Cory Allen Jefferson (born December 26, 1990) 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

Baylor University Baylor University is a Private university, private Baptist research university in Waco, Texas, United States. It was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Te ...

and represented the United States at the

2013 Summer Universiade The 2013 Summer Universiade, officially known as the XXVII Summer Universiade (; ), was held in the city of Kazan, Russia, the most northerly city ever to host a Summer Universiade. Over 10,400 university athletes from 162 countries participated ...

Kazan, Russia Kazan; , IPA: Help:IPA/Tatar, ɑzanis the largest city and capital city, capital of Tatarstan, Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Volga and the Kazanka (river), Kazanka Rivers, covering an area of , with a population of over 1. ...

High school career

Jefferson attended

Killeen High School Killeen High School is a public high school located in Killeen, Texas and classified as a 6A school by the University Interscholastic League. It is one of six high schools in the Killeen Independent School District, which is located in western B ...

Killeen, Texas Killeen is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located in Bell County. According to the 2020 census, its population was 153,095, making it the 19th-most populous city in Texas and the largest of the three principal cities of Bell County. It is ...

. As a sophomore in 2006–07, he averaged 13.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 5.1 blocks per game, earning All-District 16-4A first team honors. As a senior in 2008–09, he averaged 19.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, leading Killeen to three straight 30-win seasons and four consecutive district championship. Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Jefferson was listed as the No. 13 power forward and the No. 51 player in the nation in 2009.

College career

In his freshman season at Baylor, Jefferson played sparingly for the Bears. In 21 games, he averaged 1.3 points and 1.2 rebounds in 4.6 minutes per game. After redshirting the 2010–11 season, Jefferson returned to the Bears for the 2011–12 season. In his sophomore season, he had 5 double-digit scoring and 12 multiple block games; his 42 blocks ranked 10th on Baylor's single-season list. In 34 games (one start), he averaged 3.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 10.5 minutes per game. In his junior season, Jefferson was named to the NIT All-Tournament team after he helped Baylor win the NIT championship. He also earned Big 12 honorable mention honors at the end of the season. In 37 games (all starts), he averaged 13.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 27.9 minutes per game. In his senior season, Jefferson was named to the 2014 All-Big 12 third team. He was also named the 2014 USBWA District VII Player of the Year. In 38 games (all starts), he averaged 13.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 29.0 minutes per game.

College statistics

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2009–10 , style="text-align:left;", Baylor , 21 , , 0 , , 4.6 , , .391 , , .000 , , .692 , , 1.2 , , .0 , , .1 , , .2 , , 1.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2011–12 , style="text-align:left;", Baylor , 34 , , 1 , , 10.5 , , .522 , , .000 , , .600 , , 2.6 , , .1 , , .2 , , 1.2 , , 3.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

, style="text-align:left;", Baylor , 37 , , 37 , , 27.9 , , .610 , , .333 , , .704 , , 8.0 , , .3 , , .5 , , 1.9 , , 13.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2013–14 , style="text-align:left;", Baylor , 38 , , 38 , , 29.0 , , .500 , , .368 , , .640 , , 8.2 , , 1.0 , , .4 , , 1.3 , , 13.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", Career , style="text-align:left;", , 130 , , 76 , , 19.9 , , .543 , , .340 , , .660 , , 5.6 , , .4 , , .3 , , 1.3 , , 8.9 , -

Professional career

Brooklyn Nets (2014–2015)

On June 26, 2014, Jefferson was selected with the final pick in the

2014 NBA draft The 2014 NBA draft was held on June 26, 2014, at Barclays Center, Brooklyn. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. The ...

by the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

. He was later traded to 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), ...

on draft night. He later joined the Nets for the 2014 NBA Summer League, and signed with the team on July 23. Jefferson received his first and only start of the season on December 13 in a 114–87 win over the

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team ...

. In 23 minutes of action, he recorded 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting and 5 rebounds. On January 1, 2015, using the flexible assignment rule, the Nets assigned Jefferson to the

Maine Red Claws The Maine Celtics are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Portland, Maine, and are affiliated with the Boston Celtics. The Maine Celtics play their home games at the Portland Expo Building. The Boston Celtics pu ...

, the affiliate of 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 Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...

. On January 8, he was recalled by the Nets. On March 6, Jefferson recorded his first career double-double with season-highs of 12 points and 13 rebounds in over 15 minutes of action in a 108–100 overtime loss to the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...

. On June 29, 2015, Jefferson was named in the Nets' team for the

2015 NBA Summer League The 2015 NBA Summer League consisted of three professional sports, pro basketball sports league, leagues organized by the National Basketball Association, NBA: the Orlando Magic, Orlando Pro Summer League, Utah Jazz Summer League, and Las Vegas S ...

. He managed three Summer League games for the Nets before being waived by the team on July 13.

Phoenix Suns (2015–2016)

On September 16, 2015, Jefferson signed a one-year, non-guaranteed contract with the

. After impressing head coach

Jeff Hornacek Jeffrey John Hornacek (; born May 3, 1963) is an American professional basketball coach and a former player who is a coaching consultant for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously was the head coach for both the ...

and general manager Ryan McDonough during preseason, Jefferson made the Suns' opening night roster for the 2015–16 season. He made his debut for the Suns on November 14, recording 2 points and 2 rebounds in a 105–81 win over the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...

. On January 7, 2016, he was waived by the Suns after appearing in just six games. On January 20, 2016, Jefferson was acquired by the Bakersfield Jam of 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, ...

. The next day, he returned to the Suns, signing a 10-day contract with the team. After his 10-day contract expired, playing two more games with the team in the process, he was not retained by the Suns.

Bakersfield Jam (2016)

On February 1, 2016, Jefferson was reacquired by the Bakersfield Jam. The next day, he made his debut for the Jam in a 132–111 win over the

Oklahoma City Blue The Oklahoma City Blue are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City and are affiliated with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Blue compete in the NBA G League as members of the Western Conference. The Blue play their home games ...

, recording 18 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block in 34 minutes.

Austin Spurs (2016–2017)

In July 2016, Jefferson joined 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 ...

for the

2016 NBA Summer League The 2016 NBA Summer League consisted of three pro basketball leagues organized by the National Basketball Association (NBA): the Orlando Pro Summer League, Utah Jazz Summer League, and Las Vegas Summer League. Ten teams participated in the week ...

. On September 26, 2016, he signed with the Cavaliers, but was later waived on October 20 after appearing in six preseason games. He ultimately joined the

Austin Spurs The Austin Spurs are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Cedar Park, Texas, and are affiliated with the San Antonio Spurs. The team plays their home games at H-E-B Center at Cedar Park. The team has made the po ...

of the

on November 12, 2016. On February 6, 2017, he was named in the Western Conference All-Star team for the 2017 NBA D-League All-Star Game.

Philippines (2017)

In March 2017, he signed with the Alaska Aces as the team's import for the 2017 PBA Commissioner's Cup.

Olimpia Milano (2017–2018)

On July 16, 2017, Jefferson signed with the

Olimpia Milano Pallacanestro Olimpia Milano, commonly known as Olimpia Milano or as EA7 Emporio Armani Milan after its title sponsor, is an LBA Italian professional basketball team, based in Milan, Italy. Its colors are white and red, and the team is sometimes ...

of the Italian

Serie A The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...

and the

EuroLeague The EuroLeague is a European men's professional basketball club competition. The league is widely recognised as the top-tier and the most prestigious men's basketball league in Europe. The league consists of 20 teams, of which 16 are given lon ...

. On February 2, 2018, he parted ways with Milano.

Texas Legends (2018)

On February 22, 2018, the

Texas Legends The Texas Legends are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Frisco, Texas, and are affiliated with the Dallas Mavericks. The Legends play their home games at the Comerica Center. The team began as the Colorado 14 ...

had acquired Jefferson from Agua Caliente Clippers with Clipper's 2018 NBA G League draft 4th round pick and the returning player right to Cameron Ayers.

Darüşşafaka (2018)

On July 13, 2018, Jefferson signed with the Turkish team Darüşşafaka of the

. However, on August 18, 2018, Darüşşafaka parted ways with Jefferson after he did not pass the physical test.

Delaware Blue Coats (2018–2019)

Jefferson was signed by the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially 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 Atlan ...

on October 12, 2018. He was waived the next day. Jefferson was added to the

Delaware Blue Coats The Delaware Blue Coats are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Wilmington, Delaware. They are the G-League affiliates of the Philadelphia 76ers. The Blue Coats play their home games at Chase Fieldhouse. The Bl ...

training camp roster.

Guangzhou Long-Lions (2019)

On January 16, 2019, Jefferson signed with Guangzhou Long-Lions. Jefferson made his debut for the Long-Lions on the same day, scoring 17 points with six rebounds and a block in a 133–92 win over the Beikong Fly Dragons. On February 11, 2019, Jefferson parted-way with the Long-Lions after his import player roster spot was replaced by

Lorenzo Brown Lorenzo D'Ontez Brown Banks (born 26 August 1990) is an American-Spanish professional basketball who plays for KK Crvena zvezda of the ABA League and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for the NC State Wolfpack men's basketball, NC S ...

Gran Canaria (2019)

On February 22, 2019, Herbalife Gran Canaria of the

Liga ACB The Liga ACB, known as Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional basketball division of the Spanish basketball league system. Administered by the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto (ACB), Liga ACB is contested by 18 teams, w ...

announced the signing of Jefferson. He and Gran Canaria parted away just after six games, on April 9, 2019.

Atléticos de San Germán (2020)

On February 22, 2020, Jefferson signed with

Atléticos de San Germán Atléticos de San Germán is a basketball club of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN) based in San Germán, Puerto Rico. Founded in the 1930s after the amalgamation of the old San Germán team and the Farmacia Martín team, the team is one of ...

of the Puerto Rican league. On May 27, 2021, Jefferson tried out for the Big3 tryouts in Dallas and made the final 5 for a finalist spot in Las Vegas.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , 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 ...

, 50 , , 1 , , 10.6 , , .449 , , .133 , , .574 , , 2.9 , , .3 , , .2 , , .4 , , 3.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 8 , , 0 , , 6.3 , , .409 , , .000 , , .667 , , 2.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .1 , , 2.8 , - , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 58 , , 1 , , 10.0 , , .453 , , .125 , , .554 , , 2.8 , , .3 , , .2 , , .4 , , 3.5

Personal life

Jefferson is the son of Fancy Pace and the late Charles Jefferson. His mother served 21 years in the military.

References

External links

Baylor Bears bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jefferson, Cory 1990 births Living people Alaska Aces (PBA) players American expatriate basketball people in China American expatriate basketball people in Italy American expatriate basketball people in the Philippines American expatriate basketball people in Spain American men's basketball players Austin Spurs players Bakersfield Jam players Basketball players from Texas Basketball players from Tacoma, Washington Baylor Bears men's basketball players Brooklyn Nets players CB Gran Canaria players Delaware Blue Coats players Guangzhou Loong Lions players Liga ACB players Maine Red Claws players Olimpia Milano players Sportspeople from Killeen, Texas Philippine Basketball Association imports Phoenix Suns players Power forwards San Antonio Spurs draft picks Texas Legends players 21st-century African-American sportsmen Big3 players American men's 3x3 basketball players Atléticos de San Germán players 21st-century American sportsmen