Mike Wilks (basketball) facts for kids
Wilks with the Wizards in a 2007 game
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| Oklahoma City Thunder | |
|---|---|
| Assistant coach | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | May 7, 1979 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| High school | Rufus King (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) |
| Listed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Rice (1997–2001) |
| NBA Draft | 2001 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 2001–2011 |
| Coaching career | 2019–present |
| League | NBA |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 2001 | Mobile Revelers |
| 2001–2002 | Huntsville Flight |
| 2002–2003 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 2003 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2003–2004 | Houston Rockets |
| 2004–2005 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2005–2006 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2006–2007 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 2007 | Denver Nuggets |
| 2007 | Washington Wizards |
| 2008 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 2008 | Montepaschi Siena |
| 2009 | Memphis Grizzlies |
| 2009 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2010–2011 | Asseco Prokom Gdynia |
| As coach: | |
| 2019–present | Oklahoma City Thunder (assistant) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 591 (2.5 ppg) |
| Assists | 271 (1.2 rpg) |
| Rebounds | 228 (1.0 apg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
Michael Sharod Wilks Jr. (born May 7, 1979) is an American basketball coach and former player. He is currently an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder. This team plays in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Contents
Mike Wilks' College Basketball Career
Mike Wilks went to Rufus King High School in Milwaukee. After high school, he played college basketball for four years. From 1997 to 2001, he played at Rice University. While there, he studied Economics.
During his last year, Mike was a star player. He averaged 20.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. He also earned an award for being a great student-athlete. This was the Western Athletic Conference Scholar Athlete honor.
Mike Wilks' Professional Basketball Journey
Mike Wilks started his professional career without being drafted. This means no team picked him directly from college. He first joined the Sacramento Kings for their training camp. However, he was not kept on the team before the season began.
Starting in the NBA D-League
Wilks was then chosen by the Mobile Revelers in the NBA D-League draft. The D-League is now called the NBA G League. After playing six games for the Revelers, he moved to the Huntsville Flight. He finished his first season there. As a rookie, Mike won the 2001–02 Sportsmanship Award. This award is given for fair play and good behavior.
Moving Between NBA Teams
For the 2002 season, Wilks joined the Milwaukee Bucks for training camp. Again, he was not kept on the team. He went back to the Huntsville Flight for the 2002–2003 D-League season.
On December 24, 2002, the Atlanta Hawks signed him. He played six games before they let him go. He later signed two 10-day contracts with the Hawks and played nine more games. After his time with the Hawks, Wilks signed a 10-day contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves. This turned into a full contract. He played in 31 of the team's last 32 games that season.
Winning an NBA Championship
On September 8, 2003, Wilks signed with the Houston Rockets. He played 26 games for them. A year later, he was part of a trade. He went to the Chicago Bulls with two other players. In return, the Rockets got Dikembe Mutombo.
On October 26, 2004, Wilks signed with the San Antonio Spurs. With the Spurs, he achieved a huge goal. He won an NBA championship in 2005. During that regular season, he averaged 1.8 points per game.
Later NBA Teams and European Play
After the Spurs, Wilks signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He played 37 games for them. In 2006, the Cavaliers traded Wilks to the Seattle SuperSonics. He played 57 games for the Sonics over two seasons.
Wilks later signed with the Denver Nuggets for training camp in 2007. He was briefly let go but then re-signed. He was waived again and then signed by the Washington Wizards in December 2007. In February 2008, the Sonics signed him for a 10-day contract.
Wilks signed with the Orlando Magic in September 2008. Sadly, he tore a ligament in his right knee during a preseason game. This injury made him miss the entire season. He was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in February 2009.
After leaving the Grizzlies, Wilks joined the Oklahoma City Thunder in November 2009. This was his second time with that team. He was later waived by the Thunder in December 2009.
Mike Wilks played his final NBA game on December 4, 2009. It was a game against the Boston Celtics. He scored 7 points and had 2 assists in 21 minutes.
Throughout most of his NBA career, Wilks wore jersey number 29. This was a special tribute to the 29th Street playground in Milwaukee. That's where he grew up playing basketball.
After his NBA career, Wilks played in Europe. On August 25, 2010, he signed with Asseco Prokom Gdynia, a team in Poland. He left the team in January 2011.
Becoming a Coach
In October 2012, Mike Wilks joined the Oklahoma City Thunder again. This time, he became a scout for the team. A scout helps find new players.
On December 28, 2021, Wilks made history. He became the first former Thunder player to coach the team. He stepped in as head coach when Mark Daigneault was unable to coach.
Mike Wilks' NBA Career Stats
These are Mike Wilks' statistics from his time playing in the NBA.
Regular Season Games
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002–03 | Atlanta | 15 | 7 | 24.3 | .358 | .353 | .724 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 1.1 | .1 | 5.7 |
| 2002–03 | Minnesota | 31 | 0 | 10.5 | .313 | .222 | .889 | 1.0 | 1.6 | .3 | .1 | 2.0 |
| 2003–04 | Houston | 26 | 0 | 5.6 | .472 | .600 | .833 | .6 | .7 | .1 | .0 | 1.9 |
| 2004–05† | San Antonio | 48 | 0 | 5.8 | .416 | .313 | .750 | .5 | .7 | .3 | .0 | 1.7 |
| 2005–06 | Cleveland | 37 | 0 | 6.6 | .288 | .143 | .500 | .7 | .5 | .2 | .0 | 1.1 |
| 2005–06 | Seattle | 10 | 0 | 10.5 | .387 | .200 | .655 | 1.2 | 1.4 | .6 | .0 | 4.4 |
| 2006–07 | Seattle | 47 | 4 | 11.4 | .468 | .333 | .786 | 1.1 | 1.7 | .3 | .1 | 3.6 |
| 2007–08 | Denver | 8 | 0 | 15.3 | .435 | .400 | 1.000 | 1.5 | .8 | .6 | .0 | 3.0 |
| 2007–08 | Washington | 4 | 0 | 11.0 | .500 | .500 | .000 | 1.5 | .8 | .8 | .0 | 1.3 |
| 2007–08 | Seattle | 3 | 0 | 7.3 | .556 | .000 | 1.000 | .3 | 1.7 | .3 | .0 | 4.0 |
| 2009–10 | Oklahoma City | 4 | 0 | 14.8 | .500 | .667 | .500 | 1.0 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | 4.0 |
| Career | 233 | 11 | 9.6 | .402 | .321 | .741 | 1.0 | 1.2 | .4 | .0 | 2.5 | |
Playoff Games
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Minnesota | 4 | 0 | 1.8 | .500 | 1.000 | .000 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .8 |
| 2004 | Houston | 2 | 0 | 2.5 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .0 | .5 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
| Career | 6 | 0 | 2.0 | .500 | 1.000 | .000 | .0 | .2 | .0 | .0 | .5 | |
See also
In Spanish: Mike Wilks para niños
