Michael Beasley

At 35 years old, Michael Beasley has this physical status:

Michael Paul Beasley Jr. (born January 9, 1989) is an American professional basketball player.

He played college basketball for Kansas State University for one year before declaring for the NBA draft in 2008.

He is regarded as one of the best freshman college basketball players of the 2000s.

Though he is ambidextrous, he shoots left-handed.

Early life

Beasley was born in the Prince George's County town of Cheverly, Maryland. Beasley's mother Fatima Smith and his four siblings (two brothers and two sisters) moved from nearby Montgomery County to Frederick in 2005 and lived there for one year.

Personal life

Beasley's parents are Fatima Smith and Michael Beasley Sr. Beasley's mother died of cancer in December 2018. He has two brothers, Leroy Ellison and Malik Smith, and two younger sisters, Mychaela Beasley and Tiffany Couch. He has a daughter Mikaiya, born in May 2009 and a son Michael III, born in November 2010. Beasley grew up with Kevin Durant and Nolan Smith, and remains friends with both players.

On September 3, 2008, at the NBA's Rookie Transition Program, Beasley was involved in an incident along with fellow rookies Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur. Police responded to the hotel room of Chalmers and Arthur following a fire alarm at 2 am and claimed that the room smelled strongly of burning marijuana, but none was found and no charges were filed. Chalmers and Arthur were excused from the camp because of the incident and were later fined $20,000 each for missing the rookie camp, but were not fined or suspended for any drug-related violations. Both later denied any involvement with marijuana. Originally, ESPN reported that Beasley was also present in the room, but was not asked to leave camp. The story was later updated and any mention of Beasley was removed from the article.

On September 18, 2008, Beasley was fined $50,000 by the league for his involvement in the incident after he confessed to league officials that he had slipped out the door when the police arrived.

On August 24, 2009, Beasley reportedly checked into a Houston rehab center, just days after he posted pictures of himself on Twitter with what some have speculated to be marijuana in the background. It is unknown if the rehab was drug related; officially he was receiving counseling for stress-related issues.

On June 26, 2011, Beasley was driving in the Minneapolis suburb of Minnetonka when he was pulled over by a policeman for speeding. The policeman noticed that the car smelled of a strong odor of marijuana. The officer allegedly found marijuana in a plastic bag under the front passenger seat. However, Beasley said the marijuana was not his, but belonged to a friend whom he had just dropped off. Beasley was consequently fined and ticketed.

In August 2011, Beasley was on a streetball tour in New York City with All-Star forward Kevin Durant when he got into an altercation with a heckler, shoving a hand in the heckler's face.

On August 6, 2013, Beasley was arrested on suspicion of marijuana possession in Scottsdale, Arizona. According to police reports, narcotics were confiscated from Beasley's car after he was stopped for a traffic violation. That arrest was a factor in Beasley's official removal from the Suns a month later.

In September 2014, a sexual assault case from January 2013 involving Beasley was dropped after no probable cause was established.

On August 8, 2019, he was suspended five games for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy.

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High school career

Beasley was a member of one of the country's most popular AAU youth teams at the time, the PG Jaguars, while growing up. Beasley has won multiple national championships with this team, as well as Kevin Durant (Texas) and Chris Braswell (Charlotte). Beasley continued to play AAU basketball for DC Assault's 17 & Under team, alongside such names as current KSU teammate Ron Anderson, Nolan Smith (Duke), Austin Freeman (Georgetown), and Julian Vaughn (Georgetown).

Beasley attended six high schools in Bowie, Maryland, National Christian Academy in Fort Washington, Maryland (where he averaged 30 points and 10 blocks per game in his freshman year, 2003-05) and Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia (22 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 4.5 blocks per game as a sophomore, 2005-06). During the 2006-07 season, he averaged 28 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 4.5 blocks per game. He had single-game highs of 64 points and 31 rebounds during his senior season.

Beasley was a second-team Parade All-American in 2006 and was also named to the 2006 USA Men's U18 National Team member on June 26, 2006. Beasley's average team had 13.8 ppg. At the 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Men in San Antonio, Texas, the rpg topped 8.3 percent. He came in fifth in rebounds per game (8.3 rpg), and he ranked third all-time in the USA Men's U18 record book. He was selected to the McDonald's All-American team. He was the MVP of the 2007 McDonald's All-American Boys Game with 23 points and 12 rebounds. Beasley No. 10 was ranked by Rivals.com. In the class of 2007 high school basketball prospects, there is 1 out of a row.

College career

Beasley began his freshman year at Kansas State in the fall of 2007. Beasley was one of the country's most popular players in the 2007-2008 regular season. His 26.2 points (3rd in the country) and a nation-leading 12.4 rebounds were the most by a Big 12 player in any season. His 866 points and 408 rebounds ranked third and second in NCAA history. He has also ranked second in double-doubles (28), 40-point games (three), 30-point, 10-rebound games (13), and 20-point, 10-rebound games (22). His 28 double-doubles tied for the first double-double record held by Carmelo Anthony, who had 22 double-doubles in his only season at Syracuse in 2002-03. In a 92–86 loss to Baylor, Beasley scored a Big 12 record 44 points in a 92–86 loss. (This mark has since been matched by Denis Clemente of Kansas State.) Beasley became known as an unstoppable force when shooting, shooting 53.7 percent from the field (282 of 525). He also shot 39.5 percent from 3-point range on the season.

Beasley has played in 30 Kansas State single-season and freshman records, as well as 17 Big 12 single-game and single-season records. Beasley led the Wildcats to a 20-ten record and a 10-6 record in the Big 12 Conference. A win at Oklahoma, a home win over Texas A&M, and a triumph over then-unbeaten No. 5 were two of the conference's most notable victories. 2 Kansas is the first time a Kansas State has defeated a Top 10 team at home in more than four years (Kansas State defeated No. 1), and No. 81 is the first time in over four years. (September 6, 2004): Ten Texas defeated Kansas in Manhattan for the first time since 1983 and the first-ever victory over the Jayhawks in Bramlage Coliseum. The win partially funded a wager he had made about K-State's prospects against the Jayhawks prior to the season: a ruse against the Jayhawks.

Kansas won the return match in Lawrence, 88-74, despite 39 points and 11 rebounds from Beasley, on March 1, 2008. Drew Gooden, a former Kansas player, tied for the most double-doubles in a season, tied for the first double-doubles in a season (25). With his 33-point, 14-rebound performance against Colorado on March 4, he beat Mitch Richmond's 20-year-old school single-season points record (768; 1987–88), while his 26th for the year. He is the 27th player in NCAA Division I to post double-doubles in a season, and the first since Utah's Andrew Bogut (26) did it in 2004–05.

Beasley led the Wildcats to a 10-6 record in conference play, winning a number three seed in the 2008 Big 12 men's basketball tournament at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The Wildcats faced the No. No. No. in a recent poll. The Texas A&M Aggies, a seed, lost 77-71. Beasley had 25 points and 9 rebounds, just one board shy of a double-double. He shot 10–21 from the field and 1–4 from behind the three-point line. He also had three blocks. The Wildcats earned a No. 1 spot in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament in 2008. In the Midwest Region, there is an 11 seed. They defeated the No. 1st in the No. 109 challenge. The USC Trojans are seeded 6. For his 27th double-double of the year, Beasley had 23 points and 11 rebounds. However, the Wildcats lost 72–55 to No. No. No. In the second round of the tournament, 3 Wisconsin defeated Wisconsin. Beasley's 28th and final double-double was a 23 points (only 6 points in the second half) and 13 rebounds against the Badgers.

Beasley revealed on April 14, 2008 that he would forego his three years of eligibility and enter the NBA draft.

Beasley is one of only two players in Kansas State history to receive first team All-America awards from the Associated Press. Beasley is the fifth member of a school to be a member of one of the organization's three All-America clubs in total. Beasley was one of 24 finalists for the John R. Wooden Player of the Year award and was selected by voters to the 2008 John R. Wooden Award The All American team was selected by the 10-member All American team. He followed Kevin Durant as the second straight standout freshman to win both Big 12 Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year awards.

Beasley became the fourth player to be named as the conference's Player of the Year and the first since the Big 12's inception. He was the first person to be named league Freshman of the Year and the 12th overall to be chosen as either Freshman or Newcomer of the Year since 1970.

CBS Sports.com, Rivals.com, The Sporting News, and the United States Basketball Writers Association named Beasley as National Freshman of the Year by CBS Sports.com, Beasley.com, The Sporting News, and the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA). He has also been selected by a number of publications, including CBS Sports.com, Dick Vitale, ESPN.com, Rivals.com, Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, and The United States Basketball Writers Association. In addition, CBS Sports.com and Rivals.com selected him as the first team Freshman All-American.

In addition, he was selected one of four finalists for the 2008 Naismith Player of the Year Award. He was also one of ten finalists for the Oscar Robertson Player of the Year award.

Professional career

The Miami Heat selected Beasley 2nd overall in the 2008 NBA draft on June 26, 2008. On July 2, he joined the Heat.

Beasley scored 28 points and grabbed 9 rebounds (and had 2 assists) in 23 minutes played in his NBA Summer League debut on July 7, where he had 23 points and grabbed 9 rebounds (and had 2 assists). In the 2008 Summer League, he came in second in rebound average and tied for third in scoring average. He was mistakenly struck in the chest by an unidentified teammate's elbow during his first official practice with the Heat. He was drafted and returned to the team the following day with chest bruising, but he was only active in non-contact sports. He had barely cracked his sternum and resumed contact drills two days after.

Beasley scored 16 points against the Detroit Pistons in his first preseason game. He dominated those shows with 21 points and 7 rebounds, 12 points and 11 rebounds, 14 points and no rebounds, 19 points and no rebounds, 14 points and 3 rebounds, 19 points and 3 rebounds, and 19 points and 9 rebounds, as well as 19 points and 9 rebounds. Beasley scored 9 points in a loss to the New York Knicks on the first night of the 2008–09 regular season. In a loss to Charlotte on November 1, he had double-digit point totals for the next nine straight games, including a season-high 25 points.

Beasley, as well as fellow rookie Mario Chalmers, had been fined multiple times throughout the season for breaching team rules, following the Heat's first round exit from the 2009 playoffs.

He was a starter for the entire season from 2009–10. He led the Heat to victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on February 19, 2010, putting up his career-high 30 points and 8 rebounds. He averaged 14.8 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game for the season. These averages dropped to 10.4 and 5.8, respectively, in the Heat's first-round playoff series loss to Boston.

Beasley was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for 2011 and 2014 second-round draft picks on July 12, 2010. Beasley was moved in order to free agents LeBron James and Chris Bosh, as well as re-signing Dwyane Wade.

He aided the Timberwolves to victory over the Sacramento Kings on November 10, 2010 with a career-high 42 points and 9 rebounds. He ended the season with 19.2 points per game, which was ranked top 20 in the league. Beasley strained his foot against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 6, 2012, leaving him out for 11 straight games. He led the Timberwolves to victory over the Houston Rockets with 34 points less than a week after recovering from injury. He averaged 11.5 points per game during the 2011-2012 season.

Beasley agreed to a three-year, $18 million deal with the Phoenix Suns on July 20, 2012. Around this time, he decided to train with former NBA champion point guard Norm Nixon in order to develop his game. Beasley scored 21 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and had 7 assists in the Suns' 117-110 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on November 7, 2012. Beasley led the Suns to a 92-86 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on January 30, 2013, despite a season high 27 points with 6 rebounds and 5 steals off the bench.

The Suns waived Beasley's admission to Beasley on September 3, 2013. Beasley was arrested on suspicion of marijuana possession shortly after. "We worked hard to dedicate ourselves to Michael's accomplishments, but we still have to maintain the standards to establish a championship culture," Suns president Lon Babby said.

Beasley signed with the Miami Heat on September 11, 2013. For the fourth straight time in 2014, the Heat made it to the NBA Finals for the fourth straight time, with Beasley making his first Finals appearance against the San Antonio Spurs. Game 5 and the series were lost by the Heat as the Spurs defeated 4-1.

Beasley agreed to a non-guaranteered deal with the Memphis Grizzlies on September 25, 2014. However, the Grizzlies suspended him later on October 9. He signed a one-year contract with the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association on the same day. Beasley came off the bench to score 59 points in the CBA's All-Star Game, establishing a CBA record for most points.

Despite scoring 28.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.9 steals in 37 games, Beasley could not help the Sharks advance to the CBA playoffs as they finished 12th with a 17–21 record.

Beasley signed a 10-day deal with the Miami Heat on February 26, 2015. In a 104-102 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, he made his return to the Heat by scoring seven points. On March 8, he signed his second 10-day deal with the Heat and the remainder of the season on March 18.

The Heat lost out on Beasley's 2015–16 deal on June 28, 2015, rendering him a free agent.

Beasley signed with the Shandong Golden Stars in the 2015–16 CBA season, marking his return to China for the second time. In the team's season opener on November 1, he scored 48 points but then surpassed that record with 49 points ten days later. After scoring 63 points, 19 rebounds, and 13 assists for the South team, he received the CBA All-Star Game MVP award for the second year in a row. Shandong qualified for the 2016 playoffs, but the Guangdong Southern Tigers defeated them 3–0 in the first round. Beasley averaged 31.9 points, 13.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game in 40 games for Shandong. He was later named league Foreign MVP for the 2015–16 season.

Beasley joined the Houston Rockets on March 4, 2016. In a 102-98 win over the Boston Celtics, he scored 18 points and 8 rebounds in just under 15 minutes off the bench in his third game for the Rockets on March 11, his third game for the Rockets. In a 109-97 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, he had a season-high 30 points and 9 rebounds. In a 103–100 loss to the Chicago Bulls on March 31, he recorded his first double-double of the season with 20 points and 11 rebounds. With a 41–41 record, Beasley helped the Rockets finish as the eighth seed in the Western Conference during the regular season. In the first round of the playoffs, Beasley scored 12 points in a 97–96 victory in Houston, giving Houston a 97-94 lead with two free throws with 41 seconds remaining.

Beasley was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Tyler Ennis on September 22, 2016. In a 106-96 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, he scored a season-high 19 points on November 12, 2016. In December, he missed five games due to a foot injury. In a 109-107 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on January 10, 2017, he set a new season high with 28 points. In a 108-105 win over the Detroit Pistons, he returned after missing 17 games due to a hyperextended left knee.

Beasley signed with the New York Knicks on August 8, 2017. In a 117–102 loss to the Houston Rockets on November 25, 2017, he had a season-high 30 points starting in place of the injured Kristaps Porziais. Beasley defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder on December 16, 2017, starting in place of Porziois for the first time. In the second half of the Knicks' 102-93 victory over the Boston Celtics, he scored 28 of his season-high 32 points on December 21, 2017. He had 12 rebounds against the Celtics as well. When playing 25 minutes or less, Beasley became the first NBA player to come off the bench and have at least 32 points and 12 rebounds. He was also the first Knicks sub ever to play in a 32–12 game. In a 122–119 double overtime loss to the Chicago Bulls on January 10, 2018, he scored 26 points and 12 rebounds off the bench. In a 115-109 loss to the Detroit Pistons on March 31, 2018, he had a 32-point effort.

Beasley signed with the Los Angeles Lakers on July 23, 2018. He missed a large portion of the season due to his ill mother.

Beasley and Ivica Zubac were traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Mike Muscala on February 7, 2019. Two days later, he was cut by the Clippers.

Beasley signed with the Guangdong Southern Tigers on February 20, 2019.

The Brooklyn Nets reported on July 9, 2020, that Beasley had been recalled as a replacement for the remainder of the 2019-20 season. However, his employment was terminated after he tested positive for COVID-19.

For the 2021 NBA Summer League, Beasley joined the Portland Trail Blazers. He signed with Cangrejeros de Santurce of Baloncesto Superior Nacional on October 5, 2006.

Michael Beasley, a co-captain, was revealed on May 11, 2022, the Big3 revealed that he had joined 3's firm as a co-captain.

He scored 26 points in Beasley's Big3 debut against the Bivouac.

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