Wendell Moore Jr.

Wendell Moore Jr.'s Biography

Wendell Horace Moore Jr., born September 18, 2001, has successively solidified his name in the history of basketball, from his high school career, through college, and eventually in the big leagues of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Currently, he is scoring hoops as a professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons.

Coming from North Carolina, Moore had his early education at Cox Mill High School in Concord. He showed a great deal of potential in basketball as a freshman in 2015. Starting in all 29 games, he held averages of 17.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. His remarkable contribution led his team to a 22-8 record and a sectional championship win. In the 2016-2017 school year, Moore, as a sophomore, astonishingly started all 33 games, improving his averages to 25.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 2.3 steals per match. His skill had pushed his team to an improved 27-6 record and a 3A state title.

In his junior year 2017–2018, Moore broke a spectacular record becoming the fastest player in Cabarrus County public school history to score 1,000 career points. This milestone paired with his averages of 25.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.3 steals per game solidified a 29-3 record and a second consecutive 3A state title for his team.

On October 8, 2018, Moore decided to advance his career by joining Duke University and playing for their esteemed team, the Duke Blue Devils, in the 2019-2020 season. This choice seemed to make more sense to him than North Carolina, NC State, South Carolina, or Wake Forest, all of which had expressed interest in his extraordinary talent.

During the season, Moore marked some memorable accomplishments. In the finals of the 2K Classic, he led his team to an 81-73 victory against Georgetown, scoring 17 points. Additionally, he added career-high 25 points to his record on February 25, despite a loss to Wake Forest. Due to an unfortunate hand injury requiring surgery, however, Moore was forced off the court for six games before returning with vigor, registering significant improvements in his stats.

Throughout his tenure as a Duke Blue Devil, Moore’s sophomore year saw him average 9.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. As a junior, Moore reached great heights being named the Second Team All-ACC and the All-Defensive Team. In November 2021, he made a stronger imprint by becoming the fifth player in Blue Devils history to record a triple-double – 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.

His spectacular performance didn’t go unnoticed. On April 2, 2022, Moore received the prestigious Julius Erving Award. Later that month, he declared himself for the 2022 NBA draft, thus forgoing his remaining college eligibility.

In the 2022 NBA draft, Moore was picked by the Dallas Mavericks as the 26th overall pick. He was later traded – once to the Houston Rockets and then to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Finally, on July 6, 2024, Moore moved to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for the 53rd overall pick in the draft and some cleared salary.

Besides his NBA career, Moore also contributed to the United States’ victory in the FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup in July 2018.

Moore roots his love for the game in his lineage. His father played college basketball at Christopher Newport University and his cousin at Virginia Commonwealth University. Thus, Wendell Moore Jr.’s basketball journey is a harmonious blend of talent, hard work, and family tradition.