Zach Edey

Zach Edey's Biography

Zachry Cheyne Edey, better known as Zach Edey, was born on May 14, 2002, in Toronto to parents Julia and Glen Edey. This towering figure continues to make a name for himself as a professional basketball player in the technicolour world of the NBA, where he currently dons the colours for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Edey’s mother, who stands at 1.91m (6ft 3in), was herself a fervent basketball player and was born to Chinese immigrants. She met Edey’s father in the very city where their future sports sensation would be born. Edey’s early sports career was nurtured in ice hockey and baseball- two sports that his father had enjoyed playing. It was during his Grade 10 studies at Leaside High School in Toronto that Edey began to take basketball seriously. This newfound passion saw him joining the Amateur Athletic Union program with the Northern Kings.

In search of a grander platform to showcase his talent, Edey traveled to the United States and enrolled in IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Here, he worked diligently under the former NBA star turned coach, Daniel Santiago, which landed him a place in the school’s national team the following year. As a result of his continued success and on-court prowess, Edey was recruited in the 2020 class to play college basketball for Purdue over offers from Baylor and Santa Clara, landing him a place in American collegiate sports.

At Purdue University, Edey broke records, and history was rewritten when he was listed as the tallest player in Big Ten History. Continuing to live up to his status as an unstoppable force, during his freshman season, he averaged 8.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 14 minutes per game. This resulted in him earning the Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors.

In his sophomore year, he moved into a starting role with star performances that elevated his stats. Despite the Purdue team’s loss, Edey left his indelible mark, and by the end of that season, Zach was named to the Second Team All-Big Ten.

Subsequent years saw Edey shattering records. He became the 55th player in Purdue’s history to reach 1,000 career points, the 11th player in Purdue’s history to reach 100 career blocks, and the second player to reach 1,000 career rebounds. He also became the sixth player in Big Ten Conference history to have 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.

On February 26, 2024, Edey declared that he would not be returning to Purdue for the 2024–25 season, drawing the curtains shut on his college career. Instead, he looked toward the glitz and the glam of the NBA and was met with success as he was named the Naismith College Player of the Year consecutively in 2023 and 2024.

This success paved the way to the 2024 NBA Draft, where he was selected as the ninth overall pick, a testament to his skills and talents. Edey gracefully declined his green room invitation, opting to watch the draft from Purdue. On July 6, 2024, he signed with the Memphis Grizzlies, marking his enthralling entry into the NBA as its tallest active player.

Internationally, Edey proved to be a force to reckon with at the 2021 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup in Latvia. His impressive performance led his team to Bronze, earning him a spot in the all-tournament team. In the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, Edey helped Team Canada secure a place in the 2024 Summer Olympics, its first since 2000. The country went on to win a bronze medal, its first-ever World Cup medal, and first major global tournament medal since the 1936 Summer Olympics.

While potentially set to compete for Team Canada in the 2024 Olympics, Edey chose to return to the comfort of the Grizzlies and the NBA Summer League. One thing is for sure, this towering figure is still growing – not in height but in the powerful legacy he continues to build in the world of basketball.