Emoni Bates facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Emoni Bates

Bates with Eastern Michigan in 2022
No. 21 – Cleveland Cavaliers
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	170 lb (77 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
League	NBA
Career history
2023–present	Cleveland Cavaliers
2023–present	→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 Bates (born January 28, 2004) is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also plays for the Cleveland Charge in the NBA G League.

Emoni was a top high school basketball player. He was seen as one of the best young talents in the country. He played college basketball for the Memphis Tigers and the Eastern Michigan Eagles. In 2023, the Cavaliers picked him in the 2023 NBA draft.

Emoni Bates: Early Life and Basketball Start

Emoni Bates was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He started playing basketball when he was only three years old. He loved the game so much he would even sleep with a mini basketball! His dad, who was also a professional player, helped him train. They worked on shooting and quick moves.

In fourth grade, Emoni was already playing against high school seniors. He also joined the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball teams. Emoni even played soccer when he was younger. By 2016, people started noticing him. He was scoring about 28 points and grabbing 12 rebounds per game. He grew a lot between sixth and seventh grade. He went from 6 feet 2 inches to 6 feet 7 inches tall!

When he was in seventh grade, a website called Future150 ranked him as the number one player in his age group. He averaged an amazing 46 points per game that year. He took a break in eighth grade to train even more. In the summer of 2018, he played against older players. He scored 17 points per game in a big summer league.

High School Highlights

Freshman Year: A Champion is Born

Bates playing for Bates Fundamentals in May 2019.

Emoni went to Lincoln High School in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The coach there was a friend of his dad. In his first game, Emoni scored 32 points and had 15 rebounds. This was a great start to his freshman season.

He scored a personal best of 43 points in a game in January 2019. Emoni helped his team win their first regional championship. He scored 36 points in that big game. Just nine days later, he led Lincoln to their first state title! He scored 23 points in the championship game.

As a freshman, Emoni averaged 28.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. His team finished with a great record of 23 wins and 4 losses. He was named Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year. He was also named the best freshman in the country by MaxPreps. Some experts even said he might be the best high school player since LeBron James!

Sophomore Year: Magazine Cover Star

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

Before his second year, Emoni was on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine. This showed how famous he was becoming. He continued to have amazing games. He scored 40 points in one game and 42 points in another. In January 2020, he wore jersey number 24 to honor his hero, Kobe Bryant, who had passed away.

He set new personal records with 63 points and 21 rebounds in one game! He also had 40 points and 12 rebounds in another. Emoni's season ended early because of the coronavirus pandemic. He couldn't help Lincoln defend their state title.

As a sophomore, he averaged 32.3 points, nine rebounds, and three assists per game. He was named Gatorade National Player of the Year. He was the first sophomore boy to win this big award. He also won MaxPreps National Sophomore of the Year.

Junior Year: A New School and Early Graduation

For his junior year, Emoni moved to Ypsi Prep Academy. This was a new school created by his father. He scored 36 points in his first game there. As a junior, he averaged 23 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.

After this season, Emoni decided to finish high school early. He skipped his senior year. This meant he could start his college career sooner.

Choosing a College

Emoni was a top player that many colleges wanted. He got scholarship offers from big schools like Michigan State, Michigan, and Duke. Experts thought he was the best high school basketball player, no matter his age.

He first decided to play for Michigan State in 2020. But in 2021, he changed his mind. He wanted to look at other college and professional options. Later that year, Emoni chose to play for Memphis. He joined his close friend, Jalen Duren, there.

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 Journey

Freshman Year at Memphis

Emoni Bates started his college career at Memphis. He was only 17, making him one of the youngest players in college basketball. In his first game, he scored 17 points. He was named Freshman of the Week after two games.

He faced some challenges during his freshman year. He had to play a new position, point guard, which he wasn't used to. He also missed some games because of injuries. His performance in college led to changes in how experts saw his chances for the NBA draft.

Sophomore Year at Eastern Michigan

For his second year, Emoni moved to Eastern Michigan. This was his hometown college team. Before the season, he faced a temporary suspension from the team due to an off-court issue. He was later allowed to rejoin after the matter was resolved.

In his first game for Eastern Michigan, he scored 30 points. In January 2023, he had an amazing game against Toledo. He scored 29 points in a row in the first half! He finished that game with 43 points. As a sophomore, he averaged 19.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. He was named third-team All-MAC. After the season, he decided to enter the 2023 NBA draft.

Becoming a Pro

The Cleveland Cavaliers picked Emoni Bates in the 2023 NBA draft. He was the 49th player chosen overall. In July 2023, he signed a two-way contract with the Cavaliers. This means he can play for both the Cavaliers and their G League team, the Cleveland Charge.

In August 2024, Emoni signed another two-way contract. In October, he had surgery on his right knee. He was expected to recover in about a month.

Career Statistics

NBA

College