Emoni Bates facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Emoni Bates

Bates playing for Eastern Michigan in 2022
Free agent
Small forward
Personal information
Born	(2004-01-28) January 28, 2004 (age 21) Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.
High school	Lincoln (Ypsilanti, Michigan) Ypsi Prep Academy (Ypsilanti, Michigan)
Listed height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight	202 lb (92 kg)
Career information
College	Memphis (2021–2022) Eastern Michigan (2022–2023)
NBA Draft	2023 / Round: 2 / Pick: 49th overall
Selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers
Pro career	2023–present
Career history
2023–2025	Cleveland Cavaliers
2023–2025	→Cleveland Charge
Career highlights and awards
NBA G League Next Up Game (2024) Gatorade National Player of the Year (2020) Third-team All-MAC (2023)

Emoni James-Wayne Bates (born January 28, 2004) is an American professional basketball player. He last played for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was on a two-way contract, which means he also played for the Cleveland Charge of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Memphis Tigers and the Eastern Michigan Eagles.

During his first two years of high school, Bates played for Lincoln High School in his hometown of Ypsilanti, Michigan. He received a lot of attention from the national media and was seen as the best player in his age group. As a freshman, he led his team to a state championship. He was also the first sophomore ever to win the Gatorade National Player of the Year award for boys' basketball.

For his junior year, Bates moved to Ypsi Prep Academy, a new school started by his father. He had planned to go to Michigan State but decided to graduate from high school early to start college at the University of Memphis. After one year at Memphis, he transferred to Eastern Michigan University for his second year. He was then chosen by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2023 NBA draft.

Early Life and Start in Basketball

Emoni Bates was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He started playing basketball when he was only three years old. He loved the sport so much that he would often sleep with a small basketball and dribble it around his house.

His father, who used to be a professional player, trained him. They practiced shooting and did drills to make him quicker and more agile. By the time he was in fourth grade, he was already playing against high school students in a local league. He also played on the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) circuit, which is for talented young players.

Bates first got national attention in 2016. He scored an average of 28 points and 12 rebounds per game at a tournament in Chicago. He also grew very quickly, going from 6 feet 2 inches to 6 feet 7 inches between sixth and seventh grade. In middle school, he was called the number one player in the country for his age group.

High School Career

Freshman Year: A State Champion

Bates playing for his team, Bates Fundamentals, in May 2019.

Bates went to Lincoln High School in Ypsilanti, Michigan. In his first high school game, he scored 32 points and had 15 rebounds. Throughout the season, he continued to play amazingly. In one game, he scored 43 points.

He helped his team win its first-ever regional championship. Later, he led Lincoln to a state championship victory by scoring 23 points in the final game. By the end of the season, he was averaging 28.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.

For his incredible performance, Bates was named the Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year and the MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year. Many experts called him one of the best high school freshmen they had ever seen.

Sophomore Year: National Recognition

Bates shooting a free throw for Lincoln High School in December 2019.

Before his second year, Bates was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, a famous sports magazine. He continued to have amazing games. In one game, he scored 63 points and had 21 rebounds.

That year, he wore a number 24 jersey in a game to honor his hero, Kobe Bryant, who had recently passed away. He scored 42 points in that game.

The high school basketball season was cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic, so his team couldn't defend their state title. Still, Bates had an amazing season, averaging 32.3 points per game. He won the Gatorade National Player of the Year award, becoming the first sophomore boy to ever win it.

Junior Year: A New School

For his junior year, Bates transferred to Ypsi Prep Academy, a new school founded by his father. He continued to play well, averaging 23 points per game. After this season, he decided to graduate a year early and reclassified to the class of 2021, which allowed him to go to college sooner.

Recruiting: Choosing a College

Because he was such a talented player, many top colleges wanted Bates on their team. This process is called recruiting. He was known as a "five-star recruit," which is the highest rating a high school player can get.

Initially, Bates announced he would play for Michigan State University. He had a good relationship with the coach, Tom Izzo. However, he later changed his mind and decided to look at other options, including playing professionally.

In August 2021, Bates announced he would go to the University of Memphis to play for coach Penny Hardaway. He joined his good friend, Jalen Duren, who was also a top player.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Emoni Bates SF	Ypsilanti, MI	Ypsi Prep Academy (MI)	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	Aug 25, 2021
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 97
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 4  247Sports: 5  ESPN: 3
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources:

College Career

First Year at Memphis

At 17 years old, Bates was the youngest player in college basketball when he started at Memphis. In his first game, he scored 17 points. However, as the season went on, he faced some challenges. He had to play a new position, point guard, and also dealt with injuries that caused him to miss several games.

He returned for the NCAA tournament, but his performance during the season was not what many people expected. In 18 games, he averaged 9.7 points per game.

Second Year at Eastern Michigan

For his second year, Bates transferred to Eastern Michigan University, his hometown team. Before the season, he was briefly suspended by the team but was allowed to return.

He had a great season with Eastern Michigan. In his first game, he scored 30 points. In a game against the University of Toledo, he scored 43 points, including 29 points in a row in the first half. He averaged 19.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game and was named to the third-team All-MAC. After the season, he decided to enter the 2023 NBA draft.

Professional Career

Bates was chosen by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2023 NBA draft. On July 7, 2023, he signed a two-way contract with the team. This type of contract meant he played for both the Cavaliers in the NBA and their NBA G League team, the Cleveland Charge.

In August 2024, Bates signed another two-way contract with the Cavaliers. However, in October, he had surgery on his right knee and was expected to recover in about a month. On April 13, 2025, in the last game of the regular season, Bates scored a career-high 25 points. During the 2024-25 season, he played in 10 games for the Cavaliers.

Career statistics

NBA

College