Derrick Favors

Derrick Favors's Biography

Derrick Bernard Favors, born on July 15, 1991, is a renowned American basketball player best-known for his time in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the NBA G-League. His most recent affiliation was with the Windy City Bulls of the NBA G League. Favors, however, had a promising start to his basketball career at South Atlanta High School, where he was recognized as one of the top high school hoops prospects in the nation in 2009. Various athletic scouting organizations, including Scout.com, ESPN, and Rivals.com, ranked him very high among national prospects. Favors primarily played power forward and capped off his high school career with a 38-point, 21-rebound performance that led his school to the Georgia Class AAA state championship.

After a stellar high school career, Favors enrolled at Georgia Tech, where he proved to be a dominant force in college basketball. He was a significant force in the Yellow Jackets’ advancement to the ACC tournament finals against Duke. His impressive average statistics of 11.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, including a shooting average of 62.5% from the field, won him several accolades and the ACC Rookie of The Year honor. However, after spending only one season with Georgia Tech, Favors decided to forgo his NCAA eligibility in order to enter the 2010 NBA draft.

Drafted by the New Jersey Nets as the third overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft, Favors quickly made a name for himself, becoming the youngest Nets player to make it onto the court at only 19 years and 104 days of age. This was soon followed by his first career double-double consisting of 13 points and 13 rebounds against Miami.

In 2011, Favors was traded to the Utah Jazz. During his time with the Jazz, he climbed the ranks, eventually securing 10th place on Utah’s all-time rebounding list. Favors signed an extension of his contract with the Jazz in 2013 and continued to deliver commanding performances with a career-high 35 points in a 122-119 win over the Indiana Pacers in 2015.

In 2019, he found himself with a new team after being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. Despite an underwhelming start, Favors played a pivotal role in many of the Pelicans’ victories. His remarkable career trajectory brought him back to the Jazz in the 2020-2021 season, where he eventually surpassed former Utah center Mehmet Okur on the Jazz’s all-time scoring list to reach the 10th spot.

Favors’ professional career then led him to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for a second-round pick and cash considerations in the middle of 2021. Due to injury problems, he was ruled out for the remainder of the season. Following this, Favors had brief spells with the Houston Rockets and his hometown team, the Atlanta Hawks, before being signed by the Chicago Bulls. However, his time with the Bulls was short-lived, and he was consequently picked up by the Windy City Bulls in the NBA G League.

Off the court, Favors signed a shoe deal with Adidas before the 2010 NBA Draft, showing continuous loyalty to the brand since his teenage years. As a young aspiring athlete, he represented his AAU team, the Atlanta Celtics, in Adidas footwear, and the brand has remained a consistent part of his professional life since then. Today, Derrick Favors’ journey through basketball continues, entering his latest chapter with the Windy City Bulls while keeping his eyes on future opportunities.