Kent Bazemore

Kenneth Lamont "Kent" Bazemore Jr. (born July 1, 1989) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Greensboro Swarm of the NBA G League.

As a freshman in 2008–09, Bazemore was a key rotation player for the Monarchs, averaging 4.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per game[1] as ODU won the 2009 CollegeInsider.com Tournament.

As a sophomore, he moved into the starting lineup and was a driving force for the Colonial Athletic Association regular-season and tournament champions.

Bazemore averaged career highs of 12.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game and was named the CAA Defensive player of the year and second team All-Conference.

At halftime of a game against state rival VCU on December 10, 2016, Old Dominion retired Bazemore's #24 Monarchs jersey and inducted him into the school's athletic Ring of Honor.

[29] On January 20, 2020, Bazemore was traded, alongside Anthony Tolliver and two future second-round picks, to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Trevor Ariza, Wenyen Gabriel and Caleb Swanigan.

[33] On February 17, 2021, Bazemore scored a season-high 26 points, alongside eight rebounds, three assists and three steals, in a 120–112 overtime win over the Miami Heat.

[42] While with the Warriors, Bazemore was noted for his celebrations while on the team's bench, which became a fixture on YouTube and were included in the NBA 2K14 video game.

[43][44] Kent married Samantha Serpe in Asheville, North Carolina in 2017 [45] In March 2016, ESPN writer Ethan Sherwood Strauss published a story about how Under Armour successfully signed away Stephen Curry from Nike in the 2013 offseason, and revealed that Bazemore played a significant role in the signing.

During the 2012 offseason, when Bazemore was an undrafted rookie trying to make the Warriors roster, his agent contacted Under Armour and convinced the company to take a chance on Bazemore as an endorser, noting that rising Warriors stars Curry and Klay Thompson had endorsement deals set to expire in the near future.

Once Bazemore made the team, he and his fellow North Carolinian Curry bonded over their common origins and shared work ethic.

The company also recognized Bazemore's role in luring Curry by signing an apparel deal with Old Dominion for seven times the amount that the school had previously received from Nike.

Bazemore taking a free-throw for Atlanta in a game against Washington in 2015