John Lucas III facts for kids
Lucas with the Raptors in 2013
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| Las Vegas Aces | |
|---|---|
| Player development coach | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | November 21, 1982 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| High school | Bellaire (Bellaire, Texas) |
| Listed height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Listed weight | 166 lb (75 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College |
|
| NBA Draft | 2005 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 2005–2017 |
| Coaching career | 2017–present |
| League | WNBA |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 2005 | Tulsa 66ers |
| 2005–2006 | Houston Rockets |
| 2006 | Tulsa 66ers |
| 2006 | Snaidero Udine |
| 2006–2007 | Houston Rockets |
| 2008 | Benetton Treviso |
| 2009 | Colorado 14ers |
| 2009 | TAU Cerámica |
| 2009–2010 | Shanghai Sharks |
| 2010–2011 | Chicago Bulls |
| 2011 | Shanghai Sharks |
| 2011–2012 | Chicago Bulls |
| 2012–2013 | Toronto Raptors |
| 2013–2014 | Utah Jazz |
| 2014–2015 | Fujian Sturgeons |
| 2015 | Detroit Pistons |
| 2016 | Fort Wayne Mad Ants |
| 2016 | Piratas de Quebradillas |
| 2016–2017 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| As coach: | |
| 2017–2019 | Minnesota Timberwolves (assistant) |
| 2021–2022 | Los Angeles Lakers (assistant) |
| 2023–2024 | Phoenix Suns (assistant) |
| 2025–present | Las Vegas Aces (player development) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 1,147 (4.7 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 237 (1.0 rpg) |
| Assists | 362 (1.5 apg) |
John Harding Lucas III, born on November 21, 1982, is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He is currently a player development coach for the Las Vegas Aces in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Before becoming a coach, he played college basketball for Baylor and Oklahoma State.
Contents
Early Life and College Basketball
John Lucas III was born in Washington, D.C.. His father, John Lucas II, was also a famous NBA player and coach. John grew up in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania for some time.
High School Basketball Career
At Bellaire High School, John was the starting point guard for the basketball team. He played alongside other future NBA players like Emeka Okafor and Lawrence Roberts. John also has a younger brother named Jai, who is a basketball coach at the University of Miami.
College Basketball Journey
John first played college basketball at Baylor University. He later transferred to Oklahoma State University. This move happened after some issues with the Baylor basketball team in 2003. At Oklahoma State, John became known for a special winning shot. This shot helped the 2004 Oklahoma State Cowboys team reach the NCAA Final Four.
Professional Basketball Career
After college, John Lucas III was not chosen in the 2005 NBA draft. However, he still got a chance to play professionally.
Starting in the NBA D-League
In 2005, John joined the Minnesota Timberwolves for the NBA Summer League. He later signed with the Houston Rockets. During the 2005–06 NBA season, the Rockets called him up from the Tulsa 66ers. This made him the first player from the Tulsa 66ers to be called up to the NBA. He played 13 games for the Rockets. With the 66ers, he averaged 16.6 points per game.
Playing Overseas and Return to NBA
In May 2006, John signed with Snaidero Udine in the Italian League. He returned to the Rockets in July 2006. In the 2006–07 NBA season, John and the Rockets made it to the playoffs. They lost to the Utah Jazz in the first round.
After being released by the Rockets in 2007, John played in Italy again for Benetton Treviso. He also played for the Colorado 14ers in 2009, helping them win the D-League championship. Later, he played for TAU Cerámica in Spain.
In 2009, John played for the Shanghai Sharks in the CBA. He then joined the Chicago Bulls for the 2010 NBA preseason. The Bulls signed him again in November 2010.
Key Moments with the Chicago Bulls
On January 11, 2012, John Lucas III started his first-ever NBA game. He scored a career-high 25 points, helping the Bulls win against the Washington Wizards. He also had 8 assists and 8 rebounds in that game.
On March 14, 2012, John scored 24 points against the Miami Heat. He led the Chicago Bulls to a 106–102 victory. A week later, on March 21, 2012, he helped the Bulls make a comeback win against the Toronto Raptors. He scored all of his 13 points in the final quarter.
Later NBA Teams
After his time with the Bulls, John signed with the Toronto Raptors in July 2012. He then joined the Utah Jazz in July 2013.
In 2014, John was part of several trades. He was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, then to the Boston Celtics, and later signed with the Washington Wizards. He was waived by these teams shortly after.
He returned to China to play for the Fujian Sturgeons for the 2014–15 CBA season. He averaged 26.3 points per game there. In February 2015, he signed with the Detroit Pistons for the rest of the season.
In 2016, John played for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the NBA Development League. He also played for Piratas de Quebradillas in the Puerto Rican League. His last NBA team was the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2016.
NBA 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 |
Regular Season Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–06 | Houston | 13 | 0 | 8.2 | .389 | .222 | .000 | .4 | .9 | .4 | .0 | 2.3 |
| 2006–07 | Houston | 47 | 0 | 8.1 | .397 | .254 | .789 | .8 | .7 | .4 | .0 | 3.3 |
| 2010–11 | Chicago | 2 | 0 | 5.0 | .333 | .000 | .000 | .0 | .5 | .0 | .0 | 1.0 |
| 2011–12 | Chicago | 49 | 2 | 14.8 | .399 | .393 | .875 | 1.6 | 2.2 | .4 | .0 | 7.5 |
| 2012–13 | Toronto | 63 | 0 | 13.1 | .386 | .377 | .720 | 1.0 | 1.7 | .4 | .0 | 5.3 |
| 2013–14 | Utah | 42 | 6 | 14.1 | .326 | .298 | .625 | .9 | 1.0 | .3 | .0 | 3.8 |
| 2014–15 | Detroit | 21 | 0 | 13.0 | .404 | .310 | 1.000 | .8 | 2.9 | .4 | .0 | 4.7 |
| 2016–17 | Minnesota | 5 | 0 | 2.2 | .250 | .000 | .000 | .0 | 0.2 | .4 | .0 | 0.4 |
| Career | 242 | 8 | 12.1 | .383 | .344 | .768 | 1.0 | 1.5 | .4 | .0 | 4.7 | |
Playoff Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Houston | 2 | 0 | 4.0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .0 | .0 | .5 | .0 | 0.0 |
| 2012 | Chicago | 5 | 0 | 18.8 | .450 | .385 | 1.000 | 1.4 | 1.8 | .0 | .0 | 8.3 |
| Career | 7 | 0 | 14.6 | .439 | .397 | 1.000 | 1.0 | 1.3 | .1 | .0 | 6.1 | |
Coaching Career
After his playing career, John Lucas III became a basketball coach.
Early Coaching Roles
On September 21, 2017, the Minnesota Timberwolves hired John as a Player Development Coach. He worked with players to help them improve their skills.
In September 2021, the Los Angeles Lakers hired John as an assistant coach. He worked with the team for about a year.
Recent Coaching Positions
In June 2023, John was hired as an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns. He worked under head coach Frank Vogel. However, in May 2024, John and most of the Suns' coaching staff were let go when a new head coach was hired.
As of 2025, John Lucas III is serving as a player development coach for the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA.
