Kira Lewis Jr. facts for kids
Lewis with Alabama in 2019
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| No. 13 – Capital City Go-Go | ||||||||||||||
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| Point guard | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
| Born | April 6, 2001 Meridianville, Alabama, U.S. |
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| High school | Hazel Green (Hazel Green, Alabama) |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 170 lb (77 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | Alabama (2018–2020) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2020 / Round: 1 / Pick: 13th overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the New Orleans Pelicans | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2020–present | |||||||||||||
| League | NBA G League | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 2020–2024 | New Orleans Pelicans | |||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | →Birmingham Squadron | |||||||||||||
| 2024 | Toronto Raptors | |||||||||||||
| 2024 | →Raptors 905 | |||||||||||||
| 2024 | Utah Jazz | |||||||||||||
| 2024–present | Capital City Go-Go | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Kira Lewis Jr. is a professional basketball player from the United States. He was born on April 6, 2001. Kira plays for the Capital City Go-Go team in the NBA G League. Before becoming a pro, he played college basketball for the Alabama Crimson Tide. The New Orleans Pelicans picked him in the first round of the 2020 NBA draft.
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High School Basketball Journey
Kira Lewis Jr. played basketball for Hazel Green High School in Hazel Green, Alabama. He played there for three years. In his junior year, he was a star player. He scored about 28.5 points per game. He also grabbed almost 6 rebounds and made 4.5 assists per game. Kira helped his team reach the Alabama Class 6A semifinals.
He was named first-team All-State for two years in a row. He was also a finalist for the "Alabama Mr. Basketball" award. People in Huntsville called him their Player of the Year. He was also the Alabama Class 6A Player of the Year. Kira originally planned to graduate in 2019. But he finished high school early and joined the 2018 class.
On August 10, 2018, Kira decided to play for Alabama. He chose them over other big college teams. These included Indiana and Kansas. Experts like ESPN and 247Sports saw him as a top four-star recruit.
College Basketball Highlights
Starting Strong at Alabama
Kira Lewis Jr. started his college career at Alabama when he was just 17. He was one of the youngest players in all of NCAA Division I basketball. In his very first game, he scored six points. In his next game, he scored 21 points. Then, he scored a season-high 24 points against Wichita State. He matched that 24-point record later against Georgia.
Kira averaged 13.5 points, 2.9 assists, and 2.6 rebounds per game. He was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. The Alabama team had a tough season, finishing with 18 wins and 16 losses. They lost in the first round of the NIT tournament. Kira thought about leaving Alabama. But the new coach, Nate Oats, convinced him to stay.
Sophomore Season Success
In his second year, Kira really shined. In the first game, he scored a new career-high of 30 points. On February 8, 2020, he scored an amazing 37 points. This helped Alabama win a close game against Georgia in overtime.
A few days later, Kira made history for Alabama. He achieved a "triple-double" on February 12. This means he got 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists in one game. He was only the second player in Alabama's history to do this. At the end of the season, Kira was named to the First Team All-SEC. As a sophomore, he averaged 18.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game. After this great season, Kira decided to enter the 2020 NBA draft.
Professional Basketball Journey
Joining the New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans picked Kira Lewis Jr. as the 13th player in the 2020 NBA draft. He officially signed with the Pelicans on November 30, 2020. Kira started as a player who came off the bench. He scored 10 points in his first game with double-digit scoring. This happened on January 13, 2021, against the Los Angeles Clippers. He later scored a career-high 16 points and had 6 assists against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Unfortunately, on December 8, 2021, Kira got a serious injury. He tore his ACL and sprained his MCL during a game. This injury meant he could not play for the rest of that season.
Moving to Other Teams
In January 2024, Kira was part of a trade. He was traded from the Pelicans to the Indiana Pacers. Soon after, he was traded again to the Toronto Raptors. This trade involved several players and draft picks. While with the Raptors, Kira also played for their G League team, the Raptors 905.
After playing only a short time with the Raptors, Kira was traded once more. He joined the Utah Jazz in another trade.
Playing for Capital City Go-Go
On September 29, 2024, Kira signed with the Washington Wizards. However, he was waived by them a few weeks later. On October 28, he joined his current team, the Capital City Go-Go.
Playing for Team USA
Kira Lewis Jr. also played for the United States national team. He played in the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup. This big tournament took place in Heraklion, Greece. Kira helped his team win a gold medal at the event. He averaged four points and 1.6 assists per game during the tournament.
See also
In Spanish: Kira Lewis Jr. para niños
