Nassir Little

Nassir Shamai Little (born February 11, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Little finished his high school career as one of the top-ranked players in his class, having led Orlando Christian Prep to consecutive Florida state championships. The 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) small forward went on to play college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Nassir Little
Little with North Carolina in 2019
No. 9 – Portland Trail Blazers
PositionSmall forward / Shooting guard
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (2000-02-11) February 11, 2000
Pensacola, Florida
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeNorth Carolina (2018–2019)
NBA draft2019 / Round: 1 / Pick: 25th overall
Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers
Playing career2019–present
Career history
2019–presentPortland Trail Blazers
Career highlights and awards
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

High school career

Little played his freshman and sophomore seasons (2014–16) at Oakleaf High School then transferred to Orlando Christian Prep, where he played for the rest of his high school career. In his junior and senior season (2016–18), he led Orlando Christian Prep to back-to-back Florida state titles.[1] Little stood out during the McDonald's All-American Game in 2018 as he posted 28 points and tore down 5 rebounds, added 1 assist and 1 steal, to lead the West past the East and claim the most valuable player (MVP) award. He also won MVP honors at the Jordan Brand Classic after putting up 24 points in 25 minutes. Thus he joined LeBron James as only the second player to win MVP honors at both high school All-American games.[2] Little was ranked the second-best high school prospect of 2018 by the recruiting service Rivals.[3]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Nassir Little
SF		 Orange Park, FL Orlando Christian Prep (FL) 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Oct 4, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 95
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 2  247Sports: 2  ESPN: 6
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "North Carolina 2018 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  • "2018 North Carolina Tar Heels Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  • "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved June 4, 2018.

    College career

    Little committed to play for North Carolina on October 4, 2017.[4] He made his debut for the Tar Heels on November 6, 2018, recording 7 points, 3 assists, and 2 blocks during North Carolina's 78–67 victory over the Wofford Terriers.[5] Little scored a career-high 23 points to go along with 6 rebounds and 3 assists as North Carolina defeated the Virginia Tech Hokies 103–82.[6]

    At the conclusion of his freshman season, Little announced his decision to forgo his collegiate eligibility and declare for the 2019 NBA draft, where he was projected to be a first-round selection.[7]

    Professional career

    On June 20, 2019, the Portland Trail Blazers drafted Little with the 25th overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft.[8] On July 1, 2019, Little officially signed with the Blazers.[9]

    Career statistics
    Legend
      GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
     FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
     RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
     BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

    Regular season
    Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
    2019–20 Portland 48511.9.430.237.6362.3.5.3.33.6
    Career 48511.9.430.237.6362.3.5.3.33.6

    College
    Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
    2018–19 North Carolina 36018.2.478.269.7704.6.7.5.59.8

    See also

    References
    1. "Little drafted into NBA". Clay Today. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
    2. "Nassir Little Is Learning the Hard Way". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
    3. Boone, Kyle (March 29, 2018). "McDonald's All-American Game: North Carolina signee Nassir Little takes home MVP honors". CBS Sports. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
    4. Rapaport, Daniel (October 4, 2017). "Five-Star Recruit Nassir Little Commits to North Carolina". SI.com. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
    5. Alexander, Jonathan M. (November 6, 2018). "North Carolina withstands a late push by Wofford to win season opener on the road". newsobserver. Retrieved March 8, 2019. Freshman wing Nassir Little added seven points, and three assists. But his biggest plays were on defense. He had two blocks.
    6. Underhill, Maxwell (January 22, 2019). "UNC's Long-Awaited Nassir Little Awakening Should Scare Rest of ACC". 12up.com. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
    7. "UNC freshman Little declares for NBA Draft". ESPN. October 27, 2020.
    8. "Nassir Little to Trail Blazers: Portland's Current Roster After 2019 NBA Draft". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
    9. "Trail Blazers Sign Nassir Little". NBA.com. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
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