Eric Bledsoe facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids
Eric Bledsoe
No. 22 – Shanghai Sharks
Bledsoe with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2022
Point guard / shooting guard
Personal information
Born	(1989-12-09) December 9, 1989 (age 35) Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
High school	Parker (Birmingham, Alabama)
Listed weight	97 kg (214 lb)
Career information
College	Kentucky (2009–2010)
NBA Draft	2010 / Round: 1 / Pick: 18th overall
Selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder
Pro career	2010–present
League	CBA
Career history
2010–2013	Los Angeles Clippers
2012	→Bakersfield Jam
2013–2017	Phoenix Suns
2017–2020	Milwaukee Bucks
2020–2021	New Orleans Pelicans
2021–2022	Los Angeles Clippers
2022–present	Shanghai Sharks

Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Defensive First Team (2019) NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2020) NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2011) SEC All-Rookie Team (2010)

Eric Bledsoe (born December 9, 1989) is an American professional basketball player. He currently plays for the Shanghai Sharks in China. Eric is known for playing as a point guard, which is a player who leads the team's offense. He also sometimes plays as a shooting guard.

After playing one year of college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats, Eric was chosen by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2010 NBA draft. He was the 18th player picked overall. Soon after, he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. Eric also played for the Phoenix Suns and the Milwaukee Bucks before moving to China.

High School Basketball Journey

Eric Bledsoe went to Parker High School in Birmingham, Alabama. In his final year, he was a star player. He scored about 20 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, and made 11 assists per game. He helped his team reach the state championship game, where they finished as runner-up.

Experts at Rivals.com thought Eric was a top player. They ranked him as the third-best point guard and the 23rd-best player in the entire country in 2009.

College Basketball Experience

Bledsoe warming up before a game in 2010 while he was at Kentucky.

Eric played one season of college basketball at Kentucky during the 2009–10 school year. He averaged 11.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 37 games. He helped the Wildcats achieve an amazing 35 wins and only 3 losses. They even made it to the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament.

Eric was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. He scored double-digit points in 20 games, including four games where he scored 20 points or more. In one NCAA tournament game, he scored a career-high 29 points, making eight three-pointers. Even though he was a natural point guard, Eric often played as a shooting guard alongside another talented freshman, John Wall.

On April 7, 2010, Eric decided to enter the NBA draft. This meant he would not play his remaining three years of college basketball.

Professional Basketball Career

Playing for the Los Angeles Clippers (2010–2013)

Bledsoe with the Clippers in 2011

Before the NBA draft, Eric was praised for his speed, ball-handling skills, and ability to shoot three-pointers. He was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder but was quickly traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.

In his first season, Eric averaged 6.7 points and 3.6 assists. He started 25 games and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. In his second season, his playing time decreased because the Clippers added star player Chris Paul. Eric even spent some time with the Clippers' minor league team, the Bakersfield Jam. However, in his third season, his stats improved, even though he was still playing behind Chris Paul. Eric also took part in the 2013 All-Star Game's Slam Dunk Contest.

Time with the Phoenix Suns (2013–2017)

Starting Strong in Phoenix (2013–14)

On July 10, 2013, Eric was traded to the Phoenix Suns as part of a big trade involving three teams. In his first game with the Suns, he scored 22 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and made 7 assists, helping his new team win. In his second game, Eric made his first game-winning shot, which was very exciting!

Later that season, Eric had a shin injury that turned into a knee injury, keeping him off the court for about two and a half months. He returned in March 2014 and continued to play well. He even set a new career high with 31 points in a game in November 2019.

Big Contract and Triple-Doubles (2014–15)

In September 2014, Eric signed a new five-year contract with the Suns for $70 million. This showed how much the team believed in him.

On December 8, 2014, Eric achieved his first career triple-double. This means he had double-digit numbers in three different stats: 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 16 assists. He got another triple-double later that month. On January 21, 2015, Eric scored a career-high 33 points. He continued to have amazing games, showing off his skills in scoring, rebounding, and assisting.

Dealing with Injuries (2015–16)

On October 31, 2015, Eric scored 33 points, almost tying his career high. In December, he had surgery on his left knee and missed the rest of the season. This was tough for both Eric and the Suns, as the team struggled without him.

Returning Strong (2016–17)

Bledsoe with the Phoenix Suns in 2017

Eric returned to play in October 2016. On November 2, he hit a game-winning three-pointer in overtime, giving the Suns their first win of the season. He scored a career-high 35 points on November 27. He then had three straight games where he scored 30 points or more, which was a big achievement for a Suns player.

On January 22, 2017, Eric scored a new career-high of 40 points! He even tied that record just a few days later. He had three games with 40 points within 11 days, which was the fastest any Suns player had done that. On February 15, he recorded his third career triple-double. However, he was sidelined again in March due to knee soreness. He finished the season with his best numbers in points and assists.

A Difficult Start (2017–18)

At the start of the 2017–18 season, Eric made a comment on social media that caused a misunderstanding with the Suns team. This led to him being traded.

Joining the Milwaukee Bucks (2017–2020)

On November 7, 2017, Eric was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. He made his debut three days later, scoring 13 points and making 7 assists. In March 2018, he scored 39 points in an exciting overtime win. On April 9, 2018, he achieved his fourth career triple-double.

In January 2019, Eric scored 30 points against the Orlando Magic. He signed a new four-year contract with the Bucks in March. At the end of the season, he was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team for his excellent defense. In December 2019, Eric suffered a leg injury that kept him out for a couple of weeks. He helped the Bucks have the best record in the league for two years in a row.

Playing for the New Orleans Pelicans (2020–2021)

On November 24, 2020, Eric was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. In his first game with the Pelicans, he scored 18 points and made 6 assists, helping his new team win.

Back with the Los Angeles Clippers (2021–2022)

In August 2021, Eric was traded again, this time to the Memphis Grizzlies. Just a few days later, he was traded back to the Los Angeles Clippers, the team he started his NBA career with! On October 21, 2021, Eric played his first game as a Clipper since 2013, scoring 22 points.

On February 4, 2022, Eric was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers. He reunited with his former teammate, coach Chauncey Billups. However, Eric was ruled out for the rest of the season in March due to pain in his left Achilles tendon. He was later released by the team without playing a game for them.

Playing in China with the Shanghai Sharks (2022–present)

On November 19, 2022, Eric Bledsoe signed with the Shanghai Sharks in the Chinese Basketball Association.

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
2010–11	L.A. Clippers	81	25	22.7	.424	.276	.744	2.8	3.6	1.1	.3	6.7
2011–12	L.A. Clippers	40	1	11.6	.389	.200	.636	1.6	1.7	.8	.4	3.3
2012–13	L.A. Clippers	76	12	20.4	.445	.397	.791	3.0	3.1	1.4	.7	8.5
2013–14	Phoenix	43	40	32.9	.477	.357	.772	4.7	5.5	1.6	.3	17.7
2014–15	Phoenix	81	81	34.6	.447	.324	.800	5.2	6.1	1.6	.6	17.0
2015–16	Phoenix	31	31	34.2	.453	.372	.802	4.0	6.1	2.0	.6	20.4
2016–17	Phoenix	66	66	33.0	.434	.335	.847	4.8	6.3	1.4	.5	21.1
2017–18	Phoenix	3	3	27.7	.400	.308	.786	2.3	3.0	1.3	.7	15.7
2017–18	Milwaukee	71	71	31.5	.476	.349	.795	3.9	5.1	2.0	.6	17.8
2018–19	Milwaukee	78	78	29.1	.484	.329	.750	4.6	5.5	1.5	.4	15.9
2019–20	Milwaukee	61	61	27.0	.475	.344	.790	4.6	5.4	.9	.4	14.9
2020–21	New Orleans	71	70	29.7	.421	.341	.687	3.4	3.8	.8	.3	12.2
2021–22	L.A. Clippers	54	29	25.2	.421	.313	.761	3.4	4.2	1.3	.4	9.9
Career		756	568	27.8	.452	.336	.784	3.9	4.7	1.4	.5	13.7

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2012	L.A. Clippers	11	0	17.2	.587	.429	.625	2.4	2.1	1.2	.4	7.9
2013	L.A. Clippers	6	0	16.2	.500	.111	.667	2.5	3.0	.3	.5	6.5
2018	Milwaukee	7	7	32.1	.440	.318	.700	3.4	3.7	1.0	.9	13.6
2019	Milwaukee	15	15	28.3	.411	.236	.706	3.7	4.3	1.1	.4	13.7
2020	Milwaukee	9	9	29.7	.388	.250	.808	4.6	5.9	1.2	.7	11.7
Career		48	31	25.0	.441	.254	.712	3.4	3.8	1.0	.5	11.1

College

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2009–10	Kentucky	37	35	30.3	.462	.383	.667	3.1	2.9	1.4	.3	11.3

Personal Life

Eric Bledsoe's mother, Maureen Reddick, worked hard to raise her three children in Birmingham, Alabama. Eric has five children: two sons named Ethan and Emory, and three daughters named Eriauna, Norah, and Noor.