Kira Lewis Jr.

Kira Aundrea Lewis Jr., born on April 6, 2001, is a professional basketball player in the United States who currently plays for the Utah Jazz, a team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Lewis, who gained wide acclaim during his collegiate basketball career with the Alabama Crimson Tide, was picked in the first round of the NBA’s 2020 draft by the New Orleans Pelicans.

Lewis initiated his basketball journey at Hazel Green High School located in Hazel Green, Alabama, where he played for three years. His junior year was crucial in his career as he recorded an average of 28.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 3.9 steals per game. It was this impressive performance that propelled his team to the Alabama Class 6A semifinals. Throughout that season, Lewis was showered with several accolades – Huntsville Region Player of the Year, Alabama Class 6A Player of the Year, first-team All-State honors for the second season consecutively, and he was also a finalist for Alabama Mr. Basketball. Despite being part of the 2019 class originally, he graduated from high school early and moved to the 2018 class.

On August 10, 2018, Lewis committed to Alabama, selecting them over various significant NCAA Division I offers, including those from Indiana and Kansas. He was rated a four-star recruit by ESPN and 247Sports. Notably, at age 17, Lewis was the second-youngest player in NCAA Division I basketball, youngest player to appear in a game, during his freshman season with Alabama. His impressive performance during the season, including a season-high 24 points against Wichita State, earned him a place in the SEC All-Freshman Team. Yet, despite Lewis’s commendable performance, the team had a struggling season, ending with an 18-16 record.

Lewis’s sophomore season opener was a remarkable one, as he recorded a career-high 30 points. Later, he further surpassed this by scoring 37 points in a 105-102 overtime win against Georgia. On February 12, Lewis notched the first triple-double by any Alabama player since 1996, making him the second player in school history to achieve this distinction. Despite numerous brilliant performances throughout the season, the team did suffer losses, becoming apparent in an 80-73 loss to Mississippi State, where Lewis contributed 29 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Nonetheless, his exceptional performance prompted his naming to the First Team All-SEC. Following the season, he declared fort the 2020 NBA draft.

The New Orleans Pelicans selected Lewis as the 13th pick in the NBA’s 2020 draft. Shortly after, he signed with the Pelicans. He managed to score double-digit points during January 2021’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers and even documented a career-high 16 points and six assists facing the Los Angeles Lakers in March. Unfortunately, a serious injury in December 2021, where he tore his ACL and sprained his MCL in a game against the Denver Nuggets, cut his season short.

After three years of his debut, Lewis was traded along with a 2024 second-round pick by the Pelicans to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for cash considerations on January 17, 2024. Shortly after, he was traded again to the Toronto Raptors along with Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora, and three first-round picks for Pascal Siakam. After brief participation in one Raptors game, on January 19, 2024, Lewis was assigned to the Raptors 905, a member of the NBA’s G League. Shortly after, Lewis was traded to the Utah Jazz alongside Otto Porter Jr., in exchange for Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji.

Notably, Lewis also represented his country internationally at the 2019 FIBA Under-19 World Cup located in Heraklion, Greece. He played a role in securing gold for his team by averaging four points and 1.6 assists per game. Kira Lewis Jr.’s career, strewn with personal achievements and team trades, presents the unforgiving, competitive nature of professional basketball while highlighting his significant contribution to the sport.