Ty Lawson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ty Lawson

Lawson with the Washington Wizards in 2018
Free Agent
Point guard
Personal information
Born	(1987-11-03) November 3, 1987 (age 37) Clinton, Maryland, U.S.
High school	Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Maryland) Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Virginia)
Listed height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Listed weight	194 lb (88 kg)
Career information
College	North Carolina (2006–2009)
NBA Draft	2009 / Round: 1 / Pick: 18th overall
Selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves
Pro career	2009–present
Career history
2009–2015	Denver Nuggets
2011	BC Žalgiris
2015–2016	Houston Rockets
2016	Indiana Pacers
2016–2017	Sacramento Kings
2017–2018	Shandong Golden Stars
2018	Washington Wizards
2018–2019	Shandong Golden Stars
2019–2020	Fujian Sturgeons
2020–2021	Kolossos Rodou
2021–2022	US Monastir
2023	Gaiteros del Zulia
Career highlights and awards
NCAA champion (2009) Consensus second-team All-American (2009) Bob Cousy Award (2009) ACC Player of the Year (2009) First-team All-ACC (2009) ACC All-Freshman team (2007) No. 5 honored by North Carolina Tar Heels McDonald's All-American (2006) First-team Parade All-American (2006)

Tywon Ronell Lawson (born November 3, 1987) is an American professional basketball player. He is currently a free agent, meaning he is not signed with any team. Ty Lawson played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels. He helped his team win the national championship in 2009 during his junior year.

Lawson was chosen as the 18th player in the 2009 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was then traded to the Denver Nuggets. He played for the Nuggets for six seasons. After that, he played for other NBA teams like the Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, and the Washington Wizards. Lawson also played for teams in China and other countries.

Early Life and High School Basketball

Ty Lawson went to Gwynn Park Middle School in Maryland for sixth and seventh grade. In eighth grade, he moved to the Newport School.

He attended Bishop McNamara High School in Maryland from 2003 to 2004. Later, he transferred to Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. At Oak Hill, he was recognized as a top high school player. He was named a first-team All-American by USA Today and Parade. He also played in important games like the McDonald's All-American Game. In his senior year, Lawson averaged 23.8 points, 9.1 assists, and five steals per game. His best scoring game in high school was 55 points.

College Basketball Career

Lawson playing for North Carolina.

Lawson started playing for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels in the 2006–07 season. In his first year, he led the team with 5.6 assists per game. He also scored 10.2 points per game. He helped the Tar Heels win a share of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) regular season title and the ACC tournament.

In his second year, he averaged 12.7 points and 5.3 assists per game. He helped Carolina win both the ACC regular season and tournament championships again. They also made it to the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament.

Before his junior season, Lawson decided to return to North Carolina. Many of his teammates, including Wayne Ellington, Danny Green, and Tyler Hansbrough, also returned. This meant the team's main players from the previous season stayed together.

In his junior year, Lawson was voted to the All-ACC First Team. He was also named the ACC Player of the Year. This was a big honor, as he was the first point guard to win it since Phil Ford in 1978. Lawson was also recognized as a second-team All-American. This meant his jersey could be honored at the Smith Center, the team's home arena. In 2009, Lawson also won the Bob Cousy Award, given to the best college point guard.

During the 2009 NCAA Tournament championship game, Lawson set a record. He had 8 steals against Michigan State, which is the most steals by any player in an NCAA championship game. His performance helped lead the Tar Heels to win the national title.

On April 23, 2009, Lawson decided to leave college early. He entered the 2009 NBA draft.

Professional Basketball Journey

Playing for the Denver Nuggets (2009–2015)

Lawson playing for the Nuggets in 2011.

Ty Lawson was chosen 18th in the 2009 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, the Timberwolves had already picked other point guards. So, they traded Lawson to the Denver Nuggets. Lawson started as a backup player to Chauncey Billups. After Billups was traded in 2011, Lawson became a key player for the Nuggets. On April 9, 2011, Lawson made history by being the first NBA player to make his first 10 three-point shots in a game. He scored a career-high 37 points in that game.

In August 2011, Lawson played for Žalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania during an NBA lockout. He returned to the Denver Nuggets when the lockout ended.

During the 2012–13 season, the Nuggets had a great year, winning 57 games. They made it to the playoffs but were eliminated in the first round. Lawson was a top scorer and assist leader for the Nuggets in that playoff series. In the 2013–14 season, Lawson led the team in points, assists, and steals.

The Nuggets had a challenging 2014–15 season. Despite the team's struggles, Lawson had a strong individual season. He averaged 15.2 points and a career-high 9.6 assists per game. His 720 total assists that season broke the Nuggets' single-season record.

Time with the Houston Rockets (2015–2016)

On July 20, 2015, Lawson was traded to the Houston Rockets. He played his first game for the Rockets against his former team, the Denver Nuggets. He started in the Rockets' first 11 games of the season. Later, he moved to a bench role. On March 1, 2016, he left the Rockets.

Joining the Indiana Pacers (2016)

On March 7, 2016, Lawson signed with the Indiana Pacers. In his first game, he sprained his ankle and missed several games. He returned to play later that month.

Playing for the Sacramento Kings (2016–2017)

Lawson signed with the Sacramento Kings on August 31, 2016. On April 11, 2017, in his final NBA regular season game, Lawson achieved his first career triple-double. He scored 22 points, had 12 assists, and grabbed 11 rebounds in a win against the Phoenix Suns.

Playing in China and Other Leagues (2017–2023)

After his NBA career, Lawson played for teams in other countries.

• Shandong Golden Stars (2017–2018): On August 9, 2017, Lawson signed with the Shandong Golden Stars in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He averaged 25.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 2.2 steals per game.
• Washington Wizards (2018): On April 12, 2018, Lawson signed with the Washington Wizards for the 2018 NBA Playoffs. He played in five playoff games for the Wizards.
• Return to Shandong Golden Stars (2018–2019): Lawson returned to play for the Shandong Golden Stars in December 2018.
• Fujian Sturgeons (2019–2020): In September 2019, Lawson signed with the Fujian Sturgeons for the CBA season. He played for them until September 2020.
• Kolossos Rodou (2020–2021): On December 30, 2020, Lawson signed with Kolossos Rodou in the Greek Basket League. He joined the team in May 2021 and re-signed for the next season, but later left the team.
• US Monastir (2021–2022): In November 2021, Lawson signed with US Monastir in Tunisia. He left the team before the Basketball Africa League tournament.
• Gaiteros del Zulia (2023): In February 2023, Lawson signed with Gaiteros del Zulia in the Venezuelan Basketball League. He played for the team until April 2023.

Career Statistics

NBA

Regular season

Playoffs

EuroLeague

CBA

College

See also

In Spanish: Ty Lawson para niños

• 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans
• 2006 high school boys basketball All-Americans