PJ Dozier

PJ Dozier's Biography

Perry “PJ” Dozier Jr., born on the 25th of October, 1996, is an outstanding American professional basketball player who has been actively playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the National Basketball Association (NBA). His journey to becoming a professional player commenced rigorously in his college years, where he relentlessly polished his skills while playing for the South Carolina Gamecocks.

In his concluding year at Spring Valley High School, Dozier’s excellence in the game peaked. Consequently, he was selected for the prestigious 2015 McDonald’s All-American Boys Game roster, and he further proved his prowess by scoring 14 points. This promising young talent then committed to further his basketball career at South Carolina. His potential didn’t go unnoticed, and ESPN ranked him the 21st best recruit of his class. This talent ran in his blood as his father, Perry Dozier, also emerged as a competitive basketball player for South Carolina back in the 1980s.

In his second year in college, Dozier solidified his importance to the team. Together with Sindarius Thornwell, he played a crucial role in South Carolina’s unexpected appearance in the Final Four. He made a mark by scoring an impressive 21 points against Marquette during the NCAA Tournament. Thanks to his outstanding performance, he was named to the East Region All-Tournament Team. In the narrow 77–73 loss to Gonzaga in the Final Four, Dozier still managed to score 17 points. At the end of his successful sophomore season, Dozier decided to forego his final two seasons of college and announced his intention to declare for the 2017 NBA draft.

Despite not being picked in the 2017 NBA draft, Dozier propelled his professional career forward by signing with the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2017 NBA Summer League. Subsequently, on August 8, 2017, he signed a contract with the Dallas Mavericks. However, his stint with Dallas ended shortly, and he reached an agreement for a two-way contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder on October 14, 2017. According to the terms of this deal, Dozier had to split his time between the Thunder and their NBA G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue. He eventually made his long-awaited NBA debut against the Los Angeles Lakers on February 8, 2018.

On August 21, 2018, Dozier continued his journey in the league by signing a two-way contract with the Boston Celtics. He further elevated his status in February 2019 when he was named to the All-NBA G League team, which is equivalent to being an All-Star. However, his journey with the Celtics came to an end when they declined to extend his contract on June 30, 2019, thus making him an unrestricted free agent. He soon found his way to the Philadelphia 76ers’ Summer League team on July 4.

On August 13, 2019, he signed a one-year deal with the Denver Nuggets. Despite starting the NBA G League season with the Windy City Bulls, his performance remained undeniable as he scored an impressive 32-point game high along with nine assists, eight rebounds, two steals, and one block in a victorious match against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants on January 11, 2020. On June 30, the Denver Nuggets recognized his impact and converted his two-way contract to a comprehensive multi-year NBA contract.

On November 23, however, he faced a major setback during a match against the Portland Trail Blazers where he suffered a torn ACL in his left knee. This injury was confirmed to be a season-ender, putting a pause on his career advancement. Not one to be downtrodden, Dozier returned to the basketball scene on January 19, 2022, as part of a three-team trade involving the San Antonio Spurs. However, his time with the Celtics was short-lived, as he was traded to the Orlando Magic on February 10, 2022, without playing a single game. Subsequently, he was released by the Magic.

From adversity came opportunity; on September 17, 2022, Dozier signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves. On November 2, 2022, he further celebrated his new contract by being named to the opening night roster for the Iowa Wolves.

On January 9, 2023, the Sacramento Kings brought him in on a 10-day contract only to renew it for an additional ten days on January 19, 2023. However, they did not re-sign him upon the contract’s expiration, opting for Deonte Burton instead. With resilience, Dozier returned to the Iowa Wolves on January 29, 2023, only to be reacquired by the Sacramento Kings less than a month later on February 25, 2023.

In an interesting shift, Dozier decided to gain overseas experience by signing a one-year contract with Partizan Mozzart Bet of the Basketball League of Serbia (KLS), the Adriatic League, and the EuroLeague on August 12, 2023. He wrapped up his first season with an average of 9.2 points, 3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists over 33 EuroLeague games.

On July 15, 2024, in a turn of events, he found his way back to the NBA and signed a contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves. In homage to his second cousin, the late Reggie Lewis – a prominent Celtics player who tragically died of heart failure – Dozier wore the jersey number #35 while he was with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Dozier’s basketball ties run further into his family as his uncle, Terry Dozier, was a player for the Charlotte Hornets of the NBA.

Perry and Terry, also his father and uncle, both played basketball at South Carolina, and are twins. His older sister Asia also shared the family passion for the sport and played basketball at the same college. Indeed, Perry “PJ” Dozier Jr.’s life and career are a testament to his family’s sporting legacy and his own relentless dedication to the game of basketball.