Lance Thomas (born April 24, 1988) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player. He played

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

for the

Duke Blue Devils The Duke Blue Devils are the college athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Duke University, located in Durham, North Carolina. Duke's athletics department features 27 varsity teams that all compete at the N ...

where he started at

power forward The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is one of the five traditional Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. Traditionally, power forwards have played a role similar to center (basketball), centers and are typi ...

for the national champion 2010 team.

High school career

Thomas attended

Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School (or SPFHS) is a comprehensive regional four-year public high school in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, which serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from the Township of Scotch Plains a ...

Scotch Plains, New Jersey Scotch Plains is a Township (New Jersey), township in Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is located on a ridge in North Jersey, northern-central Jersey, central New Jersey, within the Raritan R ...

during his freshman and sophomore years. For his junior and senior years, he attended

St. Benedict's Preparatory School St. Benedict's Preparatory School is a Catholic college preparatory school in Newark, New Jersey run by the Benedictine monks of Newark Abbey. The school serves boys and girls in kindergarten through twelfth grade on a urban campus. The scho ...

. He led the school to two Prep A Division New Jersey State titles with a 56–3 record in his final two seasons while averaging 14.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game his senior year. In 2005, Thomas played at the USA Basketball Youth Development Festival where he helped the Blue Team win the silver medal with a 3–1 record. Following his senior year, he played in the 2006 McDonald's All-American game. Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Thomas was listed as the No. 13 small forward and the No. 42 player in the nation in 2006. After committing to Duke University on April 5, 2006, Thomas played for the Under 18 national team at the

FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship The FIBA Under-18 AmeriCup, previously known as the FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship, is the Americas basketball championship for men's under-18 national teams that takes place every two years in the FIBA Americas zone. The top four finishers ...

where he helped USA win the gold medal.

Recruiting

College career

As a freshman, Thomas averaged 4.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game, while shooting .568 from the field, in 31 games (18 starts). As a sophomore, Thomas averaged 4.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in 18.5 minutes in 32 games (28 starts). He posted a .505 field goal percentage and recorded at least five rebounds 12 times, including eight of Duke's 16 ACC games. Thomas' career high in points came on November 28, 2008, when he scored 21 against

Duquesne __NOTOC__ Duquesne or Duchesne ( , ; old spelling Du Quesne, American spelling DuQuesne) is a family name derived from a northern dialectal form of French (Norman and Picard) meaning ''du chêne'' in French ("of the oak"). The anglicization of t ...

. His new career high broke his previous record of 15 points set on November 20, 2006. Thomas' ability to finish shots was a big staple of his improvement. It was said of him, "If he gets the ball within three feet of the basket, chances are he's going to put the ball in the hoop — regardless of whether he's fouled."Thomas scores 21 as Duke pounds Duquesne
/ref> As a junior, Thomas averaged 5.3 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting .626 from the field, in 37 games (16 starts). Thomas felt that the biggest difference between this year's Duke team and the ones from the last two years, was experience. In his senior year, Thomas and All-American point guard

Jon Scheyer Jonathan James Scheyer ( , born August 24, 1987) is an American basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach for the Duke Blue Devils men's basketball, Duke Blue Devils of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). As a playe ...

were co-captains of Duke's team. In January 2010, Thomas had a career-high 12 rebounds against

NC State North Carolina State University (NC State, North Carolina State, NC State University, or NCSU) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina sy ...

. On February 10, the eighth-ranked Blue Devils held on for a 64–54 victory against rival

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

. However, Thomas suffered a severe bone bruise to his right knee early in the second half, forcing him to miss the next game against

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

. Thomas helped Duke win the 2010 NCAA championship, their fourth since 1991. In the 2010 NCAA championship game, Duke faced

Butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments, with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantries, pantr ...

and star swingman

Gordon Hayward Gordon Daniel Hayward (born March 23, 1990) is an American former professional basketball player. He played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Utah Jazz, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, and Oklahoma City Thunder. ...

. The Bulldogs had a chance to win with 3.6 seconds left, but Hayward missed a half-court shot, giving Duke a 61–59 win. Thomas was named to the 2009–10 ACC All-Defensive Team for 2010 and finished his college basketball career ranked 10th on Duke's all-time list in offensive rebounds (255). In 40 games (39 starts) as a senior, he averaged 4.8 points and 4.9 rebounds in 25.3 minutes per game.

Professional career

Austin Toros (2010–2012)

Between November 2010 and December 2011, Thomas played in the

NBA Development League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of the 2024–25 season, ...

for the

Austin Toros Austin refers to: Common meanings * Austin, Texas, United States, a city * Austin (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin (surname), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin Motor Company, a British car manufac ...

. On December 9, 2011, Thomas signed with the

New Orleans Hornets New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

for training camp. He made the Hornets' roster for the start of the lockout-shortened

2011–12 NBA season The 2011–12 NBA season was the 66th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Due to the 2011 NBA lockout, lockout, the regular season was reduced to 66 games for each team, and began on December 25, 2011, coinciding with NBA Christm ...

, but he was later waived by the team on December 31. On January 4, 2012, Thomas was reacquired by the Austin Toros. He was later selected to play in the 2012

NBA Development League All-Star Game The NBA D-League All-Star Game was an annual exhibition basketball game held by the NBA Development League (D-League). The D-League was founded in 2001 as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) and later as the NBA Development League. Th ...

. In 65 games for Austin over two seasons, he averaged 13.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.

New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans (2012–2013)

On February 6, 2012, Thomas was called up by the

, signing a 10-day contract with the team. He later signed a second 10-day contract on February 16, and a multi-year deal on February 27. In 2012–13, Thomas played in 59 games for the Hornets, averaging 2.5 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. In April 2013, the Hornets were renamed 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 Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Confere ...

. On July 10, 2013, Thomas was waived by the Pelicans. He later re-signed with the Pelicans on August 22, but he managed just five games for the team in 2013–14 before be was waived again on November 12. In 106 games for New Orleans over three seasons, he averaged 3.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per game.

Foshan Dralions (2013–2014)

On December 27, 2013, Thomas signed with the Foshan Dralions for the rest of the 2013–14 CBA season. In 16 games for Foshan, he averaged 26.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

Oklahoma City Thunder (2014–2015)

On September 29, 2014, Thomas signed with the

Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Confer ...

. Thunder head coach

Scott Brooks Scott William Brooks (born July 31, 1965) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the top assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a player, he won an NBA champions ...

said of Thomas, "Lance is a hard worker. He's a player that can guard multiple positions. He gives you everything he has and that's what you want."

New York Knicks (2015–2019)

On January 5, 2015, Thomas was traded to the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...

in a three-team, six-player trade that also involved the Thunder and the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers, often referred to as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...

. He was waived by the Knicks two days later. On January 10, Thomas returned to the Knicks on a 10-day contract. He later signed a second 10-day contract on January 21, and a rest-of-season deal on January 31. On March 22, 2015, Thomas scored a career-high 24 points in a 106–89 loss to 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 Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), E ...

. On July 10, 2015, Thomas re-signed with the Knicks. On December 21, 2015, he tied his career high of 24 points in a 107–99 loss to the

Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NB ...

. On July 8, 2016, Thomas again re-signed with the Knicks. Prior to the start of the 2017–18 season, Thomas was named co-captain of the Knicks alongside

Courtney Lee Courtney Lee (born October 3, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. Lee was selected by the Orlando Magic with the 22nd overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft ...

. On June 29, 2019, he was waived by the Knicks.

Brooklyn Nets (2020)

On September 27, 2019, Thomas signed with the

Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...

, but was waived on October 18. On July 14, 2020, the Nets signed Thomas as a substitute player.

National team career

In 2011, Thomas was a member of the US national team that won a bronze medal at the

Pan American Games The Pan American Games, known as the Pan Am Games, is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas. It features thousands of athletes participating in competitions to win different summer sports. It is held among athletes from nations of th ...

. A year later, Thomas was added to the 2012 USA Men's Select Team roster that trained against the 2012 USA Basketball Men's National Team during its July 6–12 training camp in Las Vegas, Nevada.USA Basketball Adds Two 2011 USA Pan American Games Players to 2012 USA Men’s Select Team Roster
/ref>

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

, 42 , , 10 , , 15.0 , , .452 , , .000 , , .839 , , 3.0 , , .3 , , .2 , , .2 , , 4.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 59 , , 9 , , 10.9 , , .500 , , – , , .729 , , 1.9 , , .3 , , .2 , , .1 , , 2.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , 0 , , 8.4 , , .222 , , – , , .500 , , 1.4 , , .6 , , .0 , , .0 , , 1.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...

, 22 , , 13 , , 20.5 , , .357 , , .000 , , .697 , , 3.4 , , .9 , , .5 , , .0 , , 5.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, 40 , , 24 , , 26.0 , , .434 , , .333 , , .742 , , 3.0 , , 1.2 , , .7 , , .2 , , 8.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 59 , , 5 , , 22.3 , , .442 , , .404 , , .857 , , 2.2 , , .9 , , .4 , , .1 , , 8.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 46 , , 15 , , 21.0 , , .398 , , .447 , , .843 , , 3.2 , , .8 , , .4 , , .1 , , 6.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 73 , , 31 , , 18.5 , , .382 , , .403 , , .830 , , 2.4 , , .6 , , .4 , , .2 , , 4.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 46 , , 17 , , 17.0 , , .396 , , .278 , , .750 , , 2.5 , , .6 , , .4 , , .2 , , 4.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, 7 , , 4 , , 14.0 , , .348 , , .308 , , 1.000 , , 1.9 , , .9 , , .0 , , .0 , , 3.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 399 , , 128 , , 18.4 , , .416 , , .381 , , .799 , , 2.6 , , .7 , , .4 , , .1 , , 5.1

Playoffs

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2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 3 , , 0 , , 5.7 , , .200 , , .000 , , .500 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .3 , , 1.3 , - class="sortbottom" , colspan="2" style="text-align:center;", Career , 3 , , 0 , , 5.7 , , .200 , , .000 , , .500 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .3 , , 1.3

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2006–07 , style="text-align:left;",

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...

, 31 , , 18 , , 14.9 , , .568 , , – , , .593 , , 2.5 , , .0 , , .5 , , .1 , , 4.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2007–08 , style="text-align:left;",

, 32 , , 28 , , 18.5 , , .505 , , – , , .521 , , 3.3 , , .3 , , .6 , , .4 , , 4.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2008–09 , style="text-align:left;",

, 37 , , 16 , , 18.6 , , .626 , , – , , .553 , , 3.6 , , .5 , , .5 , , .3 , , 5.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2009–10 , style="text-align:left;",

, 40 , , 39 , , 25.3 , , .439 , , – , , .743 , , 4.9 , , .9 , , .6 , , .2 , , 4.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 140 , , 101 , , 19.7 , , .525 , , – , , .600 , , 3.6 , , .5 , , .6 , , .2 , , 4.6

References

External links

Duke Blue Devils bioUSA Basketball bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Lance 1988 births Living people 20th-century African-American sportsmen 21st-century African-American sportsmen American expatriate basketball people in China American men's basketball players Austin Toros players Basketball players at the 2011 Pan American Games Basketball players from Brooklyn Basketball players from Union County, New Jersey Brooklyn Nets players Duke Blue Devils men's basketball players Guangzhou Loong Lions players McDonald's High School All-Americans Medalists at the 2011 Pan American Games New Orleans Hornets players New Orleans Pelicans players 21st-century American sportsmen New York Knicks players Oklahoma City Thunder players Pan American Games bronze medalists for the United States in basketball Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Sportspeople from Scotch Plains, New Jersey Power forwards Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School alumni Small forwards St. Benedict's Preparatory School alumni Undrafted NBA players United States men's national basketball team players