Wesley Matthews facts for kids
Matthews with the Dallas Mavericks in 2017
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| Free agent | |
|---|---|
| Shooting guard / small forward | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | October 14, 1986 San Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
| High school | James Madison Memorial (Madison, Wisconsin) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Marquette (2005–2009) |
| NBA Draft | 2009 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 2009–present |
| Career history | |
| 2009–2010 | Utah Jazz |
| 2010–2015 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2015–2019 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2019 | New York Knicks |
| 2019 | Indiana Pacers |
| 2019–2020 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2020–2021 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2021–2023 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2023–2024 | Atlanta Hawks |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Wesley Joel Matthews Jr. (born October 14, 1986) is an American professional basketball player. He last played for the Atlanta Hawks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the NBA, he played college basketball for the Marquette Golden Eagles. Wesley is also the son of Wes Matthews, a former NBA player.
Contents
- Early Life and High School Basketball
- College Career at Marquette
- Professional Basketball Journey
- Starting with the Utah Jazz (2009–2010)
- Playing for the Portland Trail Blazers (2010–2015)
- Time with the Dallas Mavericks (2015–2019)
- Short Stays with New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers (2019)
- Joining the Milwaukee Bucks (2019–2020)
- Playing for the Los Angeles Lakers (2020–2021)
- Returning to Milwaukee (2021–2023)
- Most Recently with the Atlanta Hawks (2023–2024)
- Images for kids
- See also
Early Life and High School Basketball
Wesley Matthews Jr. was born in San Antonio, Texas. His father, Wesley Sr., was a point guard in the NBA. Wesley Sr. won two NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1987 and 1988. Wesley's mother, Pam Moore, was also a talented athlete. She was an All-American in running and a great basketball player.
Wesley Jr. showed his athletic skills early on. He was a star on both the basketball and soccer teams at James Madison Memorial High School. In 2005, he was named Wisconsin Mr. Basketball. This award goes to the best high school basketball player in Wisconsin.
College Career at Marquette
After high school, Matthews chose to go to Marquette University. Many people thought he would play for the University of Wisconsin–Madison. This was because his father had played there. But Wesley made his own choice.
At Marquette, Wesley was part of a famous group of three guards. They were called the "three amigos." This group included Dominic James, Jerel McNeal, and Matthews. They started almost every game together from their first year. Wesley was the tallest of the three.
During the 2008–09 season, Marquette's team was not very tall. This meant Matthews had to learn to play against bigger opponents. He showed his strength by getting 13 rebounds in one game. This was against the Division II team, Lewis Flyers, in December 2005.
Wesley had an amazing game against the Tennessee Volunteers in December 2008. He scored a career-high 30 points. He made 15 out of 18 free throws in that game. In January 2009, he set a school record. He made all 10 of his shots, scoring 23 points. This helped Marquette win against Rutgers.
Professional Basketball Journey
Starting with the Utah Jazz (2009–2010)
After finishing college, Wesley Matthews entered the 2009 NBA draft. However, he was not chosen by any team. This is called being undrafted. But Wesley didn't give up! He joined the Utah Jazz for a summer league. He also played for the Sacramento Kings in another summer league.
In September 2009, he signed a one-year deal with the Utah Jazz. In February 2010, he became a starting player. The team's coach, Jerry Sloan, made him the starting shooting guard. In March 2010, Matthews scored a career-high 29 points. He also made six three-point shots in a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Playing for the Portland Trail Blazers (2010–2015)
In July 2010, Wesley signed a five-year contract with the Portland Trail Blazers. This was a big step in his career. In his first season with Portland, he averaged 15.9 points per game. His three-point shooting also got much better.
Wesley was known for being very tough. He played in 250 NBA games in a row! This means he rarely missed a game. He was so good at playing through small injuries that fans called him "Iron Man." This nickname was used by fans and commentators.
In November 2013, Wesley was involved in a small fight during a game. He was sent out of the game along with a teammate. He had scored 23 points before leaving. He was later fined $20,000 for the incident.
In January 2015, Matthews made history for the Trail Blazers. He became the team's all-time leader in three-point shots made. He passed Terry Porter's record of 773 three-pointers. Sadly, in March 2015, he got a serious injury. He tore his left Achilles tendon. This injury meant he could not play for the rest of the season.
Time with the Dallas Mavericks (2015–2019)
In July 2015, Matthews signed a four-year deal with the Dallas Mavericks. In December 2015, he had an amazing game. He scored 36 points against the Washington Wizards. He made 10 three-pointers in that game, with eight of them in the second half!
He continued to play well for the Mavericks. In November 2016, he scored 26 points against the San Antonio Spurs. He matched this score three more times in December. In February 2017, he scored 27 points against his old team, the Portland Trail Blazers.
In November 2017, he scored 22 points against the Milwaukee Bucks. In December, he set a new season high with 29 points. In January 2018, he matched that 29-point game. He also made seven three-pointers. In February 2018, Wesley made his 500th three-pointer with the Mavericks. He was the seventh player in team history to do so.
By January 2019, Wesley became the sixth player in Mavericks history to make 600 three-pointers. He also became the first undrafted player in NBA history to make 1,500 three-pointers overall. This was a huge achievement!
Short Stays with New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers (2019)
In January 2019, Matthews was traded to the New York Knicks. However, he only played in two games for them. He was then released by the Knicks in February.
Soon after, in February 2019, Matthews signed with the Indiana Pacers. He quickly made an impact. In one game, he made 6 three-pointers and scored 24 points. This helped the Pacers make a great comeback win against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Joining the Milwaukee Bucks (2019–2020)
In July 2019, Matthews signed with the Milwaukee Bucks. He played an important role for the team. In November 2019, he scored 19 points and grabbed 4 rebounds. He was starting in place of an injured star player. In December, he scored 19 points again, this time against his former team, the Pacers.
Playing for the Los Angeles Lakers (2020–2021)
In November 2020, Matthews signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. He played in 58 games for the Lakers. He averaged 4.8 points per game. His three-point shooting percentage was 33%, which was a career low for him.
Returning to Milwaukee (2021–2023)
In December 2021, Matthews signed with the Milwaukee Bucks again. In a Christmas Day game, he helped the Bucks make a huge comeback. He scored 9 points, but his most important shot was a three-pointer. It gave the Bucks the lead with only 30 seconds left! They won the game against the Boston Celtics.
The coach, Mike Budenholzer, put Matthews in the starting lineup. This was to help the team's defense. He played alongside All-Defensive guard Jrue Holiday. In July 2022, Matthews signed again with the Bucks.
Most Recently with the Atlanta Hawks (2023–2024)
In July 2023, Wesley Matthews signed with the Atlanta Hawks. He played for them until 2024.
Images for kids
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A friendly robot
See also
- List of National Basketball Association career 3-point scoring leaders
