Evan Turner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Evan Turner

Turner with the Portland Trail Blazers in 2019
Personal information
Born	(1988-10-27) October 27, 1988 (age 36) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
High school	St. Joseph (Westchester, Illinois)
Listed height	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight	220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
College	Ohio State (2007–2010)
NBA Draft	2010 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall
Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers
Pro career	2010–2020
Coaching career	2020–present
League	NBA
Career history
As player:
2010–2014	Philadelphia 76ers
2014	Indiana Pacers
2014–2016	Boston Celtics
2016–2019	Portland Trail Blazers
2019–2020	Atlanta Hawks
As coach:
2020–2021	Boston Celtics (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
National college player of the year (2010) Consensus first-team All-American (2010) Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year (2010) Big Ten Player of the Year (2010) 2× First-team All-Big Ten (2009, 2010) Big Ten tournament MOP (2010) No. 21 retired by Ohio State Buckeyes
Career NBA statistics
Points	6,824 (9.7 ppg)
Rebounds	3,278 (4.6 rpg)
Assists	2,462 (3.5 apg)
Medals Men's basketball Representing  United States Summer Universiade Bronze 2009 Belgrade Team competition

Evan Marcel Turner (born October 27, 1988) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He was an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Philadelphia 76ers picked him second overall in the 2010 NBA draft.

Turner went to St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois. By his senior year, he was one of the best high school basketball players in the country.

In 2010, Turner was named an All-American and the John R. Wooden Award National Player of the Year. This was while he played at Ohio State University. He also became a two-time scoring champion. He was named the Player of the Year for the Big Ten Conference. He was the only player chosen for the All-Big Ten first team twice. This was by both coaches and the media. He was the first men's basketball player to finish in the top two in points, rebounds, and assists in the same season. He holds the record for most Big Ten Player of the Week awards.

In March 2022, Evan Turner started a podcast called Point Forward. He hosts it with his former teammate, Andre Iguodala.

Early Life Challenges

Turner was born weighing 10 pounds. In his first year, he had many illnesses. These included chicken pox, pneumonia, asthma, and measles. The 1989 Chicago measles outbreak made him need emergency care. He had serious breathing problems. Doctors had to remove his adenoids and tonsils. When he was three, a car hit him. This caused a concussion and needed stitches. Large baby teeth and an overbite gave him a speech impediment. He needed speech therapy to help with this.

High School Basketball Star

Before high school, Turner played basketball with Iman Shumpert. They were teammates on their 8th grade team. This was at Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School in Oak Park, Illinois. He played in the Summer 2004 AAU tournament. As a high school sophomore, he helped St. Joseph's team. They made a good run in the Illinois AA Boys tournament. This got him noticed by NCAA Division I coaches. St. Joseph's had also produced Isiah Thomas. Turner was part of a strong sophomore class. This class included Derrick Rose and his teammate Demetri McCamey.

Turner started getting offers from big colleges early in his junior year. The Chicago Tribune named him to its list of top Chicago area players. His team reached the state sectional final. They lost to Proviso East High School. After his junior season, he was a top 25 prospect. He received special mention for all-state honors. In summer 2006, he decided to go to Ohio State. This was influenced by his father, James Turner. His father lived in Columbus. Evan had visited him every summer since he was ten.

In his senior year, his team was ranked second. Rose's Simeon Career Academy was first. Turner was named to the first-team All-State team. This was by the Associated Press. Rose's Simeon team later beat St. Joseph in the playoffs. Turner and McCamey finished third and sixth in the Illinois Mr. Basketball vote. The Chicago Tribune chose both as first team All-state. Turner was ranked as a top small forward in the nation. He received scholarship offers from many top basketball programs.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Evan Turner SF	Chicago, Illinois	St. Joseph (IL)	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	Jun 29, 2006
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 96
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 16 (SF)   Rivals: 49, 13 (SF)  ESPN: 49, 7 (SF)
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 Highlights

Freshman Year Success

Turner as a freshman during a November 6, 2007, Ohio State exhibition game.

As a freshman, Turner played about 27 minutes per game. He averaged 8.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. He was second in assists and third in steals for his team. Turner got his first career double-double on January 19, 2008. He scored 20 points and had 10 rebounds against the Tennessee Vols. That season, he helped Ohio State win the 2008 National Invitation Tournament. He averaged 18.5 points, 7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 3 steals in the final rounds.

Sophomore Year Achievements

As a sophomore, Turner was named player of the week three times. He led his team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. He also led the Big Ten in scoring. Turner was the only player chosen for the first-team All-Big Ten by both coaches and media. The Associated Press gave him an honorable mention for All-American. He played for the 2009 Junior USA World University Championships team. He helped them win a bronze medal.

Junior Year: A Star is Born

Turner dunks against James Madison in November 2009

Turner, nicknamed "The Villain," started his junior season strong. He recorded the first triple double by a Big Ten player since 2001. This was against Alcorn State University. He repeated this amazing feat two weeks later against Lipscomb University. On December 5, 2009, he suffered a back injury. It was expected to keep him out for two months. But Turner returned early on January 6, 2010. With him back, Ohio State returned to the top 25 rankings.

Turner against Iowa in January 2010

He set a new Big Ten Conference record with his eighth career Player of the Week award. This broke the record held by Glenn Robinson and Jackson. He also tied and then broke the single-season record for this award.

Turner helped the Buckeyes win the Big Ten Conference regular-season co-championship. They earned the number one seed in the 2010 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament. In the tournament, Turner made a last-second three-pointer to beat Michigan. He scored 31 points against Illinois, forcing two overtimes. He then led Ohio State to win the championship game against Minnesota with another 31 points. Turner was named Tournament Most Outstanding Player. He also repeated as the Big Ten scoring champion. He was the first men's basketball player to finish in the top two in points, rebounds, and assists.

Major Awards and Honors

Turner in November 2009

Turner won almost all the major player of the year awards in 2010. He won the John R. Wooden Award, the Naismith College Player of the Year award, and the USBWA's Robertson Trophy. Fox, Associated Press, and Sporting News also named him their National Player of the Year. He was recognized as the National Association of Basketball Coaches' Division I Player of the Year.

He was again the only player chosen for the first-team All-Big Ten. He was also named the 2010 Big Ten Men's Basketball Player of the Year. Turner was selected as the Big Ten Conference male Athlete of the Year for all sports.

Ohio State retired Turner's college number, 21. This happened on February 16, 2016.

Professional Basketball Career

Philadelphia 76ers (2010–2014)

Turner as a rookie

On April 7, 2010, Turner announced he would enter the 2010 NBA draft. He was expected to be a top 3 pick. The Philadelphia 76ers selected him with the 2nd overall pick. He signed a deal worth about $12 million.

Turner with cheerleaders and the team mascot

On October 27, 2010, his 22nd birthday, Turner debuted for the 76ers. He scored 16 points, had 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. This was in a loss to the Miami Heat. On November 7, 2010, Turner made his first NBA start. He recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. On December 29, 2010, Turner scored a career-high 23 points against the Phoenix Suns. The team improved their record and reached the 2011 NBA Playoffs. They faced the Miami Heat. Turner was praised for his strong play in the series.

Turner with the 76ers against Gilbert Arenas

On February 8, 2012, Turner was chosen for the 2012 Rising Stars competition. On March 7, 2012, he scored a career-high 26 points against the Boston Celtics. He scored 26 points again on April 3, 2012, against the Miami Heat. On April 25, 2012, he set a new career-high with 29 points and 13 rebounds. He had his first postseason double-double on May 12, 2012, against the Boston Celtics. The 76ers were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs.

Turner taking a shot

Turner started all 82 games in the 2012–13 NBA season. He averaged a career-high 15.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. On December 7, 2012, he made the game-winning shot in overtime against the Boston Celtics.

Turner (left) with the 76ers against Trevor Ariza in March 2013

On November 9, 2013, Turner set a new career high with 31 points. He hit the game-tying basket in overtime against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Turner hit a game-winning buzzer beater on December 20 against the Brooklyn Nets. On January 22, 2014, Turner scored a career-high 38 points. This was in a win over the New York Knicks. He also had 11 rebounds. Turner hit another game-winning buzzer beater on January 29, 2014, against the Boston Celtics.

Indiana Pacers (2014)

Turner (right) with former NBA player Reggie Miller

On February 20, 2014, Turner was traded to the Indiana Pacers. He debuted for the Pacers on February 25, 2014. He scored 13 points and had 6 rebounds. On April 6, he scored 23 points to help the team win. In the 2014 NBA Playoffs, Turner had some ups and downs. He was left out of one game's rotation. He later returned to play in other playoff games.

Boston Celtics (2014–2016)

Turner signed with the Boston Celtics on September 29, 2014. He started the season as a reserve player. On December 8, 2014, Turner forced overtime against the Washington Wizards. He sank a three-point shot with 0.9 seconds left. Turner scored a season-high 29 points against the Chicago Bulls on January 3. He hit his fourth career game-winning shot on January 22, 2015. This was against the Portland Trail Blazers. On February 11, 2015, he hit another game winner with 0.2 seconds left. This was against the Atlanta Hawks.

Evan Turner recorded his first career triple double on February 25, 2015. This was against the New York Knicks. He had 10 points, 10 assists, and 12 rebounds. On March 13, 2015, Turner scored a season-high 30 points. He posted two more triple-doubles in March and April. He played every game in the 2014–15 season. He averaged 14.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and a career-high 6.5 assists per game.

On March 26, 2016, Turner had a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double. He also blocked a potential game-tying shot.

Portland Trail Blazers (2016–2019)

Turner in 2018

On July 6, 2016, Turner signed a four-year contract with the Portland Trail Blazers. He debuted with 3 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. On December 8, he had a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double. On January 5, 2017, he scored 15 of his season-high 20 points in the fourth quarter. On February 8, he fractured a bone in his right hand. He returned to play on March 18 after missing 14 games. He opened the 2017 NBA playoffs with a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double.

On January 1, 2018, Turner scored a season-high 22 points. This was in an overtime win against the Chicago Bulls.

On April 1, 2019, Turner recorded his fourth career triple-double. He had 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. Two days later, he had a second triple-double in a row. He became the first Trail Blazer to do this since Clyde Drexler in 1989–90. In the playoffs, Turner helped Portland win Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets. This sent them to the Western Conference Finals.

Atlanta Hawks (2019–2020)

On June 24, 2019, Turner was traded to the Atlanta Hawks. On February 5, 2020, he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, he did not play any games for them.

Retirement from Playing

On November 30, 2020, Turner announced he was retiring from playing professional basketball.

Coaching Career

For the 2020–21 season, Turner was an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Personal Life

Turner's mother is Iris James. He has two older brothers, Darius and Richard.

In 2010, Turner signed a deal with Chinese clothing company Li Ning Company Limited.

On December 20, 2017, a semi-trailer truck crashed into Turner's pool. This happened at his Portland home.

See also

In Spanish: Evan Turner para niños

• 2010 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans