E. J. Liddell facts for kids
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Liddell with Ohio State in 2022
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| No. 32 – Chicago Bulls | |
|---|---|
| Power forward | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | December 18, 2000 Belleville, Illinois, U.S. |
| High school | Belleville West (Belleville, Illinois) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 240 lb (109 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Ohio State (2019–2022) |
| NBA Draft | 2022 / Round: 2 / Pick: 41st overall |
| Selected by the New Orleans Pelicans | |
| Pro career | 2022–present |
| League | NBA |
| Career history | |
| 2022–2024 | New Orleans Pelicans |
| 2023–2024 | →Birmingham Squadron |
| 2024–present | Chicago Bulls |
| 2024–present | →Windy City Bulls |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Eric "E. J." Liddell Jr. (born December 18, 2000) is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the Chicago Bulls in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also plays for the Windy City Bulls in the NBA G League on a special "two-way contract." Before becoming a pro, he played college basketball for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
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Early Life and High School Success
E. J. Liddell grew up in Belleville, Illinois. He went to Belleville West High School. During his junior year, he was amazing on the court. He scored about 21 points and grabbed 8 rebounds per game.
He won the "Illinois Mr. Basketball" award in 2018. This award goes to the best high school basketball player in Illinois. He also helped his team win the Illinois 4A state championship that year.
In his senior year, E. J. continued to shine. He averaged over 20 points, 9 rebounds, and almost 4 blocks per game. For the second year in a row, he won Illinois Mr. Basketball. He also led his team to another state championship.
E. J. was considered a top player by college scouts. Many colleges wanted him to play for them. On October 1, 2018, he decided to play college basketball for Ohio State.
College Career at Ohio State
During his first year at Ohio State, E. J. usually came off the bench. He still played well, averaging almost 7 points and 4 rebounds per game. He was also second on his team in blocked shots.
In his second year, E. J. got sick with mononucleosis, which is an infection that made him miss some games. But he still had a great season. He scored a lot of points and grabbed many rebounds. After a tough loss in a tournament game, E. J. received some mean messages online from fans. Ohio State helped him report these messages to the police.
After his sophomore year, E. J. thought about joining the NBA draft. But he decided to come back to Ohio State for his junior year. This was a great choice! In January 2022, he scored a career-high 34 points in one game. He was also named to the First Team All-Big Ten, which is a big honor in college basketball. As a junior, he averaged almost 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game. After this successful season, he decided to enter the 2022 NBA draft.
Professional Basketball Journey
New Orleans Pelicans and Birmingham Squadron (2022–2024)
E. J. Liddell was chosen by the New Orleans Pelicans in the second round of the 2022 NBA draft. Sadly, he injured his knee (a torn ACL) during an NBA Summer League game in July 2022. This meant he couldn't play for a while.
In October 2022, he signed a "two-way contract" with the Pelicans. This type of contract allows a player to play for both the main NBA team and their minor league team. For E. J., this meant playing for the Pelicans and their G League team, the Birmingham Squadron. He signed a longer deal with the Pelicans in July 2023.
In July 2024, E. J. was part of a trade to the Atlanta Hawks. Later that month, he was traded again to the Phoenix Suns. In August, the Suns decided to let him go.
Chicago Bulls and Windy City Bulls (2024–present)
On September 7, 2024, E. J. Liddell signed with his hometown team, the Chicago Bulls. In October, the Bulls changed his contract to a two-way deal. This means he can play for both the Chicago Bulls and their G League team, the Windy City Bulls.
Career Statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
NBA
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–24 | New Orleans | 8 | 0 | 2.9 | .167 | .000 | 1.000 | .6 | .1 | .3 | .3 | .5 |
| Career | 8 | 0 | 2.9 | .167 | .000 | 1.000 | .6 | .1 | .3 | .3 | .5 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | New Orleans | 1 | 0 | 2.5 | — | — | — | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
| Career | 1 | 0 | 2.5 | — | — | — | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | Ohio State | 31 | 0 | 16.6 | .464 | .192 | .718 | 3.8 | .5 | .4 | .9 | 6.7 |
| 2020–21 | Ohio State | 29 | 29 | 29.4 | .474 | .338 | .746 | 6.7 | 1.8 | .7 | 1.1 | 16.2 |
| 2021–22 | Ohio State | 32 | 32 | 33.2 | .490 | .374 | .765 | 7.9 | 2.5 | .6 | 2.6 | 19.4 |
| Career | 92 | 61 | 26.4 | .480 | .341 | .749 | 6.1 | 1.6 | .5 | 1.6 | 14.1 | |
See also
In Spanish: E. J. Liddell para niños
