Xavier Thames facts for kids
Thames (left) during his college tenure with San Diego State
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| Point guard / shooting guard | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 9, 1991 Sacramento, California, U.S. |
| High school | Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove, California) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College |
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| NBA Draft | 2014 / Round: 2 / Pick: 59th overall |
| Selected by the Toronto Raptors | |
| Pro career | 2014–2022 |
| Career history | |
| 2014–2015 | Sevilla |
| 2015–2016 | Fort Wayne Mad Ants |
| 2016–2017 | MZT Skopje |
| 2017 | Bnei Herzliya |
| 2017–2018 | Trikala Aries |
| 2018 | Canterbury Rams |
| 2018–2019 | Egis Körmend |
| 2019–2020 | VEF Rīga |
| 2020–2021 | Egis Körmend |
| 2021–2022 | DEAC |
| 2022 | CBet Jonava |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Xavier Raynard Thames (born January 9, 1991) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Washington State Cougars and San Diego State Aztecs.
Contents
High School Basketball Journey
Xavier Thames went to Pleasant Grove High School in Elk Grove, California. When he was a sophomore, he scored about 20 points per game. He also helped his team with assists, rebounds, and steals. He was named to the first team All-Delta River League.
As a junior, he improved even more, averaging 26 points per game. He was a key player in leading Pleasant Grove to a 16–14 record. He earned first team all-league and second team all-city honors.
In November 2008, he officially committed to play college basketball at Washington State University. In his senior year, he continued to shine, averaging 21 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals per game. He helped his team achieve a great 25–6 record. Once again, he was recognized as a first team all-league and second team all-city player.
College Basketball Career
Playing for Washington State
Xavier started his college career at Washington State. In his first year, he scored 10 or more points in four games. One of his best games was against Gonzaga in December 2009, where he scored 11 points. He also helped the Cougars win the 2009 Great Alaska Shootout tournament. Overall, he played in 31 games and averaged 4.6 points per game.
Time with San Diego State
In May 2010, Xavier moved to San Diego State. He had to sit out the 2010–11 season because of NCAA transfer rules.
In his second year of college basketball (his first playing for San Diego State), he was named honorable mention All-Mountain West. He played in 31 games and averaged 10.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game.
During his junior season, he scored in double figures 15 times. He led his team in scoring three times and in assists seven times. He played 32 or more minutes in six straight games, showing his importance to the team. He averaged 9.5 points per game.
His senior season was his best. He was named the 2014 Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year. This is a huge honor! He was also selected for the All-MWC first team and the MWC All-Defensive team. In 36 games, he averaged an impressive 17.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.6 steals per game.
Professional Basketball Journey
Starting in the NBA Draft
On June 26, 2014, Xavier Thames was chosen by the Toronto Raptors as the 59th pick in the 2014 NBA draft. Later that night, he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets. In July 2014, he played for the Nets in the 2014 NBA Summer League.
Playing in Spain
On August 6, 2014, Xavier signed a one-year contract with Baloncesto Sevilla, a team in Spain's top basketball league, Liga ACB. He played for Sevilla until January 23, 2015.
Time with Fort Wayne Mad Ants
In February 2015, Xavier joined the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the NBA Development League (now called the G League). He made his debut a few days later. In July 2015, he played for the Brooklyn Nets again in the 2015 NBA Summer League. He then rejoined the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in October 2015.
Success in Macedonia
On August 20, 2016, Xavier signed a two-year deal with MZT Skopje, a team in Macedonia. He helped the team win the Macedonian League championship in 2017.
Playing in Israel and Greece
In July 2017, Xavier signed with Bnei Herzliya, an Israeli team. He played in 19 games for them, averaging 8.7 points. In December 2017, he moved to the Greek team Trikala Aries.
New Zealand and Hungary
On April 13, 2018, Xavier signed with the Canterbury Rams for the 2018 New Zealand NBL season. Later that year, in December 2018, he joined the Hungarian team Egis Körmend.
Playing in Latvia
On November 1, 2019, Xavier joined VEF Rīga in the Latvian Basketball League (LBL). He played 29 games, averaging 10.3 points and 3.7 assists per game.
Return to Hungary
On June 17, 2020, Xavier returned to play for Egis Körmend in Hungary. He had a strong season, averaging 15.7 points, 5.0 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game.
Final Years in Europe
In July 2021, Xavier signed with DEAC, another Hungarian team. He played there until 2022. His last professional team was CBet Jonava in Lithuania in 2022.
See also
In Spanish: Xavier Thames para niños
