Jared Sullinger Sr. (born March 4, 1992) is an American professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
player for the
Shenzhen Leopards
The Shenzhen New Century Liebao Club, also known as Shenzhen Marco Polo or Shenzhen Leopards (previously Shenzhen Aviators) are a Chinese professional basketball team which plays in the Southern Division of the Chinese Basketball Association ...
of the
Chinese Basketball Association
The Chinese Basketball Association (), often abbreviated as the CBA, is the first-tier professional men's basketball league in China.
The league is commonly known by fans as the CBA, and this acronym is even used in Chinese on a regular basi ...
(CBA). He played college basketball for
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best pu ...
before being drafted 21st overall by the
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of ...
in the
2012 NBA draft
The 2012 NBA draft was held on June 28, 2012, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time (2300 UTC), and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Ass ...
.
High school career
Sullinger was rated as the #2 player in the class of 2010 in the
ESPNU
ESPNU is an American multinational digital cable and satellite sports television channel owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between the Disney Media Networks division of The Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and the He ...
100 the #4 player by
Scout.com, and the #5 player by
Rivals.com.
In his senior year, Sullinger led Northland High School to a 21–0 season and a #1 national ranking. He averaged 24.5 points and 11.7 rebounds for the season.
Sullinger played in the 4th annual
Boost Mobile Elite 24 Hoops Classic.
Sullinger was selected to play in the
2010 McDonald's All-American Game in
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, an ...
, where he was named co-MVP with
Harrison Barnes. He was also selected to play in the 2010
Nike Hoop Summit at the
Rose Garden
A rose garden or rosarium is a garden or park, often open to the public, used to present and grow various types of garden roses, and sometimes rose species. Most often it is a section of a larger garden. Designs vary tremendously and roses m ...
in
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populou ...
and the 2010
Jordan Brand Classic
The Jordan Brand Classic is a high school All-Star basketball game played annually in April. The game's rosters feature the best and most highly recruited high school boys in the senior class including alumns like Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, B ...
at
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsyl ...
in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
.
On March 10, 2010, Sullinger won the
James A. Naismith Award, which goes to the boys' basketball player of the year.
Sullinger said he credits his longtime teammate and best friend Max Caubo for the skills he honed in order for him to be the recipient of this award.
College recruitment
Sullinger committed to Ohio State on May 10, 2007.
College career
Freshman

Sullinger had 19 points and 14 rebounds in his Ohio State debut.
Sullinger's brother, J.J. Sullinger, also attended Ohio State and played for coach
Thad Matta
Thad Michael Matta (born July 11, 1967) is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of the Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team. From 2004 to 2017, Matta led the Ohio State Buckeyes to five Big Ten Conference regular se ...
. For the 2010–11 season Jared Sullinger averaged 17.2 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 31.7 minutes per game for the Buckeyes. Ohio State finished the regular season at 32–2 and was selected as the
2011 NCAA tournament
Eleven or 11 may refer to:
*11 (number), the natural number following 10 and preceding 12
* one of the years 11 BC, AD 11, 1911, 2011, or any year ending in 11
Literature
* ''Eleven'' (novel), a 2006 novel by British author David Llewellyn
*''El ...
's number one overall seed. The Buckeyes made it to the "Sweet Sixteen" where they lost to
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virgini ...
62–60. Sullinger was named a First Team All-American by
Fox Sports
Fox Sports is the brand name for a number of sports channels, broadcast divisions, programming, and other media around the world.
The ''Fox Sports'' name has since been used for other sports media assets. These assets are held mainly by the F ...
.
Sophomore
In what would be his final year at Ohio State, Sullinger led the Buckeyes to a 31–8 overall record (13–5 Big Ten). He averaged 17.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game during the 2011–12 season. The Buckeyes advanced to the 'Final Four' of the
2012 NCAA tournament, where the team lost to the
Kansas Jayhawks
The Kansas Jayhawks, commonly referred to as simply KU or Kansas, are the athletic teams that represent the University of Kansas. KU is one of three schools in the state of Kansas that participate in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are also a mem ...
. Sullinger had 13 points in the game and was 5-of-19 shooting with 11 rebounds in the loss. Five days after the loss, the two-time
AP All-American declared he was entering the 2012 draft, where he was widely expected to be a lottery pick, until he was reportedly flagged by several teams after the Chicago pre-draft camp due to back issues.
College statistics
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2010–11
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Ohio State
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
, 37, , 37, , 31.7, , .541, , .250, , .704, , 10.2, , 1.2, , 1.0, , .5, , 17.2
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2011–12
, style="text-align:left;",
Ohio State
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
, 37, , 36, , 30.4, , .519, , .400, , .768, , 9.2, , 1.2, , 1.2, , 1.1, , 17.5
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 74 , , 73 , , 31.0 , , .530 , , .365 , , .733 , , 9.7 , , 1.2 , , 1.1 , , 0.8 , , 17.3
Professional career
Boston Celtics (2012–2016)
2012–13 season

On June 29, 2012, Sullinger was selected with the 21st overall pick in the
2012 NBA draft
The 2012 NBA draft was held on June 28, 2012, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time (2300 UTC), and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Ass ...
by the
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of ...
. On July 3, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Celtics.
On November 17, he recorded his first
double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds in a 107–89 win over the
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Atlantic Division (NBA) ...
. The following night, he scored a season-high 16 points in a loss to the
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at L ...
. He tied that mark on December 25, recording 16 points and 7 rebounds in a 93–76 win over the
Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. T ...
.
On February 1, 2013, Sullinger underwent successful lumbar disk surgery and was subsequently ruled out for the rest of the season.
2013–14 season
On January 15, 2014, in a win over the Toronto Raptors, Sullinger recorded 25 points and a career-high 20 rebounds. Sullinger's 20-20 was the first by a Celtics player since
Kevin Garnett
Kevin Maurice Garnett ( ; born May 19, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player who played for 21 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed KG by his initials, and the "Big Ticket" for his emphatic dunki ...
did so in 2007. On February 7, he scored a career-high 31 points in a 99–89 win over the
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...
.
2014–15 season
After averaging 14.4 points and 8.1 rebounds per game up until the
2015 NBA All-Star Weekend
The 2015 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game that was played on February 15, 2015, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2014–15 season. It was the 64th edition of the NBA All-Star Game, and was played at Madison S ...
, Sullinger was ruled out indefinitely after X-rays on February 19 revealed a stress reaction in his left foot. Three days later, he was ruled out for the rest of the season after further medical evaluation determined that Sullinger had sustained a left metatarsal
stress fracture
A stress fracture is a fatigue-induced bone fracture caused by repeated stress over time. Instead of resulting from a single severe impact, stress fractures are the result of accumulated injury from repeated submaximal loading, such as running or ...
. However, in a surprising move, Sullinger returned to action on April 3 against the Milwaukee Bucks. He entered the game four minutes into the third quarter, missed both his shots and didn't return as part of a gradual effort to improve his stamina.
2015–16 season
Sullinger began the 2015–16 season coming off the bench for the first three games. He started his first game of the season on November 4 against the
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first est ...
, replacing
Tyler Zeller as the starting center. On December 7, 2015, Sullinger scored 11 points and tied a career high with 20 rebounds in a 111–93 win over the
New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their home ...
. On February 7, 2016, he tied his season high with 21 points in a 128–119 win over the Sacramento Kings.
On June 29, 2016, the Celtics tendered a qualifying offer to make Sullinger a restricted free agent. The Celtics later withdrew their qualifying offer on July 8, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Toronto Raptors (2016–2017)
On July 14, 2016, Sullinger signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Atlantic Division (NBA) ...
. On October 24, 2016, he had a screw inserted into the fifth metatarsal in his left foot. As a result, he missed the first half of the 2016–17 season. After missing half the season, Sullinger made his debut for the Raptors on January 18, 2017, scoring eight points in just under 14 minutes off the bench in a 94–89 loss to the
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Ea ...
. On January 28, 2017, he was assigned to Toronto's
D-League affiliate,
Raptors 905
The Raptors 905 are a Canadian professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Mississauga, Ontario, and are affiliated with the Toronto Raptors. Raptors 905 began play in the 2015–16 season and play their home games at Paramount Fi ...
, on a rehab assignment. He was recalled by Toronto the next day. Three days later, he had a season-best game with 13 points and six rebounds in a 109–104 loss to the
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of ...
. He was reassigned to Raptors 905 on February 10, and was recalled on February 12.
On February 23, 2017, Sullinger was traded, along with cash considerations and Toronto's second-round draft picks in 2017 and 2018, to the
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Pacific Division (NBA), P ...
in exchange for
P. J. Tucker. However, he was waived by the Suns the following day.
Shenzhen Aviators (2017–2018)
On September 12, 2017, Sullinger signed a one-year deal with the
Shenzhen Aviators of the
Chinese Basketball Association
The Chinese Basketball Association (), often abbreviated as the CBA, is the first-tier professional men's basketball league in China.
The league is commonly known by fans as the CBA, and this acronym is even used in Chinese on a regular basi ...
. He re-signed with the team on August 6, 2018. On January 16, 2018, Sullinger became one of the few players in the CBA to record 40 points and 30 rebounds in a single game as he posted 40 points and 31 rebounds in a 129–103 victory over the
Shandong Golden Stars.
Anyang KGC (2021)
In February 2021, Sullinger joined
Anyang KGC
The Anyang Korea Ginseng Corporation ( ko, 안양 KGC인삼공사), or Anyang KGC, is a professional basketball club in the Korean Basketball League, based at Anyang Arena in the city of Anyang. The club has won three KBL championship titles, in ...
of the Korean league and helped the team capture the league championship. He averaged 27.1 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.
Return to the Aviators (2021–present)
On December 26, 2021, Sullinger returned to the Shenzhen Aviators of the Chinese Basketball Association.
NBA career statistics
Regular season
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...
, 45 , , 5 , , 19.8 , , .493 , , .200 , , .746 , , 5.9 , , .8 , , .5 , , .5 , , 6.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...
, 74 , , 44 , , 27.6 , , .427 , , .269 , , .778 , , 8.1 , , 1.6 , , .5 , , .7 , , 13.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...
, 58 , , 49 , , 27.0 , , .439 , , .283 , , .744 , , 7.6 , , 2.3 , , .8 , , .7 , , 13.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...
, 81 , , 73 , , 23.6 , , .435 , , .282 , , .640 , , 8.3 , , 2.3 , , .9 , , .6 , , 10.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...
, 11 , , 1 , , 10.7 , , .319 , , .167 , , .500 , , 2.5 , , .3 , , .4 , , .1 , , 3.4
, -
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 269 , , 172 , , 24.3 , , .436 , , .272 , , .723 , , 7.5 , , 1.8 , , .7 , , .6 , , 10.8
Playoffs
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...
, 4 , , 0 , , 20.0 , , .553 , , .333 , , .571 , , 7.0 , , .3 , , .0 , , .8 , , 12.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2016
, style="text-align:left;",
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...
, 6 , , 2 , , 13.5 , , .310 , , .500 , , .750 , , 4.5 , , 1.2 , , .2 , , .0 , , 5.2
, -
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 10 , , 2 , , 16.1 , , .425 , , .385 , , .636 , , 5.5 , , .8 , , .1 , , .3 , , 8.0
Awards and honors
NBA
*BBVA
Rising Stars Challenge Contestant (2014)
*Eastern Conference Player of the Week Award Winner (February 3–9, 2014)
College
*2011 Big Ten Tournament Most Valuable Player
*2011 Big Ten Freshman Of the Year
*2011
Wayman Tisdale
Wayman Lawrence Tisdale (June 9, 1964 – May 15, 2009) was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and a smooth jazz bass guitarist. A three-time All American at the University of Oklahoma, Freshman of the Year Award
High school
*2010
James A. Naismith Award winner
*2010
McDonald's All-American Game
The McDonald's All-American Game is the all-star basketball game played each year for American and Canadian boys' and girls' high school basketball graduates. Consisting of the top players, each team plays a single exhibition game after the concl ...
co-MVP
*2010 McDonald's All-American team selection
*2010 Jordan Brand High School All-American team selection
* 2010 First-team
''Parade'' All-American
Personal life
On September 3, 2013, Sullinger turned himself in to police after an alleged domestic assault on his girlfriend. He was charged with assault and battery, intimidation of a witness, and destruction of property. He pleaded not guilty to the charges, which were later dropped.
Charges dropped against Celtics’ Sullinger
/ref>
References
External links
NBADraft.net profile
Sullinger Proving To Be Steal of NBA Draft
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sullinger, Jared
1992 births
Living people
21st-century African-American sportspeople
African-American basketball players
All-American college men's basketball players
American expatriate basketball people in Canada
American expatriate basketball people in China
American expatriate basketball people in South Korea
American men's basketball players
Anyang KGC players
Basketball players from Columbus, Ohio
Boston Celtics draft picks
Boston Celtics players
Centers (basketball)
McDonald's High School All-Americans
Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball players
Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball)
Power forwards (basketball)
Raptors 905 players
Shenzhen Leopards players
Toronto Raptors players