He played college basketball for the Memphis Tigers, the Kansas Jayhawks, and the Tulane Green Wave.
He averaged 21.4 points and 12.6 rebounds per game as a junior, earning TSWA Class AAA All-State Team honors.
[1] As a senior, he averaged 22.3 points per game and led the Wildcats to the 2015 TSSAA Class AAA state title.
[5] On September 4, 2020, Lawson signed his first professional contract with the Worcester Wolves of the British Basketball League.
[12] Lawson's younger brother, Dedric, plays basketball professionally and was his college teammate at Memphis and Kansas.