John Lucas III facts for kids
Lucas with the Raptors in March 2013
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| Assistant coach | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 21, 1982 Washington, D.C., US |
| 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 |
| 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) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
John Harding Lucas III, born on November 21, 1982, is an American basketball coach and former player. He used to be an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns in the National Basketball Association (NBA). John played college basketball for Baylor and Oklahoma State universities.
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.
He was the starting point guard for the basketball team at Bellaire High School. He played alongside other future NBA players like Emeka Okafor and Lawrence Roberts. John also has a younger brother named Jai.
John first played college basketball at Baylor University. Later, he moved to Oklahoma State University. At Oklahoma State, he made a famous winning shot. This shot helped the 2004 Oklahoma State Cowboys team reach the NCAA Final Four tournament.
Professional Basketball Career
John Lucas III was not chosen in the 2005 NBA draft. However, he joined the Minnesota Timberwolves for their summer league games in 2005. He also signed up for their training camp.
Starting in the NBA D-League
During the 2005–06 NBA season, John was called up by the Houston Rockets. He had been playing for the Tulsa 66ers in the NBA Development League (now called the G-League). He played 13 games for the Rockets. John was the first player from the Tulsa 66ers to be called up to the NBA. He averaged 16.6 points per game with the 66ers.
In May 2006, John signed with a team in the Italian League called Snaidero Udine. He helped fill a spot left by an injured player.
Returning to the NBA
On July 28, 2006, John signed a three-year contract with the Houston Rockets. In the 2006–07 season, his team made it to the playoffs. They lost to the Utah Jazz in the first round after a close 7-game series. In October 2007, John was released from the Rockets before the new season started.
He went back to playing basketball in Italy in January 2008 for Benetton Treviso. He left that team in March. In September 2008, the Oklahoma City Thunder signed John, but they released him in November.
D-League Championship and International Play
In February 2009, John joined the Colorado 14ers. He helped them win the 2008–09 D-League championship. After that, in April 2009, he signed with TAU Cerámica in the Spanish ACB League.
In September 2009, John was chosen by the Maine Red Claws in the NBA Development League expansion draft. He also played in the 2009 NBA preseason for the Miami Heat. He played four games, averaging 7.0 points. The Heat later released him in October 2009.
John then spent the 2009–10 season playing for the Shanghai Sharks in the CBA.
Chicago Bulls and Career Highs
John played for the Chicago Bulls during the 2010 NBA preseason. He was released in October but re-signed with them in November. In his first game back with the Bulls, he missed two important free throws. He was released again in January 2011 and went back to the Shanghai Sharks.
After two months in China, he returned to America and re-signed with the Bulls in March 2011. On January 11, 2012, John started his first-ever NBA game. He scored a career-high 25 points, helping the Bulls win against the Washington Wizards. He also played 45 minutes and had 8 assists and 8 rebounds, which were also career bests.
On March 14, 2012, John scored 24 points against the Miami Heat. He led the Chicago Bulls to a 106–102 victory, even though their star player Derrick Rose was injured. A week later, on March 21, 2012, John helped the Bulls make a comeback win against the Toronto Raptors. He scored all of his 13 points in the final quarter of that game.
Later NBA Teams and International Play
On July 27, 2012, John signed with the Toronto Raptors. A year later, on July 22, 2013, he signed with the Utah Jazz.
In 2014, John was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers and then to the Boston Celtics. He was later released by the Celtics. He signed with the Washington Wizards in October 2014 but was released again.
On November 21, 2014, John signed with the Fujian Sturgeons in China for the rest of the 2014–15 CBA season. He averaged 26.3 points, 7.0 assists, and 4.6 rebounds in 28 games. In February 2015, he signed two 10-day contracts with the Detroit Pistons and then stayed with them for the rest of the season.
In September 2015, John signed with the Miami Heat, but he was released before the season started. In January 2016, he joined the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the NBA Development League. He averaged 17.7 points per game there. In March, he signed with Piratas de Quebradillas in the Puerto Rican League.
On September 26, 2016, John signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He played in five games before being released in January 2017.
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
| 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 | |
Playoffs
| 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.
In September 2017, the Minnesota Timberwolves announced that John would join their coaching staff. He was named a Player Development Coach. This role helps players improve their skills.
In September 2021, the Los Angeles Lakers hired John as an assistant coach. He worked with the team for a year. In June 2022, he left the Lakers when a new head coach, Darvin Ham, took over.
In June 2023, John was hired as an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns. He worked under head coach Frank Vogel. This hiring was made official on June 21, 2023. However, in May 2024, John and most of Frank Vogel's coaching staff were let go. This happened after Mike Budenholzer became the new head coach.
See also
In Spanish: John Lucas III para niños
