Earl Clark facts for kids
![]() Clark with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2013
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No. 6 – Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers | |
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Power forward | |
Personal information | |
Born | Plainfield, New Jersey, U.S. |
January 17, 1988
High school | Rahway (Rahway, New Jersey) |
Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
Listed weight | 234 lb (106 kg) |
Career information | |
College | Louisville (2006–2009) |
NBA Draft | 2009 / Round: 1 / Pick: 14th overall |
Selected by the Phoenix Suns | |
Pro career | 2009–present |
League | Taiwan Professional Basketball League |
Career history | |
2009–2010 | Phoenix Suns |
2010 | → Iowa Energy |
2010–2012 | Orlando Magic |
2012–2013 | Los Angeles Lakers |
2013–2014 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
2014 | New York Knicks |
2014 | Rio Grande Valley Vipers |
2014–2015 | Shandong Golden Stars |
2015 | Brooklyn Nets |
2015–2016 | Bakersfield Jam |
2016 | Delaware 87ers |
2016 | Henan Roaring Elephants |
2016–2018 | Beşiktaş |
2018–2019 | Budućnost VOLI |
2019–2020 | Burgos |
2020 | Anyang KGC |
2020–2021 | Gran Canaria |
2021 | Al-Manama |
2021 | Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus |
2022 | Cariduros de Fajardo |
2022 | NLEX Road Warriors |
2023 | Gigantes de Carolina |
2023–present | Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers |
Career highlights and awards | |
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Earl Rashad Clark (born January 17, 1988) is an American professional basketball player. He currently plays as a power forward for the Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers in the Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL). Earl played college basketball for the University of Louisville before starting his professional career. He was picked 14th overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2009 NBA draft.
Contents
Earl Clark's Early Basketball Days
High School Success
Earl Clark grew up in Plainfield, New Jersey. He went to Rahway High School in Rahway, New Jersey. During his time there, he scored an amazing 1,245 points in his high school career. In his final year, he averaged 25.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 5 assists per game.
He was recognized as a McDonald's All-American in 2006. This means he was one of the best high school basketball players in the country. He was also named a fourth-team Parade All-American. Experts like Rivals.com thought he was a top player, ranking him as the 8th best small forward and 22nd best player in the nation in 2006.
College Career at Louisville
Earl joined the Louisville Cardinals for college. As a freshman, he and his young teammates faced some challenges early in the 2006–07 season. However, they worked hard and won 8 of their last 10 games. This helped them get a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
In his first NCAA Tournament game, Earl played well. He scored 12 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, and made 4 steals against Stanford. After his sophomore year, Earl decided to stay at Louisville for another season. He did not enter the NBA Draft in 2008.
In the 2008–2009 season, Earl and future NBA player Terrence Williams led Louisville to a great year. They won the Big East Title and reached the #1 ranking in the country. This was the first time in the University of Louisville's history that their basketball team was ranked #1.
Earl Clark's Professional Basketball Journey
Starting in the NBA: Phoenix Suns
After his junior year, Earl decided to enter the 2009 NBA draft. He was chosen 14th overall by the Phoenix Suns. He made his first three-pointer in an NBA game on January 28, 2010. During his time with the Suns, he also played for the Iowa Energy in the NBA Development League to get more playing time.
Moving to the Orlando Magic

In December 2010, Earl was traded to the Orlando Magic. He was part of a trade that involved several other players. On April 16, 2012, he achieved his first "double-double" with the Magic. This means he scored 14 points and had 11 rebounds in one game.
During an NBA lockout in 2011, Earl briefly signed with a team in China. However, he left the team soon after for family reasons and later re-signed with the Orlando Magic.
Breakthrough with the Los Angeles Lakers

On August 10, 2012, Earl was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. This was a big trade that sent Dwight Howard to the Lakers. At first, Earl didn't play much. But on January 9, 2013, he had an amazing night against the San Antonio Spurs. He played 27 minutes and set new personal bests with 22 points and 13 rebounds.
This great performance happened because some of the Lakers' main players were injured. His coach, Mike D'Antoni, called his game "phenomenal." Earl continued to play well, getting three double-doubles in six games. He even became a permanent starter for a while. After years of limited chances, he was finally playing nearly 30 minutes per game.
Other NBA Teams
After his time with the Lakers, Earl played for a few other NBA teams:
- Cleveland Cavaliers (2013–2014)
- New York Knicks (2014)
- Brooklyn Nets (2015)
He also spent time in the NBA Development League with teams like the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and the Bakersfield Jam.
Playing Around the World
Earl Clark has played basketball in many different countries:
- China: He played for the Shandong Golden Stars in China from 2014 to 2015. He averaged 26.7 points and 10.3 rebounds per game there. He also played for the Henan Roaring Elephants in 2016.
- Turkey: From 2016 to 2018, Earl played for Beşiktaş in Turkey. He was even chosen as a Turkish League All-Star in 2017.
- Montenegro: In 2018–2019, he played for Budućnost VOLI. He helped them win the Montenegrin League and the Montenegrin Cup in 2019.
- Spain: He played for San Pablo Burgos from 2019 to 2020 and later for Herbalife Gran Canaria from 2020 to 2021.
- South Korea: In 2020, he joined the Korean team Anyang KGC.
- Bahrain: He played for Al-Manama in 2021.
- Philippines: In 2022, he played for the NLEX Road Warriors in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
- Puerto Rico: He played for Cariduros de Fajardo in 2022 and Gigantes de Carolina in 2023.
- Taiwan: Since 2023, he has been playing for the Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers in Taiwan.
Career Statistics
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 | PIR | Performance Index Rating |
Bold | Career high |
NBA
Regular season
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2009–10 | Phoenix | 51 | 0 | 7.5 | .371 | .400 | .722 | 1.2 | .4 | .1 | .3 | 2.7 |
2010–11 | Phoenix | 9 | 0 | 8.0 | .387 | .000 | .500 | 1.9 | .4 | .1 | .3 | 3.2 |
2010–11 | Orlando | 33 | 0 | 11.9 | .441 | .000 | .595 | 2.5 | .2 | .2 | .5 | 4.1 |
2011–12 | Orlando | 45 | 1 | 12.4 | .367 | .000 | .724 | 2.8 | .4 | .3 | .7 | 2.7 |
2012–13 | L. A. Lakers | 59 | 36 | 23.1 | .440 | .337 | .697 | 5.5 | 1.1 | .6 | .7 | 7.3 |
2013–14 | Cleveland | 45 | 17 | 15.5 | .375 | .345 | .583 | 2.8 | .4 | .4 | .4 | 5.2 |
2013–14 | New York | 9 | 0 | 7.8 | .333 | .167 | .800 | 1.8 | .2 | .1 | .7 | 2.6 |
2014–15 | Brooklyn | 10 | 0 | 9.3 | .367 | .286 | .250 | 2.3 | .3 | .3 | .4 | 2.7 |
Career | 261 | 54 | 13.9 | .403 | .328 | .664 | 3.0 | .5 | .3 | .5 | 4.4 |
Playoffs
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
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2010 | Phoenix | 3 | 0 | 4.0 | .333 | .000 | 1.000 | .7 | .3 | .3 | .0 | 1.3 |
2011 | Orlando | 1 | 0 | 6.0 | .333 | .000 | .000 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 |
2012 | Orlando | 5 | 0 | 17.6 | .444 | .000 | .571 | 6.6 | .2 | .4 | 1.0 | 4.0 |
2013 | L. A. Lakers | 4 | 1 | 20.5 | .368 | .000 | .000 | 3.0 | .3 | .3 | .3 | 3.5 |
2015 | Brooklyn | 2 | 0 | 6.5 | .200 | .667 | .000 | 1.0 | .0 | .5 | .0 | 3.0 |
Career | 15 | 1 | 13.5 | .358 | .286 | .667 | 3.5 | .3 | .4 | .5 | 3.1 |
See also
In Spanish: Earl Clark para niños