickly made an impact in Germany. He scored 26 points and had 11 rebounds in a win against the New Elephants Grevenbroich. He also scored 28 points in an upset victory over the Rheinstars Cologne. Hollis even scored 40 points in a game against Baunach Young Pikes. He scored 20 or more points in 13 different games. Overall, he averaged 22.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 3.0 steals per game in 18 games. Hollis left the team in January 2020.

Santa Cruz Warriors

In October 2021, Hollis joined the Santa Cruz Warriors after a successful tryout. This team is part of the NBA G League, which is like a development league for the NBA. However, he was waived from the team on November 4.

Playing in the Dominican Republic: Club Centro

In October 2022, Hollis played basketball in the Dominican Republic for a team called Club Centro. He made his first appearance on December 14. In that game, he had an amazing performance with 45 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists. He shot very well, making 71% of his shots, against the Antonio Guzman team.

Sudbury Five

Hollis played for the Sudbury Five team in the NBL Canada during the 2023 season. In fourteen games with Sudbury, he averaged 18.4 points per game.

Cape Town Tigers and JBC

On April 13, 2023, it was announced that Hollis would be joining the Cape Town Tigers from South Africa. This team plays in the Basketball Africa League (BAL). In November 2023, Hollis also joined the roster of the Zimbabwean club JBC. He played with them in the Elite 16 tournament, which is part of the Road to BAL.

Bangui Sporting Club

In April 2024, Hollis was listed on the roster for Bangui Sporting Club. This team also plays in the 2024 BAL season. He made his debut on April 19, coming off the bench for Bangui.

Helsinki Seagulls

On October 4, 2024, Hollis signed a contract with the Helsinki Seagulls team in Finland. They play in the Korisliiga league.

Vancouver Bandits

On May 4, 2025, Hollis signed with the Vancouver Bandits. This team is part of the Canadian Elite Basketball League.