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Evan Mobley

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Evan Mobley
Mobley with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2021
No. 4 – Cleveland Cavaliers
PositionPower forward / center
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (2001-06-18) June 18, 2001 (age 23)
San Diego, California, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High schoolRancho Christian School
(Temecula, CA)
CollegeUSC (2020–2021)
NBA draft2021: 1st round, 3rd overall pick
Selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers
Playing career2021–present
Career history
2021–presentCleveland Cavaliers
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  United States
FIBA Under-19 World Cup
Gold medal – first place 2019 Greece Team
FIBA Under-17 World Cup
Gold medal – first place 2018 Argentina Team

Evan Mobley (born June 18, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the USC Trojans and was selected third overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2021 NBA draft.

Early life

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Mobley, along with his older brother, Isaiah, began playing basketball from an early age under the guidance of their father, Eric, a former basketball player. Evan was initially reluctant to play basketball but became more interested in the sport in eighth grade, when he stood 6'4.[1] Mobley began playing high school basketball as a freshman at Rancho Christian School in Temecula, California. In his first three years, he was teammates with Isaiah, a five-star recruit in the 2019 class.[2]

As a junior at Rancho Christian, Mobley averaged 19.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.7 blocks per game. He was named California Gatorade Player of the Year and The Press-Enterprise player of the year.[3][4] In his senior season, Mobley averaged 20.5 points, 12.2 rebounds, 5.2 blocks, and 4.6 assists per game, leading Rancho Christian to a 22–8 record. He repeated as California Gatorade Player of the Year, joining Jrue Holiday as the award's only two-time winners.[5] Mobley was named Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year.[6] He was also selected to play in the McDonald's All-American Game, Jordan Brand Classic, and Nike Hoop Summit, but all three games were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[7]

Mobley was considered a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top three players in the 2020 recruiting class and at one point ahead of Cade Cunningham .[8] On August 5, 2019, he committed to play college basketball for USC over offers from UCLA and Washington, among other major NCAA Division I programs.[9] Mobley became one of the highest-ranked players to join the program.

College recruiting information
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Evan Mobley
C 		Murrieta, CA Rancho Christian School (CA) 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Aug 5, 2019 
Star ratings: Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars   ESPN grade: 97
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 4  247Sports: 3  ESPN: 3
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "USC 2020 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  • "2020 USC Trojans Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  • "2020 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved August 17, 2020.

College career

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In his college debut for USC on November 25, 2020, Mobley scored 21 points and had nine rebounds in a 95–87 overtime win against California Baptist.[10] On March 11, 2021, at the Pac-12 tournament quarterfinals, he posted a career-high 26 points, nine rebounds and five blocks in a 91–85 double overtime victory over Utah.[11] In a 72–70 semifinals loss to Colorado, Mobley scored 26 points for a second time, while recording nine rebounds and five blocks.[12] As a freshman, he averaged 16.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.8 blocks and 2.4 assists per game.[13] Mobley was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year.[14] He became the second player from a major conference to win the trio of awards, joining Anthony Davis of the Southeastern Conference in 2012.[15] On April 16, 2021, Mobley declared for the 2021 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.[13] Mobley was seen by many as the second best prospect in the 2021 NBA draft behind Cade Cunningham.[16]

Professional career

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Cleveland Cavaliers (2021–present)

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Mobley was selected third overall in the 2021 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers.[17] On August 3, 2021, he signed with the Cavaliers.[18] On August 8, 2021, Mobley made his summer league debut in a 84–76 loss against the Houston Rockets where he posted 12 points, five rebounds, and three blocks in 28 minutes.[19] On October 20, he made his NBA debut, putting up 17 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in a 132–121 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.[20] On November 15, Mobley suffered a sprained right elbow in a 98–92 loss to the Boston Celtics.[21] He was named the NBA Eastern Rookie of the Month for games played in October/November.[22] On December 8, Mobley became the first Cleveland rookie since LeBron James in March 2004 to record five blocks in an NBA game.[23]

Starting all the 69 games he played, Mobley finished the season averaging 15.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.7 blocks, and .8 steals per game, while shooting .508, .250, and .663 from the field, the three-point line, and on free throws, respectively, on 33.8 minutes per game. He led rookies in both rebounds and blocks per game, while ranking fifth for points per game. He was the second best rookie (behind Scottie Barnes of the Toronto Raptors) in win shares (5.2) and value over replacement player (1.5). Alongside All-Star center Jarrett Allen, Mobley led Cleveland from a .306 winning percentage and the league's sixth-worst defense to a .537 winning percentage and the league's fifth best defense for efficiency. Of Mobley, fellow Cavalier Darius Garland told The Ringer's Rob Mahoney: "He does everything for us. Defensive-wise, offensive-wise. He's a 7-foot unicorn."[24] Mobley finished as the runner-up to Scottie Barnes in voting for the NBA Rookie of the Year. The 15-point difference was the smallest voting margin in 19 years since the award's voting format began in 2002–03.[25]

On January 21, 2023, Mobley scored a then career-high 38 points on 19-of-27 shooting from the field, along with nine rebounds and three assists in a 114–102 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. He became only the fourth player since 1979, when the 3-point line was adopted, to score at least 38 points without making a free throw or 3-pointer. Hakeem Olajuwon, Alex English (twice) and George Gervin are the others.[26] On April 17, Mobley finished third in voting for the Defensive Player of the Year.[27] On May 9, Mobley was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team[28]

On November 28, 2023, Mobley recorded 17 points, 19 rebounds, and 7 blocks in a 128–105 win over the Atlanta Hawks during the team's final In-Season Tournament matchup, setting a season-high in blocks and a career-high in rebounds.[29] On December 15, the Cavaliers announced that Mobley would undergo arthroscopic left knee surgery to treat discomfort in his knee that had sidelined him for the team's previous four games, estimating that he would be out for recovery for approximately six to eight weeks.[30]

On May 10, 2024, in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Mobley scored a then playoff career-high 21 points, along with 10 rebounds and a playoff career-high 5 assists in a 118–94 victory over the Boston Celtics.[31] Cleveland would go on to lose to Boston in five games despite Mobley's playoff career-high 33-point outing in the 113–98 close-out loss in Game 5.[32]

On December 7, 2024, Mobley scored a career-high 41 points, along with 10 rebounds and three blocks on 16-of-23 shooting from the field and a career-high 6-of-8 shooting from the three-point line in a 116–102 win over the Charlotte Hornets. He became the second NBA player under the age of 25 (after Kevin Durant) to record 40+ points, 10+ rebounds, 3+ blocks, and 5+ three-pointers made in a game.[33][34]

National team career

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Mobley played for the United States at the 2018 FIBA Under-17 World Cup in Argentina. In seven games, he averaged 9.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game, helping his team win the gold medal.[35][36] Mobley joined the United States for the 2019 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Heraklion, Greece, but he was limited to playing two games and a total of seven minutes in the tournament due to back spasms. His team won the gold medal despite his absence.[37]

Career statistics

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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

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Regular season

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2021–22 Cleveland 69 69 33.8 .508 .250 .663 8.3 2.5 .8 1.7 15.0
2022–23 Cleveland 79 79 34.4 .554 .216 .674 9.0 2.8 .8 1.5 16.2
2023–24 Cleveland 50 50 30.6 .580 .373 .719 9.4 3.2 .9 1.4 15.7
Career 198 198 33.2 .544 .265 .681 8.8 2.8 .8 1.5 15.6

Play-in

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2022 Cleveland 2 2 36.3 .600 .333 .750 7.5 3.5 .0 2.0 18.5
Career 2 2 36.3 .600 .333 .750 7.5 3.5 .0 2.0 18.5

Playoffs

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2023 Cleveland 5 5 37.5 .458 .000 .625 10.0 2.0 .6 1.2 9.8
2024 Cleveland 12 12 35.2 .555 .278 .694 9.3 2.3 .8 2.2 16.0
Career 17 17 35.9 .531 .263 .682 9.5 2.2 .8 1.9 14.2

College

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* Led NCAA Division I
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2020–21 USC 33* 33* 33.9 .578 .300 .694 8.7 2.4 .8 2.9 16.4

Personal life

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Mobley's father Eric played college basketball for Cal Poly Pomona and Portland and played professionally in China, Indonesia, Mexico and Portugal.[38] He later coached Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball for 11 years. In 2018, he was hired as assistant basketball coach for USC.[39] Mobley's older brother Isaiah Mobley also played for USC. He entered the 2022 NBA Draft and was selected 49th overall by the Cavaliers, rejoining his brother.[40] His mother, Nicol, is an elementary school teacher.[1] Mobley grew up with three foster siblings, including a Chinese exchange student named Johnny.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b Bembry, Jerry (January 10, 2020). "Behind Evan Mobley's rise as No. 1 hoops prospect: 'Basketball had to grow on me'". Andscape. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Calle, Franklyn (March 12, 2019). "Five-Star Bros Isaiah and Evan Mobley Form a Scary Frontcourt". Slam. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  3. ^ Sondheimer, Eric (March 15, 2019). "Junior Evan Mobley is Gatorade state player of the year". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  4. ^ Paul-Johnson, Eric; Robin, Brian (April 6, 2019). "Rancho Christian's Evan Mobley is The Press-Enterprise's boys basketball player of the year". The Press-Enterprise. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  5. ^ Paul-Johnson, Eric (March 26, 2020). "Rancho Christian's Evan Mobley repeats as Gatorade's California boys basketball player of the year". The Press-Enterprise. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  6. ^ Borzello, Jeff (April 1, 2020). "USC signee Evan Mobley named Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year". ESPN. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  7. ^ Jordan, Jason (March 12, 2019). "McDonald's All American Game Cancelled Amid COVID-19 Concerns". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  8. ^ Chavez, Chris (August 5, 2019). "Class of 2020 No. 1 Recruit Evan Mobley Verbally Commits to USC". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  9. ^ Jordan, Jason (August 5, 2019). "Top hoops recruit Evan Mobley commits to USC, joins father and brother". USA Today. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  10. ^ "USC Men's Basketball Surges in Overtime To Defeat Cal Baptist, 95–87". USC Trojans. November 25, 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  11. ^ Kartje, Ryan (March 11, 2021). "Evan Mobley stars as USC survives Utah in double overtime to advance in Pac-12 tournament". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  12. ^ Spratling, Shotgun (March 13, 2021). "Rapid Recap: Trojans drop heartbreaker to Colorado in Pac-12 semis". 247Sports. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  13. ^ a b Givony, Jonathan (April 16, 2021). "USC Trojans freshman center Evan Mobley declares for 2021 NBA draft". ESPN. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  14. ^ "2020-21 Pac-12 Men's Basketball All-Conference honors and Annual Performance Awards, presented by Nextiva" (Press release). Pac-12 Conference. March 9, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  15. ^ Kartje, Ryan (March 9, 2021). "USC's Evan Mobley joins Anthony Davis in making college basketball history". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  16. ^ Woo, Jeremy. "NBA Draft Big Board 5.0: Final Top 80 Prospect Rankings". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  17. ^ Fedor, Chris (July 30, 2021). "Adding 'transformative' Evan Mobley to Cleveland Cavaliers' growing young core provides hope for turnaround". The Plain-Dealer. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  18. ^ "Cavaliers Sign 2021 NBA Draft Pick Evan Mobley". NBA.com. August 3, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  19. ^ "Houston vs. Cleveland - Box Score - August 8, 2021 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 9, 2021.[dead link‍]
  20. ^ Guinhawa, Angelo (October 20, 2021). "Evan Mobley's insane debut stat line never seen in Cavs history". ClutchPoints. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  21. ^ Fedor, Chris (November 15, 2021). "Evan Mobley suffers sprained right elbow in Monday's loss, expected to undergo MRI". The Plain-Dealer. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  22. ^ "Evan Mobley Named Kia NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month". Cleveland Cavaliers. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  23. ^ Capps, Kendall (December 9, 2021). "Cavs' Evan Mobley Sets Record Not Seen Since LeBron James 17 years Ago". Cavs Nation. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  24. ^ Buckley, Zach (April 14, 2022). "Grading Every 2022 NBA Team's Rookie Class". Bleacher Report. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  25. ^ "Toronto's Scottie Barnes wins 2021-22 Kia Rookie of the Year award". NBA.com. April 23, 2022. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
  26. ^ "Cavs Ride Mobley's Career-High 38 Points Past Bucks". NBA.com. January 21, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  27. ^ "Jaren Jackson Jr. named 2022-23 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year". NBA.com. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  28. ^ "Jaren Jackson Jr. headlines 2022-23 Kia NBA All-Defensive teams". NBA.com. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
  29. ^ Potosky, Logan (November 28, 2023). "Evan Mobley Posts Career Night As Cavaliers Defeat Hawks". Sports Illustrated Cleveland Cavs News, Analysis and More. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  30. ^ "Evan Mobley injury update: Cavaliers big man to miss 6-8 weeks following left knee surgery". CBSSports.com. December 15, 2023. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  31. ^ "Thursday's NBA playoff takeaways: Cleveland runs through Boston in Game 2 as Celtics shooting goes cold". The Athletic. May 9, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  32. ^ "Jayson Tatum scores 25 to lead Celtics past Cavaliers 113-98 and into 3rd consecutive East finals". ESPN.com. Associated Press. May 15, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  33. ^ "Cavaliers 116-102 Hornets (Dec 7, 2024) Game Recap". ESPN. December 7, 2024. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  34. ^ "Cavaliers Forward Joins Kevin Durant In Incredible NBA History (Dec 7, 2024)". Sports Illustrated. December 7, 2024.
  35. ^ "Evan Mobley (USA)'s profile - FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup". FIBA. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  36. ^ Drumwright, Steve (June 28, 2019). "Evan Mobley Celebrates 18th Birthday and a Spot on USA U19 World Cup Team in One Week". USA Basketball. Archived from the original on June 30, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  37. ^ Makris, Stefanos (July 25, 2019). "FIBA U19 World Championship: Team USA Recap". NBADraftnet. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  38. ^ "USC hires Eric Mobley as assistant basketball coach". Los Angeles Times. March 24, 2018. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  39. ^ Bonagura, Kyle (March 24, 2018). "USC hires Eric Mobley, father of two high-profile recruits, as assistant coach". ESPN. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  40. ^ "How Evan Mobley helps transform USC basketball". ESPN. August 5, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
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