Damien Wilkins facts for kids
Wilkins with the 76ers in 2013
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| Personal information | |||||||||||
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| Born | January 11, 1980 Washington, North Carolina, U.S. |
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| High school | Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Florida) | ||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | ||||||||||
| Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| College |
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| NBA Draft | 2004 / Undrafted | ||||||||||
| Pro career | 2004–2018 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| 2004–2009 | Seattle SuperSonics / Oklahoma City Thunder | ||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Minnesota Timberwolves | ||||||||||
| 2011 | Atlanta Hawks | ||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Detroit Pistons | ||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Philadelphia 76ers | ||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Beijing Ducks | ||||||||||
| 2014 | Indios de Mayagüez | ||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Iowa Energy | ||||||||||
| 2015 | Indios de Mayagüez | ||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Guaros de Lara | ||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Greensboro Swarm | ||||||||||
| 2017 | Brujos de Guayama | ||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Indiana Pacers | ||||||||||
| 2018 | Greensboro Swarm | ||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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Medals
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Damien Lamont Wilkins (born January 11, 1980) is an American who used to play professional basketball. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for ten seasons. Today, he works as a General Manager and Head of Basketball at Overtime Elite, which is a league for young basketball players. Damien comes from a famous basketball family! His dad, Gerald Wilkins, played in the NBA for 13 years, and his uncle, Dominique Wilkins, was a nine-time NBA All-Star and is in the Hall of Fame.
Contents
College Basketball Journey
After finishing high school at Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Florida, Damien Wilkins went to North Carolina State University. He played well there for two years. Then, he decided to enter the 2001 NBA draft, but he changed his mind. Instead, he transferred to the University of Georgia. He played two good seasons there, but he was not chosen by any team in the 2004 NBA draft.
Professional Basketball Career
Even though he wasn't drafted, Damien worked very hard. He trained a lot and played well in summer league games. This helped him earn a spot on the Seattle SuperSonics team.
Starting Strong with the Sonics
Damien kept working hard after practice. Towards the end of his first season, he got a chance to play more. On March 24, 2005, he scored 21 points in a game against Portland. He started seven games that season because other players were injured. He also showed his skills in the 2005 NBA Playoffs when more injuries happened. In one playoff game, he scored 15 points, grabbed six rebounds, and made five steals.
In the 2007 season, two star players, Rashard Lewis and Ray Allen, left the Sonics. This meant Damien Wilkins became a starter for the team. On November 16, 2007, he had his best game ever, scoring 41 points and getting 9 rebounds against the Atlanta Hawks.
Moving to Other Teams
On July 27, 2009, Wilkins was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He played there for a season. Later, he signed with the Memphis Grizzlies, but he was released before the season started.
In December 2010, he joined the Atlanta Hawks for a short time. He signed with them again in January 2011 and stayed for the rest of that season. During the 2011–12 season, Wilkins played for the Detroit Pistons. In September 2012, he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers.
In December 2013, Damien went to China to play for the Beijing Ducks. He played well in his first game there, scoring 10 points. After that, he played for the Indios de Mayagüez in Puerto Rico in May 2014.
Playing in the NBA D-League
On November 1, 2014, Damien was chosen by the Iowa Energy in the NBA Development League (now called the G-League) draft. He was even named an All-Star in the D-League in February 2015. After that, he returned to play for Indios de Mayagüez again.
He also played for Guaros de Lara in Venezuela. In October 2016, Wilkins joined the Greensboro Swarm in the NBA Development League. In April 2017, he played for Brujos de Guayama in Puerto Rico.
Return to the NBA
On August 15, 2017, Damien Wilkins signed with the Indiana Pacers, returning to the NBA after several years. He played for the Pacers until January 2018. After that, he returned to the Greensboro Swarm to finish his playing career.
Playing for Team USA
Damien Wilkins also represented the United States national team. He played in the 2015 Pan American Games and helped his team win a bronze medal.
NBA Career Stats
Here are some of Damien Wilkins' statistics from his time in the NBA.
Regular Season Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–05 | Seattle | 29 | 7 | 17.9 | .435 | .271 | .618 | 2.3 | .9 | .8 | .3 | 6.3 |
| 2005–06 | Seattle | 82* | 12 | 18.6 | .444 | .250 | .840 | 2.3 | 1.3 | .9 | .1 | 6.5 |
| 2006–07 | Seattle | 82* | 31 | 24.8 | .435 | .410 | .882 | 2.8 | 1.9 | 1.1 | .2 | 8.8 |
| 2007–08 | Seattle | 76 | 31 | 24.3 | .403 | .323 | .736 | 3.2 | 2.0 | .8 | .3 | 9.2 |
| 2008–09 | Oklahoma City | 41 | 14 | 15.5 | .362 | .375 | .804 | 1.7 | .9 | .5 | .2 | 5.3 |
| 2009–10 | Minnesota | 80 | 31 | 19.8 | .433 | .295 | .798 | 3.1 | 1.7 | .8 | .3 | 5.6 |
| 2010–11 | Atlanta | 52 | 0 | 13.0 | .504 | .200 | .714 | 1.7 | .8 | .5 | .2 | 3.5 |
| 2011–12 | Detroit | 60 | 2 | 15.4 | .394 | .304 | .630 | 1.7 | .7 | .5 | .2 | 3.2 |
| 2012–13 | Philadelphia | 61 | 21 | 18.0 | .459 | .333 | .743 | 1.7 | 1.5 | .6 | .3 | 6.4 |
| 2017–18 | Indiana | 19 | 1 | 8.0 | .333 | .222 | .750 | .8 | .5 | .1 | .1 | 1.7 |
| Career | 582 | 150 | 18.9 | .426 | .327 | .783 | 2.3 | 1.4 | .7 | .2 | 6.2 | |
Playoff Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Seattle | 7 | 0 | 19.4 | .444 | .273 | .444 | 2.6 | .4 | 1.4 | .1 | 5.6 |
| 2011 | Atlanta | 8 | 0 | 4.9 | .538 | .000 | .000 | 1.0 | .1 | .3 | .3 | 1.8 |
| Career | 15 | 0 | 11.7 | .469 | .231 | .444 | 1.7 | .3 | .8 | .2 | 3.5 | |
Personal Life and Current Role
Damien Wilkins is part of a famous basketball family. His father, Gerald Wilkins, played in the NBA for 13 years. His uncle, Dominique Wilkins, is a nine-time NBA All-Star and a Hall of Famer. Isaiah Wilkins, who is Dominique's stepson, also played basketball professionally.
Since September 2022, Damien Wilkins has been the General Manager and Head of Basketball for Overtime Elite. This organization helps young basketball players develop their skills.
See also
In Spanish: Damien Wilkins para niños
