John Henson (basketball) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
John Henson
Personal information
Henson with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2018
Born	(1990-12-28) December 28, 1990 (age 34) Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S.
High school	Sickles (Tampa, Florida)
Listed height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight	222 lb (101 kg)
Career information
College	North Carolina (2009–2012)
NBA Draft	2012 / Round: 1 / Pick: 14th overall
Selected by the Milwaukee Bucks
Pro career	2012–2020
Career history
2012–2018	Milwaukee Bucks
2018–2020	Cleveland Cavaliers
2020	Detroit Pistons

Career highlights and awards
2× ACC Defensive Player of the Year (2011, 2012) First-team All-ACC (2012) Second-team All-ACC (2011) 2x ACC All-Defensive Team (2011, 2012) First-team Parade All-American (2009) McDonald's All-American (2009)

John Allen Henson (born December 28, 1990) is an American former professional basketball player. He played for eight seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the NBA, he played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels. He was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year twice.

The Milwaukee Bucks picked Henson as the 14th overall player in the 2012 NBA draft. He played with the Bucks for six and a half seasons. Later, he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in December 2018. In February 2020, he moved to the Detroit Pistons.

High School Basketball Journey
- Becoming a Top Recruit
College Basketball Career
Professional Basketball Career
Career Statistics
- NBA
  - Regular season
  - Playoffs
- College
Personal Life
See also

High School Basketball Journey

John Henson spent three years playing basketball at Round Rock High School in Round Rock, Texas. For his final year, he moved to Sickles High School in Tampa, Florida.

As a senior in 2008–09, Henson wore jersey number 33. He averaged 17.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 6.1 blocks per game. He scored his highest points in one game, 29, against Tampa Bay Tech. He also blocked 10 or more shots five times. Four of those times, he blocked 11 shots.

Henson helped his team achieve a great 24–5 record. They also had a perfect 10–0 record in their league. However, the team lost in the regional semi-finals for the Florida FHSAA Class 6A championship.

John was chosen as a first-team all-state player. He was also named the Tampa Bay Coaches Association Player of the Year. He played in important games like the McDonald's All-American Game and the Nike Hoop Summit. He also received first-team Parade All-American honors.

Becoming a Top Recruit

Many teams wanted John Henson to play for them. Scout.com ranked him as the best power forward in his recruiting class. They also said he was the fourth-best player overall in 2009. People thought he would be a key player for his college team.

His coach, Roy Williams, said Henson had "tremendously long arms." He believed Henson would block more shots than almost any other player in college basketball.

College Basketball Career

Henson playing for the Tar Heels in November 2011

John Henson started his college career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He began as a small forward for the Tar Heels. When a teammate got injured, Henson moved to power forward in February 2010.

After this change, Henson's playing improved a lot. He averaged 9.4 points per game in the last 16 games of that season. Even with his strong play, the Tar Heels did not make it to the main NCAA tournament. They lost in the finals of the NIT.

In his second year (2010–11), Henson won the ACC Defensive Player of the Year award. He averaged 11.7 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks per game. In his third year (2011–12), he won the ACC Defensive Player of the Year award again. That year, he averaged 13.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game.

On March 29, 2012, John Henson decided to enter the NBA draft. This meant he would not play his final year of college basketball.

Professional Basketball Career

Milwaukee Bucks (2012–2018)

Henson with the Bucks in March 2013, greeting John Wall of the Washington Wizards

On June 28, 2012, the Milwaukee Bucks chose John Henson as the 14th pick in the 2012 NBA draft. He signed his first contract with the Bucks on July 10, 2012.

On April 10, 2013, Henson had a great game. He scored 17 points, grabbed 25 rebounds, and blocked seven shots. A week later, he scored a career-high 28 points in a win against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Bucks kept Henson for the 2014–15 season. In the 2013–14 season, he averaged 11.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. He often came off the bench, playing in 47 of 70 games.

In the 2014–15 season, Henson played in 67 games. He averaged 7.0 points and 4.7 rebounds. He was fifth in the league for blocks per game, with 2.01. He was one of only seven Bucks players to average over 2.0 blocks in a single season.

On October 2, 2015, Henson signed a new four-year contract with the Bucks. On November 6, 2015, he scored a season-high 22 points. This was in a win against the New York Knicks.

On October 29, 2016, Henson made a game-winning tip-in shot at the buzzer. This helped the Bucks win against the Brooklyn Nets. He had 12 rebounds, seven points, and two blocks in that game. On November 27, 2016, he scored 20 points in a win over the Orlando Magic.

On February 4, 2018, Henson had season highs with 19 points and 18 rebounds. This was in a win against the Brooklyn Nets. In November 2018, Henson had surgery for a torn ligament in his left wrist.

Cleveland Cavaliers (2018–2020)

On December 7, 2018, John Henson was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. This trade involved three teams and several players. The Cavaliers also received some future draft picks.

Detroit Pistons (2020)

On February 6, 2020, the Cavaliers traded Henson again. He went to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for another player.

John Henson officially announced his retirement from basketball on September 11, 2024.

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
2012–13	Milwaukee	63	9	13.1	.482	.000	.533	4.7	.5	.3	.7	6.0
2013–14	Milwaukee	70	23	26.5	.538	.000	.514	7.1	1.6	.6	1.7	11.1
2014–15	Milwaukee	67	11	18.3	.566	—	.569	4.7	.9	.4	2.0	7.0
2015–16	Milwaukee	57	1	16.8	.564	.000	.590	3.9	.9	.3	1.9	7.0
2016–17	Milwaukee	58	39	19.4	.515	.000	.692	5.1	1.0	.5	1.3	6.8
2017–18	Milwaukee	76	69	25.9	.572	.143	.570	6.8	1.5	.6	1.4	8.8
2018–19	Milwaukee	14	0	13.4	.463	.355	.600	5.1	1.0	.5	.8	5.6
2019–20	Cleveland	29	2	14.2	.508	.194	.515	3.9	1.5	.6	1.1	5.0
2019–20	Detroit	11	6	17.1	.667	.400	.462	4.4	1.0	.7	.9	6.9
Career		445	160	19.7	.540	.250	.568	5.3	1.1	.5	1.4	7.6

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2013	Milwaukee	4	0	8.3	.273	.000	—	2.0	.3	.5	.0	1.5
2015	Milwaukee	6	0	25.5	.585	.000	.357	8.0	.7	.8	1.7	8.8
2017	Milwaukee	2	0	6.0	.250	—	1.000	2.0	.0	.5	.0	1.5
2018	Milwaukee	2	2	37.0	.692	—	.500	6.0	2.5	.0	3.5	9.5
Career		14	2	19.4	.536	.000	.412	5.1	.7	.6	1.2	5.8

College

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2009–10	North Carolina	37	12	15.8	.486	.222	.438	4.4	.9	.7	1.6	5.7
2010–11	North Carolina	37	36	26.7	.500	.167	.482	10.1	.8	.6	3.2	11.7
2011–12	North Carolina	35	34	29.1	.500	–	.511	9.9	1.3	.6	2.9	13.7
Career		109	82	23.8	.497	.208	.484	8.1	1.0	.6	2.5	10.3

Personal Life

John Henson's parents are Matt and Annette Henson. His father played basketball for Norfolk State University. John's sister, Amber, also played basketball for Duke University.

Henson is an ambassador for Up2Us Sports. This is a group that helps young people who need support. They do this by giving them coaches who teach positive life skills.

John Henson (basketball) facts for kids

Contents