Theophilus Alphonso Pinson Jr. (born November 5, 1995) 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 Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player for Mets de Guaynabo of the

Baloncesto Superior Nacional The Baloncesto Superior Nacional, abbreviated as BSN, is the first-tier-level professional men's basketball list of basketball leagues, league in Puerto Rico. It was founded in 1929 and is organized by the Puerto Rican Basketball Federation. T ...

(BSN). 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

North Carolina Tar Heels The North Carolina Tar Heels (also Carolina Tar Heels) are the college sports in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to ...

. A

swingman A swingman is an athlete capable of playing multiple positions in their sport. Basketball In basketball, the term "swingman" (a.k.a. "wing" or "guard-forward") denotes a player who can play both the shooting guard (2) and small forward (3) positi ...

, Pinson was the starting

shooting guard The shooting guard (SG), also known as the two, two guard or off guard,Shooting guards are 6'3"–6'7"BBC Sports academy URL last accessed 2006-09-09. is one of the five traditional basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game ...

for the Tar Heels' 2017 NCAA championship team.

High school career

Born and raised in

Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; ) is a city in Guilford County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 299,035; it was estimated to be 307,381 in 2024. It is the List of municipalitie ...

, Pinson first attended

Oak Ridge Military Academy Oak Ridge Military Academy (ORMA) is a college-preparatory military school in northwestern Guilford County, North Carolina. Oak Ridge is the oldest secondary school (middle & high school) military academy in the United States in operation an ...

as a freshman, before transferring to

Wesleyan Christian Academy Wesleyan Christian Academy is a K–12 private, college preparatory, Christian school located in High Point, North Carolina, United States. It is accredited by Cognia and the Association of Christian Schools International. History In 1971, Wes ...

in nearby High Point, where he was coached by

Keith Gatlin Keith Larnell Gatlin (born December 23, 1964) is an American basketball coach and former professional player who is an assistant coach for the High Point Panthers. He was one of the best players of the high school class of 1983, and committed t ...

and teammates with future and fellow NBA player

Harry Giles III Harry Lee Giles III (born April 22, 1998) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Shanxi Loongs of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils. High school career ...

. He was named a

McDonald's All-American McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American multinational fast food chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese chain Mixue Ice Cream & Tea. Brothers ...

in his senior year. In the summer of 2011, Pinson was named to the

USA Basketball USA Basketball (USAB) is a non-profit organization and the governing body for basketball in the United States. The organization represents the United States in FIBA, and the men's and women's national basketball teams in the United States ...

U16 team, where he won the gold medal with future Tar Heel teammate Justin Jackson.

College career

Pinson's college career was marked by injury early, as he broke the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot and missed 14 games of his freshman season. His sophomore season was injury free; however, he broke the same bone (fifth metatarsal) in his right foot, causing him to miss the first 16 games of his junior season. While on the court, Pinson's passing, defense and leadership played a key role in the Tar Heels' run to consecutive National Championship Title Games. Pinson was also acknowledged as a positive factor in the locker room for these teams, as he developed a reputation as a prankster in both the locker room and with the media. During the Tar Heels' 2017 championship run, Pinson's playmaking helped the team defeat

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

in the South Regional Final, as his full-court drive and pass set up a game-winning shot by forward Luke Maye. As a senior, he averaged 10.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 29.7 minutes per game.

Professional career

Brooklyn Nets (2018–2020)

After going undrafted in the

2018 NBA draft The 2018 NBA Draft was held on June 21, 2018, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur United States college basketball players and other eligible players, including internationa ...

, Pinson joined 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), ...

for the

2018 NBA Summer League The 2018 NBA Summer League consisted of three pro basketball leagues organized by the National Basketball Association (NBA): the Sacramento Kings's California Classic Summer League, Utah Jazz Summer League, and Las Vegas Summer League. The Sacr ...

. He posted 11.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game in five summer league games. On August 6, 2018, Pinson signed a training camp contract with the Nets, which was confirmed to be a

two-way contract A two-way contract is a professional sports contract that stipulates that an athlete's salary is dependent upon the league in which the athlete is assigned to play. This is opposed to a one-way contract that would pay the same salary regardless o ...

for the 2018–19 season. Under the terms of the deal, he will split time between the Nets and their

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

affiliate, the

Long Island Nets The Long Island Nets are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Uniondale, New York, and are affiliated with the Brooklyn Nets. The team plays its home games at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Nassau County ...

. Pinson made his NBA debut on October 20, 2018, in a 132–112 loss to 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 Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

, scoring two points with a rebound and two assists in six and half minutes of play. On April 10, 2019, the Nets converted Pinson's two-way deal to a full NBA contract. On April 15, Pinson made his postseason debut scoring 9 points shooting 3 for 5 from the field and 3 for 4 from 3. On July 8, 2019, the Nets re-signed Pinson to a reported two-year contract, after the Nets rescinded their qualifying offer to Pinson on July 6. In December 2019, Pinson began to see more minutes for the Nets due to an Achilles injury to David Nwaba. On February 4, 2020, Pinson scored 32 points to go with nine rebounds, three assists and two steals in the G League as the Long Island Nets defeated the

Wisconsin Herd The Wisconsin Herd are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and are affiliated with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Herd play their home games at Oshkosh Arena. History On June 29, 2016, it was anno ...

117–110. On June 23, Pinson was waived by the Nets.

New York Knicks (2020–2021)

Three days later after leaving the Brooklyn Nets, on June 26, 2020, Pinson was claimed off waivers by 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 ...

. On November 19, 2020, the Knicks announced that they did not exercise the team option on Pinson, making him a free agent. On November 29, the Knicks re-signed Pinson to a two-way contract with the

Westchester Knicks The Westchester Knicks are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in White Plains, New York, and are affiliated with the New York Knicks. The Knicks play their home games at Westchester County Center in White Plains, N ...

Maine Celtics (2021)

Pinson joined the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

for the

2021 NBA Summer League The 2021 NBA Summer League was an off-season competition held by the National Basketball Association (NBA) at the Thomas and Mack Center and Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada on the campus of University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The summer league c ...

. On September 28, 2021, Pinson signed with 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), ...

, but was waived at the end of training camp. On October 23, he signed with the

Maine Celtics 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 ...

as an affiliate player. Pinson averaged 16.4 points, 4.4 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game.

Dallas Mavericks and Texas Legends (2021–2024)

On December 20, 2021, Pinson signed a 10-day contract with the

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...

. He signed a second 10-day contract with the Mavericks on December 31. He signed a two-way contract on January 10, 2022. On July 1, 2022, Pinson re-signed with the Mavericks on a one-year deal. In the last game of the 2022–23 season, he recorded his first triple-double in a 117–138 loss to 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 ...

. On October 29, 2023, Pinson re-joined 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 ...

. On January 19, 2025, Pinson announced his retirement from professional basketball to focus on his family and broadcasting career.

Mets de Guaynabo (2025–present)

In May 2025, Pinson returned to his basketball career and signed with Mets de Guaynabo of the

(BSN).

Career statistics

NBA

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 ...

, 18 , , 0 , , 11.7 , , .342 , , .261 , , .864 , , 2.0 , , 1.2 , , .3 , , .0 , , 4.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 33 , , 0 , , 11.1 , , .290 , , .188 , , .938 , , 1.6 , , 1.7 , , .5 , , .1 , , 3.6 , - , 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 * ...

, 17 , , 0 , , 2.0 , , .111 , , .000 , , .000 , , .3 , , .1 , , .0 , , .0 , , .1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, 19 , , 0 , , 7.8 , , .359 , , .333 , , 1.000 , , 1.1 , , .9 , , .3 , , .1 , , 2.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 40 , , 1 , , 8.1 , , .356 , , .355 , , .846 , , 1.6 , , 1.2 , , .2 , , .0 , , 2.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 127 , , 1 , , 8.5 , , .320 , , .261 , , .902 , , 1.4 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , .1 , , 2.7

Playoffs

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

, 3 , , 0 , , 7.3 , , .375 , , .429 , , , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , .7 , , .0 , , 3.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 3 , , 0 , , 7.3 , , .375 , , .429 , , , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , .7 , , .0 , , 3.0

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2014–15 , style="text-align:left;",

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 ...

, 24 , , 1 , , 12.5 , , .368 , , .269 , , .611 , , 3.0 , , 1.5 , , .6 , , .2 , , 2.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2015–16 , style="text-align:left;",

, 40 , , 7 , , 18.7 , , .420 , , .290 , , .636 , , 3.2 , , 2.9 , , .6 , , .3 , , 4.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2016–17 , style="text-align:left;",

, 21 , , 13 , , 23.8 , , .381 , , .237 , , .702 , , 4.6 , , 3.7 , , .9 , , .2 , , 6.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2017–18 , style="text-align:left;",

, 37 , , 37 , , 29.7 , , .473 , , .226 , , .818 , , 6.5 , , 5.1 , , 1.1 , , .5 , , 10.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 122 , , 58 , , 21.7 , , .431 , , .257 , , .734 , , 4.4 , , 3.4 , , .8 , , .3 , , 6.3

References

External links

North Carolina Tar Heels bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pinson, Theo 1995 births Living people 21st-century African-American sportsmen 21st-century American sportsmen American men's basketball players Basketball players from Greensboro, North Carolina Brooklyn Nets players Dallas Mavericks players Long Island Nets players Maine Celtics players McDonald's High School All-Americans Mets de Guaynabo basketball players New York Knicks players North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball players Shooting guards Small forwards Texas Legends players Undrafted NBA players