Kevin Ware facts for kids
Kevin Ware cuts a net after Louisville's victory in the 2013 NCAA championship game.
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| Free agent | |
|---|---|
| Point guard / shooting guard | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | January 3, 1993 Bronx, New York, U.S. |
| High school | Rockdale County (Conyers, Georgia) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College |
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| NBA Draft | 2017 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 2017–present |
| Career history | |
| 2017 | Kauhajoen Karhu |
| 2017–2018 | Brno |
| 2018–2019 | Faros Larissas |
| 2019 | London Lightning |
| 2020 | Korihait |
| 2020–2021 | London Lions |
| 2021 | Novi Pazar |
| 2022 | Al Naft Baghdad |
| 2022 | Club Deportivo Hispano Americano |
| 2023 | Correbasket UAT |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Kevin Ware Jr. (born January 3, 1993) is an American professional basketball player. He used to play for the University of Louisville. Kevin became very well-known when he had a serious leg injury during a basketball game on March 31, 2013. He broke his right shin bone during an important game against the Duke Blue Devils. Kevin also played basketball for the country of Jordan in the 2022 Arab Basketball Championship.
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Early Life and Basketball Start
Kevin Ware was born on January 3, 1993, in Bronx, New York. His parents are Lisa Junior and Kevin Ware Sr. He grew up with three sisters named Donna, Brittney, and Khadijah. When Kevin was 14, his family moved to Atlanta. Soon after, they moved to Rockdale County, Georgia, looking for a quieter place to live.
Basketball experts like Scout and Rivals.com thought Kevin was a very good player. They gave him a four-star rating out of five. ESPN also rated him highly with a 92 out of 100. In July 2010, Kevin had a broken hand. He first planned to play for Tennessee, but he changed his mind. This happened after their basketball coach, Bruce Pearl, left the team. Kevin then chose to play for Louisville over Georgia.
College Basketball Career
During his first year at Louisville, Kevin Ware played only a few minutes in games. In his second year, he started playing more. He was often the first guard to come off the bench. He would give Peyton Siva or Russ Smith a break.
Kevin had some problems with team rules. His coach, Rick Pitino, suspended him for one game against Pittsburgh. After he returned, Kevin played better and got more time on the court. In the NCAA tournament, he played very well. He made a career-high 5 assists against Colorado State. Then, he scored a career-high 11 points against Oregon.
Kevin Ware's Injury During a Game
On March 31, 2013, Kevin Ware had a very serious injury. It happened during a big game against Duke. He landed badly on his right leg after trying to block a shot. This caused an open fracture, where his shin bone broke and came out of his leg.
Players and coaches from both teams were very upset when they saw the injury. While Kevin was on the court, he kept saying, "I'm fine, just win the game." He was helped by medical staff for several minutes. Then, he was taken off the court on a stretcher and went to the hospital. Surgeons put a rod into his tibia (shin bone) in a two-hour operation.
The Louisville team played the rest of the game for Kevin. They beat Duke 85–63. After the game, Louisville player Chane Behanan wore Kevin's jersey. This showed how much the team supported him.
Many famous NBA players, like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, sent their support to Kevin on Twitter. Former football player Joe Theismann and Louisville's own Michael Bush also called him. They had similar injuries and wanted to offer encouragement. Kevin traveled with his team to the Final Four games. He sat with his teammates as they won the national championship game. This championship win was later changed due to issues at the university.
Returning to Play After Injury
Kevin Ware played basketball again for the first time in an exhibition game. This was against the University of Pikeville. He entered the game in the second half. The crowd gave him a standing ovation when he came in. They cheered again when he made his first shot. He finished that game with six points and four rebounds. He played in nine games during that season.
Kevin later decided to take a "redshirt" year. This meant he would not play in the 2013–2014 season. He wanted to focus on getting completely better from his injury. After that, he decided to transfer to a new school. He wanted to be closer to Georgia. He considered Tennessee, Georgia State, or Auburn.
On April 12, 2014, Kevin officially transferred to Georgia State University. He had two years left to play college basketball. The NCAA allowed him to play right away without waiting a year. This was because of his special situation. Kevin was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2015 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament. He led Georgia State to win the championship game. This win sent them to the NCAA tournament. There, they surprised many by beating Baylor in the first round. They then lost to Xavier in the second round.
Professional Basketball Career
On November 25, 2016, Kevin Ware signed with a team in the Czech Republic called BC Brno. Before that, he had started the season with a Finnish team, Kauhajoen Karhu.
On July 30, 2017, Kevin joined Faros Larissas in the Greek Basket League. He played well, averaging about 12.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game for them. On August 29, 2018, he signed with the London Lightning team in Canada. This team is part of the National Basketball League of Canada.
On August 12, 2020, Kevin Ware signed with the London Lions for the 2020–21 BBL season. In 2021, he joined Novi Pazar in the Serbian league. There, he averaged 15.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 2.8 steals per game. On January 3, 2022, Kevin signed with Al Naft Baghdad in the Iraqi Basketball League.
See also
In Spanish: Kevin Ware para niños
