Michael Kidd-Gilchrist facts for kids
Kidd-Gilchrist in 2024
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| No. 14, 9 | ||||||||||||||
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| Small forward / power forward | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
| Born | September 26, 1993 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| High school | St. Patrick (Elizabeth, New Jersey) | |||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 232 lb (105 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | Kentucky (2011–2012) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2012 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Charlotte Bobcats | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2012–2020 | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 2012–2020 | Charlotte Bobcats / Hornets | |||||||||||||
| 2020 | Dallas Mavericks | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Michael Anthony Edward Kidd-Gilchrist Jr. (born September 26, 1993) is an American former professional basketball player. He was picked second overall by the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2012 NBA draft. Before joining the NBA, he played for the University of Kentucky basketball team from 2011 to 2012.
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High School Basketball Star
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He grew up in Somerdale, New Jersey. His mother, Cindy Richardson, and his stepfather, Vincent Richardson, raised him. His father passed away before Michael's third birthday.
He went to St. Patrick High School in Elizabeth, New Jersey. This school was famous for its basketball team. Michael was considered one of the best young basketball players in the United States. Experts like ESPN.com and Rivals.com ranked him as a top player.
In July 2010, Michael helped the U.S. team win a gold medal. This was at the FIBA U-17 World Championships in Hamburg, Germany. His senior year at St. Patrick High School was even featured in an HBO documentary called Prayer for a Perfect Season.
High School Awards and Honors
- McDonald's All-American Game Co-MVP (2011)
- Mr. Basketball USA (2011)
- USA Today All-USA First Team (2011)
- Parade All-American Fourth Team (2011)
- USA Today All-USA Second Team (2010)
- Parade All-American Second Team (2010)
College Basketball Journey
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist decided to play for the University of Kentucky on April 14, 2010.
In his first game for Kentucky in the 2011–12 season, he started and scored 15 points. In his second game, against the 11th-ranked Kansas team, he scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds. This helped Kentucky win 75–65.
Later, in a big game against 5th-ranked North Carolina, Michael led Kentucky with 17 points and 11 rebounds. This was his first double-double (scoring double digits in two categories, like points and rebounds) in college. He had an amazing game against 4th-ranked Louisville. He scored 24 points and got 19 rebounds, helping Kentucky win 69–62.
College Awards and Honors
- NCAA champion (2012)
- Consensus second team All-American (2012)
- First team All-SEC (2012)
- All-SEC Freshman team (2012)
- All-SEC Defensive team (2012)
- NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team (2012)
Professional Basketball Career
Charlotte Bobcats / Hornets (2012–2020)
Rookie Season Success (2012–2013)
In April 2012, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist decided to enter the 2012 NBA draft. On June 28, the Charlotte Bobcats picked him as the second player overall. He officially signed his first NBA contract on July 7, 2012.
In only his fifth NBA game, on November 10, 2012, Michael scored 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. This helped Charlotte beat the Dallas Mavericks 101–97. It was the first time the Bobcats had ever beaten the Mavericks! He had another game with 25 points and 12 rebounds on December 19, 2012. This made him one of only a few players in NBA history to have two such games before turning 20. In May 2013, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
Dealing with Injuries (2013–2015)
During the 2013–14 season, Michael missed 19 games because of an injury. He scored a season-high 16 points three times that November.
In the 2014–15 season, Michael had a slow start. He missed 14 of the first 20 games due to rib and foot injuries. When he returned, he played very well in January. He averaged 11.4 points and 9.4 rebounds, helping the Hornets win 10 out of 14 games that month. He later missed more games due to a hamstring strain and a sprained ankle. Even with fewer games played, he had his best averages in points (10.9) and rebounds (7.6).
More Injuries and Career Highs (2015–2017)
On August 26, 2015, Michael signed a new four-year contract with the Hornets. However, he suffered a shoulder injury in a preseason game on October 3, 2015. This kept him out for four months. He returned in January 2016 but then injured his shoulder again in February. He had to have surgery and missed the rest of the 2015–16 season.
In the first game of the 2016–17 season, Michael had 23 points and 14 rebounds. These were his season-highs. He played in almost all the games that season, starting 81 games. He also set new career bests in free-throw percentage, steals, and blocks.
Last Years in Charlotte (2017–2020)
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Michael missed the first three games of the 2017–18 season for personal reasons. He scored a season-high 22 points on November 15, 2017.
In the 2018–19 season, Michael missed some games due to an ankle injury. For most of his career, he had started almost every game. But in this season, he came off the bench for 61 of his 64 games. His playing time and statistics were lower than before.
In February 2020, the Hornets and Michael agreed to end his contract.
Dallas Mavericks (2020)
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist joined the Dallas Mavericks on February 11, 2020. He played his first game for them on February 21, 2020.
He later signed with the New York Knicks in November 2020 but was released in December. Michael had to stop playing basketball due to health issues.
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 | Charlotte | 78 | 77 | 26.0 | .458 | .222 | .749 | 5.8 | 1.5 | .7 | .9 | 9.0 |
| 2013–14 | Charlotte | 62 | 62 | 24.2 | .473 | .111 | .614 | 5.2 | .8 | .7 | .6 | 7.2 |
| 2014–15 | Charlotte | 55 | 52 | 28.9 | .465 | — | .701 | 7.6 | 1.4 | .5 | .7 | 10.9 |
| 2015–16 | Charlotte | 7 | 7 | 29.3 | .541 | .429 | .690 | 6.4 | 1.3 | .4 | .4 | 12.7 |
| 2016–17 | Charlotte | 81 | 81 | 29.0 | .477 | .111 | .784 | 7.0 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 9.2 |
| 2017–18 | Charlotte | 74 | 74 | 25.0 | .504 | .000 | .684 | 4.1 | 1.0 | .7 | .4 | 9.2 |
| 2018–19 | Charlotte | 64 | 3 | 18.4 | .476 | .340 | .772 | 3.8 | 1.0 | .5 | .6 | 6.7 |
| 2019–20 | Charlotte | 12 | 0 | 13.3 | .340 | .294 | .778 | 2.9 | .8 | .0 | .3 | 4.0 |
| 2019–20 | Dallas | 13 | 0 | 9.3 | .308 | .000 | .800 | 2.5 | .3 | .2 | .2 | .9 |
| Career | 446 | 356 | 24.6 | .474 | .272 | .715 | 5.4 | 1.2 | .7 | .7 | 8.4 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Charlotte | 4 | 4 | 22.8 | .519 | .000 | .600 | 6.5 | 1.5 | .0 | .5 | 8.5 |
| 2020 | Dallas | 6 | 0 | 9.2 | .286 | .222 | .667 | 1.0 | .5 | .2 | .2 | 2.3 |
| Career | 10 | 4 | 14.6 | .439 | .200 | .625 | 3.2 | .9 | .1 | .3 | 4.8 | |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–12 | Kentucky | 40 | 39 | 31.1 | .491 | .255 | .745 | 7.4 | 1.9 | 1.0 | .9 | 11.9 |
Personal Life and Family
Michael's father passed away on August 11, 1996. Michael used to watch the movie The Lion King almost every day with his father. To remember him, Michael still watches the movie once a week. He chose April 14, 2010, to commit to the University of Kentucky because it would have been his father's 44th birthday.
Michael's father played basketball with Milt Wagner in high school. Milt Wagner's son, former NBA player Dajuan Wagner, is Michael's cousin.
On July 7, 2011, Michael changed his last name to Kidd-Gilchrist. He did this to honor his uncle, Darrin Kidd, who was also a very important person in his life. His uncle passed away on the day Michael was supposed to sign his college commitment papers.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has a stutter. This sometimes made him feel nervous when talking to the media. However, he has worked hard to manage his stutter and speak more comfortably.
Advocacy for Stuttering Awareness
Because he has a stutter, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist decided to help others who stutter. In 2021, he started a non-profit organization called Change & Impact. Its goal is to improve healthcare access and resources for people who stutter. It also aims to change how people view stuttering through awareness and education.
One of Michael's big achievements was helping pass a bill in Kentucky. This new law expands healthcare access for people who stutter. The Governor of Kentucky signed it into law in 2024. Michael is also working to pass similar laws in Pennsylvania and California.
Besides his work on laws, Michael travels across the country. He leads a "Change & Impact Stuttering Awareness Tour." He visits colleges, hospitals, support groups, and meets with speech therapists. Most importantly, he connects with children, teens, and adults who stutter.
Through his advocacy, Michael has met with many important people. This includes senators, U.S. representatives, and state representatives. He has also visited over 60 universities and a dozen children's hospitals to spread his message.
See also
In Spanish: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist para niños
