Nerlens Noel

At 30 years old, Nerlens Noel has this physical status:

High school career

Noel, who was born outside Boston, Massachusetts, to Haitian immigrant parents, attended Everett High School for the first two years. He attended Tilton School in Tilton, New Hampshire, after his sophomore year. Noel was originally a member of the 2013 class, but was later reclassified to the 2012 college recruiting class. As a senior, Noel averaged 12.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.9 blocks per game.

He was rated as the top player in the class of 2012 by ESPN and Scout.com, and the top player by SLAM. Noel was chosen to compete in the 2012 Nike Hoop Summit and the 2012 Jordan Brand Classic. Noel played AAU basketball on the same team as future Sixers teammate Michael Carter-Williams in addition to his high school years. An article in The New York Times honed Noel as one of the best shot blockers of his generation, although he was also described as having unrefined offensive abilities.

College career

Noel, who had been deliberating among several top college basketball programs, announced in April 2012 that he would attend the University of Kentucky to play NCAA Division I basketball. On national television, he fulfilled his verbal promise by revealing the UK logo in the back of his head. Fans and the media had high hopes for him to step in Anthony Davis' shoes, who had just led the Kentucky Wildcats to a national championship in the previous season, and he set a Kentucky and NCAA freshman single-season block record of 186.

He had 15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, and 4 steals against Lafayette in his third game on November 16, 2012. Noel defeated Texas A&M 15 points, 11 rebounds, 7 blocks, 6 assists, and 4 steals on January 12, 2013.

In an 87-74 team victory over #16 Ole Miss, Noel set a new single-game record with 12 blocks on January 29, 2013. Five of the blocks occurred while Noel had four personal fouls, two of whom were denials of slam dunk attempts. Sam Bowie set the UK school record in 1981 but Andre Riddick tied it in 1993. Despite scoring only two points, Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy said in the post-game press conference that "[Noel] was the difference in the game" and that he is "an extraordinary defensive presence." Murphy Holloway, an Ole Miss senior forward, said that Nerlens Noel is the "best shot blocker [he] has] played against] including Anthony Davis.

Noel tore the ACL in his left knee during a game against the Florida Gators on February 12, 2013, causing him to miss the remainder of the season. It was predicted that he would be the 1st overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft before his injury. Despite his injury, Noel made the decision to draft the 2013 draft on April 15, 2013.

Noel was recognized with numerous awards, including SEC Freshman of the Year, SEC Defensive Player of the Year, SEC First Team, SEC All Freshman Team, and the SEC Community Service Team. Noel also received first-team recognition by the league's coaches, extending a four-year streak of UK players receiving first-team AP awards.

The Wildcats' 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) center was joined by UNLV Runnin' Rebels' Anthony Bennett, UCLA Bruins' Shabazz Muhammad, Oklahoma State Cowboys' Marcus Smart, and Kansas Jayhawks' Ben McLemore on the Freshman All-America team. He was the fifth Kentucky player under coach John Calipari to receive the award from the USBWA, joining John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

Professional career

After playing one season at the University of Kentucky and was expected to be one of the top picks in the draft, Noel made the pick No. 1 player. During the draft, he was invited to sit in the "green room," a room of the upcoming top ten to fifteen collegiate basketball players, and the New Orleans Pelicans' sixth overall pick. His torn ACL torn, which may have caused him to drop below the draft, there were questions around the league. Later that night, Noel's draft rights were traded along with a 2014 first round pick to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for guard Jrue Holiday and Pierre Jackson's draft rights.

The transfer from Noel to the 76ers was finalized on July 12, 2013. He signed with the 76ers on September 24, 2013. Despite the fact that Noel was supposed to play during the 2013–14 season, Noel was unable to return from knee surgery for the full season.

Noel joined the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2014 NBA Summer League. Noel made his long-awaited NBA debut in the 76ers' 103–91 loss to the Indiana Pacers on October 29, 2014. He had 6 points in just under 35 minutes as a starter, as well as 10 rebounds and 3 blocks. The 76ers exercised their third-year option on Noel's rookie scale deal, extending the deal through the 2015–16 season. In a 103-94 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, he scored 14 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals, and a then-career-high 6 blocks.

As part of the Team USA roster, Noel competed in the 2015 Rising Stars Challenge. In a loss to the Indiana Pacers on February 20, Noel recorded 12 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals, and a career-high 9 blocks. Noel was just the third 76ers' rookie to reach 100 blocks in a season a week later against Washington.

The 76ers exercised their fourth-year team option on Noel's rookie scale contract on October 30, 2015, extending the deal through the 2016-2017 season. In a 110-105 victory over the Sacramento Kings on December 30, he had a season-high 20 points and 9 rebounds. Due to tendinitis in his right knee, he was ruled out of the 2016 Rising Stars Challenge on February 11.

Noel was out for three to five weeks after suffering an inflamed plica over his left leg that required surgery on October 22, 2016. Noel made his season debut for the 76ers against the Detroit Pistons on December 11, after spending time with the Delaware 87ers of the NBA Development League on injury rehabilitation assignments in late November and early December. He scored eight points off the bench in ten minutes before dropping the game in the second quarter due to a left ankle sprain.

Noel scored a season-high 19 points in a 121-110 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on January 24, 2017, getting his first appearance of the season in place of the injured Joel Embiid.

Noel was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Justin Anderson, Andrew Bogut, and a 2017 first-round pick. In a 96-83 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, he made his Mavericks debut two days later, scoring nine points and 10 rebounds off the bench. Noel hit a career high with 17 rebounds while scoring 15 points in a 104–100 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on March 3, 2017.

The Mavericks made Noel a restricted free agent on June 23, 2017. He accepted the one-year, $4.1 million qualifying offer on August 26, 2017, re-signing with the Mavericks two days later. In a 117-111 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, Noel had 16 points, his most since joining Dallas, and 11 rebounds. He underwent surgery on December 8, 2017 to fix a torn ligament in his left thumb. He then played in 42 games before returning to action against the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 28, 2018, where he had four points, three rebounds, and four fouls in 16 minutes against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a 111–110 overtime loss. In a 118-107 victory over the Denver Nuggets on March 6, 2018, he had a season-high 14 rebounds. He was suspended without compensation for five games for breaching the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Policy.

Noel signed a two-year deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder on July 6, 2018. In a 117-110 victory over the Phoenix Suns on October 28, 2018, he had 20 points and 15 rebounds. In a 122-102 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on December 31, he scored 15 points in 15 minutes. Noel was taken off the court on a stretcher in the third quarter after taking an elbow in the chest and striking the floor hard. He missed the next three games due to concussion.

Noel agreed to a one-year deal with the New York Knicks on November 25, 2020. The Knicks re-signed Noel to a three-year, $32 million contract on August 11, 2021.

Noel was traded by Alec Burks and the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Nikola Raditevi's draft rights and a 2022-protected second-round pick.

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