Skal Labissière facts for kids
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Labissière in 2019
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| No. 8 – Stockton Kings | |
|---|---|
| Power forward / center | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | March 18, 1996 Port-au-Prince, Haiti |
| High school |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
| Listed weight | 235 lb (107 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Kentucky (2015–2016) |
| NBA Draft | 2016 / Round: 1 / Pick: 28th overall |
| Selected by the Phoenix Suns | |
| Pro career | 2016–present |
| League | NBA G League |
| Career history | |
| 2016–2019 | Sacramento Kings |
| 2016–2017 | →Reno Bighorns |
| 2019–2020 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2021 | Westchester Knicks |
| 2022 | Cangrejeros de Santurce |
| 2023 | Mexico City Capitanes |
| 2023–present | Stockton Kings |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Skal Labissière (born March 18, 1996) is a professional basketball player from Haiti. He plays for the Stockton Kings in the NBA G League. Before becoming a pro, he went to Lausanne Collegiate School in Memphis, Tennessee. He also played one year of college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats.
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Skal's Early Life
Skal Labissière was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He started playing basketball at a school called Collège Canado-Haïtien. This school took part in local basketball championships.
In 2010, a big earthquake hit Haiti. Skal, his mother, and his brother were trapped when their home collapsed. They were stuck under the rubble for three hours. Skal's legs were pinned, and he couldn't walk for a few weeks afterward.
A few months later, Skal moved to Memphis, Tennessee. He went to live with Gerald Hamilton. Mr. Hamilton ran a group called the Reach Your Dream Foundation. This group helps young athletes from other countries come to the United States.
High School Basketball Journey
Skal went to Evangelical Christian School in Memphis. He started playing varsity basketball when he was in eighth grade. When he first arrived, Skal spoke very little English. He needed a French interpreter to help him in all his classes. But after only three or four months, he learned English and no longer needed help.
In 2014, during his senior year, he moved to Lausanne Collegiate School in Memphis. However, because of this move, the Tennessee sports association said he couldn't play basketball for Lausanne that season. Instead, Skal played for Mr. Hamilton's Reach Your Dream Prep Academy team. There, he played very well, averaging 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 4.5 blocks per game.
College Career at Kentucky
Experts thought Skal was one of the best young basketball players in his age group. He decided to play college basketball for the University of Kentucky (UK). The coach at UK, John Calipari, offered Skal a scholarship before anyone else in his class. Coach Calipari even compared him to famous player Anthony Davis.
At the start of the season, many thought Skal might be the top pick in the 2016 NBA draft. He played in all 36 games for the Kentucky Wildcats. He started 18 of those games. Skal averaged 6.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game.
On April 5, 2016, Skal decided to enter the NBA draft. This meant he would leave college early and become a professional player.
Professional Basketball Career
Playing for the Sacramento Kings (2016–2019)
On June 23, 2016, the Phoenix Suns chose Skal Labissière as the 28th pick in the 2016 NBA draft. He was the highest-drafted player from Haiti since Samuel Dalembert in 2001. Soon after, his rights were traded to the Sacramento Kings. He signed his first professional contract with the Kings on July 15.
Skal played his first NBA game on November 5, 2016. He scored eight points and grabbed three rebounds. On March 15, 2017, he had an amazing game against Phoenix. He scored 32 points, with 21 of them coming in the final quarter. He also had 11 rebounds, which was his first "double-double" (scoring double digits in two different stats). He was the youngest Kings player to get 30 points and 10 rebounds in a game.
During his first year, Skal also spent time playing for the Reno Bighorns. This team is part of the NBA Development League, which helps young players get more experience. He was sent to Reno several times to play more games. On January 2, 2018, Skal scored 17 points and had a career-high 15 rebounds in a game.
Time with the Portland Trail Blazers (2019–2020)
On February 7, 2019, Skal was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers. On April 10, he started in the last game of the season for Portland. He played 40 minutes and scored 29 points, along with 15 rebounds. He helped the Blazers win a game where they were far behind.
On February 6, 2020, Skal was traded to the Atlanta Hawks. He did not play any games for the Hawks. After that season, he became a free agent, meaning he could sign with any team.
Westchester Knicks (2021)
On December 9, 2020, Skal signed with the New York Knicks. He was later moved to their NBA G League team, the Westchester Knicks. He played his first game for Westchester on February 10, 2021.
Playing in Puerto Rico and Mexico (2022–2023)
In 2022, Skal played for the Cangrejeros de Santurce in Puerto Rico. In 2023, he joined the Mexico City Capitanes in the G League.
Return to Stockton Kings (2023–Present)
On September 8, 2023, Skal signed with the Sacramento Kings again, but was waived the same day. On November 9, 2023, he joined the Stockton Kings for their opening night roster. He re-signed with Sacramento in September 2024 but was waived again. He then rejoined the Stockton Kings on October 27, 2024.
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 Games
Regular Season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–17 | Sacramento | 33 | 12 | 18.5 | .537 | .375 | .703 | 4.9 | .8 | .5 | .4 | 8.8 |
| 2017–18 | Sacramento | 60 | 28 | 20.7 | .448 | .353 | .805 | 4.8 | 1.2 | .4 | .8 | 8.7 |
| 2018–19 | Sacramento | 13 | 0 | 8.7 | .433 | .364 | .545 | 1.8 | .5 | .2 | .2 | 2.8 |
| Portland | 9 | 1 | 7.0 | .684 | 1.000 | .500 | 2.1 | .6 | .3 | .3 | 3.4 | |
| 2019–20 | Portland | 33 | 1 | 17.2 | .551 | .231 | .758 | 5.1 | 1.3 | .2 | .9 | 5.8 |
| Career | 148 | 42 | 17.5 | .492 | .353 | .748 | 4.5 | 1.0 | .4 | .7 | 7.2 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Portland | 3 | 0 | 3.7 | .250 | .000 | .000 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .7 |
| Career | 3 | 0 | 3.7 | .250 | .000 | .000 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .7 | |
College Games
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 | Kentucky | 36 | 18 | 15.8 | .516 | .000 | .661 | 3.1 | .3 | .3 | 1.6 | 6.6 |
See also
In Spanish: Skal Labissière para niños
