Wenyen Gabriel facts for kids
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Gabriel with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022
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| No. 32 – Panathinaikos | |
|---|---|
| Center / power forward | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | March 26, 1997 Khartoum, Sudan |
| Nationality | South Sudanese / American |
| High school |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 212 lb (96 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Kentucky (2016–2018) |
| NBA Draft | 2018 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 2018–present |
| League | GBL EuroLeague |
| Career history | |
| 2018–2020 | Sacramento Kings |
| 2018–2019 | → Stockton Kings |
| 2020 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2020–2021 | New Orleans Pelicans |
| 2021–2022 | Wisconsin Herd |
| 2021 | Brooklyn Nets |
| 2021–2022 | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 2022–2023 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2023–2024 | Wisconsin Herd |
| 2024 | Memphis Grizzlies |
| 2024 | Vaqueros de Bayamón |
| 2024 | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| 2024–present | Panathinaikos |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Wenyen Gabriel (born March 26, 1997) is a professional basketball player. He plays for Panathinaikos in Greece. Wenyen is from South Sudan and also has American citizenship.
He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats. Before college, he was a top player, ranked highly by ESPN. Wenyen has also played for several teams in the NBA, including the Los Angeles Lakers.
Contents
- High School Basketball Journey
- College Basketball Career
- Professional Basketball Journey
- Starting with the Sacramento Kings (2018–2020)
- Playing for Portland and New Orleans (2020–2021)
- Time with Wisconsin Herd (2021)
- Short Stints in the NBA (2021–2022)
- Joining the Los Angeles Lakers (2022–2023)
- Returning to Wisconsin and Memphis (2023–2024)
- Playing in Puerto Rico and Israel (2024)
- Playing for Panathinaikos (2024–present)
- Playing for His Home Country
- Personal Life and Background
- See also
High School Basketball Journey
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Wenyen Gabriel went to Wilbraham & Monson Academy in Wilbraham, Massachusetts. He started there in 2014. Before that, he played for three years at Trinity High School in Manchester, New Hampshire.
In his senior year (2015–16), he was amazing on the court. He scored about 22 points and grabbed 14 rebounds per game. He also blocked 7 shots and made 6.3 assists per game.
In October 2015, Wenyen decided to play for the University of Kentucky. Other big schools like Maryland and Duke were also interested in him. He played in special games like the 2016 Nike Hoop Summit and the 2016 Jordan Brand Classic. Experts at ESPN rated him as a five-star recruit, ranking him 14th in his class.
College Basketball Career
Wenyen started playing for the Kentucky Wildcats in October 2016. In his first game, he scored nine points and grabbed two rebounds.
As a freshman, he played in 38 games, starting 23 of them. He averaged 4.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. In his second year, Wenyen became a more important player for Kentucky. He averaged 6.8 points and 5.4 rebounds in 37 games. He also led his team with 40 blocked shots that season.
Professional Basketball Journey
Starting with the Sacramento Kings (2018–2020)
After college, Wenyen entered the 2018 NBA draft but was not chosen by a team. He then joined the Sacramento Kings for the 2018 NBA Summer League. In July 2018, he signed a special contract with the Kings. He didn't play in any NBA games that first season.
Before the 2019–20 season, the Kings changed his contract to a regular one. He also played for the Stockton Kings, their minor league team. In one game in December 2019, he scored 16 points and got 16 rebounds. In January 2020, he had an amazing game with 37 points and 11 rebounds for Stockton.
Playing for Portland and New Orleans (2020–2021)
In January 2020, Wenyen was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers. He played his first game for them on January 31, helping them win against the Los Angeles Lakers.
In November 2020, Wenyen signed with the New Orleans Pelicans. He played 21 games for them, averaging 3.5 points and 2.69 rebounds per game. He left the team before the next season started.
Time with Wisconsin Herd (2021)
In October 2021, Wenyen joined the Wisconsin Herd, a team in the NBA's minor league. He played very well there. In 12 games, he averaged 13.8 points and 8.6 rebounds. He also showed good shooting skills.
Short Stints in the NBA (2021–2022)
Wenyen signed short 10-day contracts with a few NBA teams. In December 2021, he played one game for the Brooklyn Nets. Then, he signed two 10-day contracts with the Los Angeles Clippers in December 2021 and January 2022.
After these contracts, he returned to the Wisconsin Herd. He also had another brief 10-day contract with the New Orleans Pelicans in January 2022, but did not play.
Joining the Los Angeles Lakers (2022–2023)
On March 1, 2022, Wenyen signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. In April 2022, his contract was changed to a two-year deal. He played 68 games for the Lakers, averaging 5.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. He was known for his good shooting percentage.
In October 2023, Wenyen briefly signed with the Boston Celtics but was later released.
Returning to Wisconsin and Memphis (2023–2024)
In October 2023, Wenyen rejoined the Wisconsin Herd. In March 2024, he signed a 10-day contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. He played five games for Memphis, averaging 3.4 points and 5.0 rebounds. After this, he returned to Wisconsin.
Playing in Puerto Rico and Israel (2024)
In March 2024, Wenyen signed with Vaqueros de Bayamón in Puerto Rico. He played 23 games there, averaging 13.0 points and 7.4 rebounds. He was also one of the top shot blockers in the league.
In July 2024, Wenyen signed a two-year deal with Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel. This team also plays in the EuroLeague, a top European competition. He had a small injury in September that kept him out for a few weeks.
Playing for Panathinaikos (2024–present)
On December 23, 2024, Wenyen Gabriel signed with Panathinaikos. This team is based in Greece and also plays in the EuroLeague.
Playing for His Home Country
In August 2023, Wenyen Gabriel joined the South Sudan national team. He was chosen to play in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. This was a huge moment because it was South Sudan's first time playing in this international tournament.
Wenyen and his team made history! They finished as the top African nation in the tournament. This amazing achievement meant that South Sudan automatically qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics men's basketball tournament. It was the first time South Sudan's basketball team qualified for the Olympics, and Wenyen was a big part of it.
Personal Life and Background
Wenyen Gabriel was born in Khartoum, Sudan, on March 26, 1997. His name, "Wenyen," means "wipe your tears" in the Dinka language. This name was given to him because his older sister had passed away as a baby.
Just two weeks after Wenyen was born, his mother, Rebecca Gak, moved with him and his three siblings to Cairo, Egypt. They were escaping the violence of the Second Sudanese Civil War. While his mother worked hard to bring his father, Makuac, to Cairo, Wenyen's seven-year-old brother, Komot, helped take care of him.
Two years later, the United Nations helped their family move to Manchester, New Hampshire in America. This city had a large community of people from South Sudan.
Wenyen became a US citizen in 2017 when his parents became citizens. He received his official papers and passport in 2015. He even represented the USA Basketball Junior National Select Team in 2016. Even though he is an American citizen, Wenyen said in 2016 that he still considers South Sudan his home.
See also
In Spanish: Wenyen Gabriel para niños
