Nigel Hayes-Davis facts for kids
![]() Hayes-Davis with Fenerbahçe Beko in 2025
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Phoenix Suns | |
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Power forward | |
Personal information | |
Born | Westerville, Ohio, U.S. |
December 16, 1994
High school | Whitmer (Toledo, Ohio) |
Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
Listed weight | 227 lb (103 kg) |
Career information | |
College | Wisconsin (2013–2017) |
NBA Draft | 2017 / Undrafted |
Pro career | 2017–present |
League | NBA |
Career history | |
2017–2018 | Westchester Knicks |
2018 | Los Angeles Lakers |
2018 | Toronto Raptors |
2018 | →Raptors 905 |
2018 | Sacramento Kings |
2018–2019 | Galatasaray |
2019–2021 | Žalgiris Kaunas |
2021–2022 | FC Barcelona |
2022–2025 | Fenerbahçe |
2025-present | Phoenix Suns |
Career highlights and awards | |
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Nigel Hayes-Davis (born December 16, 1994) is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the Phoenix Suns in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the Suns, he played for Fenerbahçe in Turkey.
Hayes-Davis went to Whitmer High School in Toledo, Ohio. He played college basketball for the Wisconsin Badgers. He is known for being a two-time member of the All-EuroLeague First Team. He also holds the record for the most points scored in a EuroLeague game, with 50 points in a single game. In 2025, he won the EuroLeague championship with Fenerbahçe and was named the EuroLeague Final Four MVP.
Contents
High School Basketball
Nigel Hayes-Davis played high school basketball at Whitmer High School. He was a talented player who caught the attention of college scouts. He was considered a strong power forward.
College Basketball Career
Hayes-Davis played college basketball for the Wisconsin Badgers from 2013 to 2017.
Junior Year Success
In his third year, Hayes-Davis was named to the First Team All-Big Ten. This means he was one of the best players in his college conference. He led the Badgers in scoring, averaging 15.7 points per game. He also led the team in assists and was second in rebounds.
Senior Year and Leadership
Before his final year, Hayes-Davis was named Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year. He continued to play well, averaging 14.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. He graduated in May 2017 with a degree in business finance. Hayes-Davis was also known for speaking up on important topics like fairness in sports and racial justice.
Professional Basketball Journey
After college, Nigel Hayes-Davis began his professional basketball career.
Early NBA Teams
Hayes-Davis was not chosen in the 2017 NBA draft, but he joined the New York Knicks for the NBA Summer League. He later played for their G League team, the Westchester Knicks.
In 2018, he signed short contracts with a few NBA teams. He played briefly for the Los Angeles Lakers, making his NBA debut. He also played for the Toronto Raptors and their G League team, the Raptors 905. Later, he signed with the Sacramento Kings for the rest of the 2017–18 season.
Playing in Europe
After his time in the NBA, Hayes-Davis moved to Europe to continue his career.
Galatasaray (2018–2019)
In 2018, Hayes-Davis joined Galatasaray in Turkey. He played well, averaging 12.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in the Turkish League. He also played in the EuroCup, another European competition.
Žalgiris (2019–2021)
In 2019, Hayes-Davis signed with Žalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania. He played two seasons with the team. In his first EuroLeague season, he averaged 6.3 points. In his second season, his performance improved, averaging 9.5 points per game.
Barcelona (2021–2022)
After his successful time in Lithuania, Hayes-Davis joined FC Barcelona in Spain in 2021. He reunited with his former coach, Šarūnas Jasikevičius. He helped the team reach the 2022 EuroLeague Final Four.
Fenerbahçe (2022–2025)
In 2022, Hayes-Davis signed with Fenerbahçe, a top team in Turkey. He extended his contract with them in 2023. His former coach, Šarūnas Jasikevičius, also joined Fenerbahçe in December 2023.
EuroLeague Record
On March 29, 2024, Hayes-Davis made history. He broke the Euroleague record for the most points scored by a single player in a game. He scored an amazing 50 points in a win against Alba Berlin. This broke the previous record of 49 points. He helped Fenerbahçe reach the 2024 EuroLeague Final Four.
EuroLeague Champion
In December 2024, he had another great game, scoring 33 points against Real Madrid. This earned him the MVP award for that round of the EuroLeague.
On May 25, 2025, Hayes-Davis led Fenerbahçe to win their second EuroLeague championship in Abu Dhabi. He was a key player in their wins against Panathinaikos in the semi-final and Monaco in the final. In the final game, he scored 23 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. Because of his outstanding performance, he was named the EuroLeague Final Four MVP. He was the second Fenerbahçe player ever to win this award.
Phoenix Suns (2025–present)
After his successful time in Europe, Nigel Hayes-Davis joined the Phoenix Suns in the NBA in 2025.
International Basketball
Hayes-Davis has also been involved with the USA National Team. In 2024, he was part of the "Select Team" that helped the main Olympic squad prepare for the 2024 Summer Olympics. He trained with famous players like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry.
Personal Life
In 2021, Nigel changed his last name to Hayes-Davis to honor his stepfather. He also has a well-known cat named Sly, who he sees as his "grey shadow."
Career Statistics
NBA Regular Season
Year | Team | Games Played | Games Started | Minutes Per Game | Field Goal % | 3-Point % | Free Throw % | Rebounds Per Game | Assists Per Game | Steals Per Game | Blocks Per Game | Points Per Game |
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2017–18 | L.A. Lakers | 2 | 0 | 5.5 | .333 | .000 | 1.000 | — | 1.0 | — | — | 1.5 |
2017–18 | Toronto | 2 | 0 | 3.3 | 1.000 | 1.000 | — | — | — | — | — | 3.0 |
2017–18 | Sacramento | 5 | 0 | 21.0 | .333 | .167 | .000 | 4.4 | .8 | .4 | .6 | 3.6 |
Career | 9 | 0 | 13.6 | .333 | .250 | .333 | 2.4 | .7 | .2 | .3 | 3.0 |
EuroLeague Statistics
* | Led the league |
† | Won the league |
Year | Team | Games Played | Games Started | Minutes Per Game | Field Goal % | 3-Point % | Free Throw % | Rebounds Per Game | Assists Per Game | Steals Per Game | Blocks Per Game | Points Per Game | Performance Index Rating |
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2019–20 | Žalgiris | 28* | 10 | 22.3 | .404 | .372 | .758 | 3.5 | 1.0 | .4 | .2 | 6.3 | 6.6 |
2020–21 | Žalgiris | 33 | 30 | 26.7 | .443 | .443 | .894 | 3.9 | 1.2 | 1.1 | .2 | 9.5 | 9.8 |
2021–22 | Barcelona | 37 | 16 | 18.9 | .367 | .244 | .800 | 2.1 | .8 | .5 | .1 | 4.2 | 4.0 |
2022–23 | Fenerbahçe | 39 | 39 | 30.5 | .568 | .405 | .750 | 4.4 | 1.5 | 1.2 | .3 | 10.5 | 13.4 |
2023–24 | Fenerbahçe | 37 | 36 | 31.5 | .562 | .372 | .832 | 4.6 | 1.7 | 1.0 | .2 | 13.8 | 15.6 |
2024–25† | Fenerbahçe | 39 | 39 | 31.2 | .498 | .410 | .908 | 5.3 | 1.7 | 1.1 | .4 | 16.7 | 18.3 |
Career | 213 | 170 | 27.1 | .504 | .392 | .836 | 4.0 | 1.3 | .9 | .3 | 10.4 | 11.6 |
EuroCup Statistics
Year | Team | Games Played | Games Started | Minutes Per Game | Field Goal % | 3-Point % | Free Throw % | Rebounds Per Game | Assists Per Game | Steals Per Game | Blocks Per Game | Points Per Game | Performance Index Rating |
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2018–19 | Galatasaray | 10 | 8 | 29.2 | .518 | .432 | .917 | 5.6 | 1.8 | 1.1 | .1 | 15.7 | 17.8 |
Career | 10 | 8 | 29.2 | .518 | .432 | .917 | 5.6 | 1.8 | 1.1 | .1 | 15.7 | 17.8 |
College Statistics
Year | Team | Games Played | Games Started | Minutes Per Game | Field Goal % | 3-Point % | Free Throw % | Rebounds Per Game | Assists Per Game | Steals Per Game | Blocks Per Game | Points Per Game |
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2013–14 | Wisconsin | 38 | 0 | 17.4 | .510 | — | .585 | 2.8 | .9 | .8 | .5 | 7.7 |
2014–15 | Wisconsin | 40 | 40 | 32.9 | .497 | .396 | .744 | 6.2 | 2.0 | .9 | .4 | 12.4 |
2015–16 | Wisconsin | 35 | 35 | 36.2 | .368 | .293 | .736 | 5.8 | 3.0 | 1.1 | .4 | 15.7 |
2016–17 | Wisconsin | 37 | 37 | 32.4 | .457 | .314 | .587 | 6.6 | 2.7 | .8 | .4 | 14.0 |
Career | 150 | 112 | 29.6 | .446 | .332 | .666 | 5.3 | 2.1 | .9 | .4 | 12.4 |
See also
In Spanish: Nigel Hayes para niños