Michael Gbinije

Michael Gbinije

Gbinije (13) during his time at Duke
No. 9 Grand Rapids Drive
Position Shooting guard / Small forward
League NBA
Personal information
Born (1992-06-05) June 5, 1992
Hartford, Connecticut
Nationality American / Nigerian
Listed height 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight 200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school Benedictine (Richmond, Virginia)
College
NBA draft 2016 / Round: 2 / Pick: 49th overall
Selected by the Detroit Pistons
Playing career 2016–present
Career history
2016–present Detroit Pistons
2016-presentGrand Rapids Drive

Michael Patrick Gbinije (born June 5, 1992) is a Nigerian-American professional basketball player for the Grand Rapids Drive,on assignment from the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA).. He played one season of college basketball for Duke before transferring to Syracuse in 2012. He was drafted 49th overall by the Pistons in the 2016 NBA draft. He has represented the Nigerian national team.

High school

Gbinije competed for Benedictine High School. After competing for Christchurch School, VA before going to Benedictine High School. As a junior, Gbinije averaged 18.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. He averaged 25.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists as a senior and was named first team all-state. He led Benedictine to a 26-5 record and the VISAA Division I State Championship. Gbinije was ranked 28th in the 2011 class by ESPNU 100 and 26th overall by Scout.com.[1]

College career

Gbinije began his collegiate career at Duke, where he played sparingly as freshman and averaged 1.7 points in 19 games.[2] He opted to transfer to Syracuse after his freshman year and sat out the 2012–13 season.[1] As a sophomore, Gbinije averaged 3.4 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. He increased those numbers to 12.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game as a junior in 2014–15.[2] On February 14, 2015, he scored a career-high 27 points against Duke to go along with four assists in an 80–72 loss.[1] As a senior in 2015–16, he averaged 17.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.9 steals per game while shooting 39% from beyond the three-point line and 46% overall. Gbinije started all 37 games of the season and helped lead the Orange on an improbable run to the 2016 NCAA Final Four.

Professional career

Detroit Pistons (2016–present)

On June 23, 2016, Gbinije was selected by the Detroit Pistons with the 49th overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft.[3][4] He was drafted for his defense, versatility and athleticism.[5] On July 3, 2016, he suffered a sprained ankle and was ruled out for the entire 2016 NBA Summer League.[6] Despite the injury, he signed with the Pistons on July 14.[7] During his rookie season, Gbinije has had multiple assignments with the Grand Rapids Drive, Piston's D-League affliate.[8]

National team career

Gbinije competed on the Nigerian squad in AfroBasket 2015 because his father, Frank, is a native of Nigeria. He helped Nigeria win gold in the tournament and qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics, scoring five points in the championship game against Angola. "Playing on this team was a unique experience for me," he said. "Overall, I enjoyed playing with these guys."[9] Overall, Gbinije averaged 7.3 points and 2.1 rebounds per game in the tournament and scored in double figures twice in eight games.[10]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Syracuse University Athletics – Michael Gbinije". Cuse.com. Retrieved July 14, 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Michael Gbinije Stats". Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved July 14, 2016.
  3. "Detroit Pistons Select Henry Ellenson with the 18th Pick in the 2016 NBA Draft". NBA.com. June 24, 2016. Retrieved June 24, 2016.
  4. Farrell, Perry A. (June 24, 2016). "Pistons take Syracuse G/F Michael Gbinije with 49th pick in NBA draft". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved June 24, 2016.
  5. Langlois, Keith (June 24, 2016). "Pistons add defense, versatility, athleticism with Syracuse's Gbinije in 2nd round". NBA.com. Retrieved June 24, 2016.
  6. Langlois, Keith (July 4, 2016). "Sprained ankle to keep Gbinije out of Summer League as Pistons suffer 2nd camp injury". NBA.com. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
  7. "Detroit Pistons Sign Second-Round Pick Michael Gbinije". NBA.com. July 14, 2016. Retrieved July 14, 2016.
  8. "2016-17 NBA Assignments". NBA.com. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  9. Ditota, Donna (August 30, 2015). "Michael Gbinije, Nigeria basketball team win AfroBasket, qualify for Rio Olympics". Syracuse Post-Standard. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
  10. Johnson, Raphielle (August 30, 2015). "Syracuse Guard Michael Gbinije Helps Nigeria Clinch Olympic Berth". NBC Sports. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
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