Wikipedia

Jason Preston

Jason Preston (born August 10, 1999) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract for the Salt Lake City Stars of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Ohio Bobcats.

Jason Preston
Preston with Ohio in 2019
Free agent
PositionPoint guard
Personal information
Born (1999-08-10) August 10, 1999 (age 25)
Coral Springs, Florida, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight181 lb (82 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeOhio (2018–2021)
NBA draft2021: 2nd round, 33rd overall pick
Selected by the Orlando Magic
Playing career2021–present
Career history
2021–2023Los Angeles Clippers
2022–2023→Ontario Clippers
2023–2024Memphis Hustle
2024Utah Jazz
2024→Salt Lake City Stars
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

After three seasons at Ohio University, Preston was drafted 33rd overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2021 NBA draft and was traded to the Clippers. He missed his entire rookie season after undergoing surgery to address an injury in his right foot.

Early life

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Preston played basketball for William R. Boone High School in Orlando, Florida, averaging two points per game over two years.[1] He stood about 6 feet (1.83 m) tall and weighed 140 pounds (64 kg) out of high school and applied to the University of Central Florida as a regular student, planning to major in journalism. After competing on the Amateur Athletic Union circuit, Preston chose to play basketball at a prep school, joining Believe Prep Academy in Athens, Tennessee.[2] He grew four inches (10 cm) and gained experience as a point guard.[1] Preston averaged 12 points, nine assists and seven rebounds per game, leading his team to a 31–8 record.[3] He started out playing for the B team and was elevated to the A team after a series of strong performances, but began playing for the C team after receiving little playing time. Preston eventually managed to rejoin the A team. After posting his highlights to Twitter, Preston received college basketball offers from Ohio and Longwood, eventually committing to play for Ohio.[2]

College career

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As a freshman at Ohio University, Preston averaged six points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, earning MAC All-Freshman Team honors.[4] On November 13, 2019, he posted a sophomore season-high 27 points, 14 rebounds and five assists in an 81–72 win over Iona.[5] On January 21, 2020, Preston recorded 27 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in an 83–74 loss to Toledo.[6] On February 8, he scored 15 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, becoming the second player in program history to register a triple-double, in a 77–46 win over Miami (Ohio).[7] As a sophomore, Preston averaged 16.8 points, 7.4 assists and 6.4 rebounds per game and was a Second Team All-MAC selection. He led the MAC and ranked second in the nation in assists.[8]

On November 27, 2020, Preston recorded a career-high 31 points, eight assists and six rebounds in a 77–75 loss to eighth-ranked Illinois.[9] His story drew national attention following the performance.[10][11][12] On January 23, 2021, he posted his second triple-double, with 11 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in an 85–77 win against Ball State.[13] Preston was named most valuable player of the MAC tournament after leading Ohio University to the title.[14] On March 20, in the first round of the NCAA tournament, he helped the 13th-seeded Bobcats to a 62–58 upset victory over fourth-seeded Virginia, recording 11 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists.[15] As a junior, Preston averaged 15.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game, earning First Team All-MAC honors. On April 26, 2021, he declared for the 2021 NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility.[16] He later decided to remain in the draft.[17]

Professional career

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Los Angeles Clippers (2021–2023)

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Preston was selected with the 33rd overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft by his hometown team the Orlando Magic and was then traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.[18] On August 9, 2021, Preston signed a three-year rookie-scale contract with the Clippers.[19] On October 7, 2021, he underwent surgery after suffering an injury on his right foot during the preseason of his rookie campaign.[20] Preston missed the entire 2021–22 season after undergoing surgery.

Preston made his NBA debut on October 23, 2022, playing three minutes in a 112–95 loss to the Phoenix Suns.[21] He played sparingly in the 2022–23 season, appearing in only 14 games.[22]

On October 1, 2023, Preston was waived by the Clippers.[23]

Memphis Hustle (2023–2024)

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On October 16, 2023, Preston signed with the Memphis Grizzlies,[24] but was waived two days later.[25] On October 30, he joined the Memphis Hustle.[26]

Utah Jazz (2024)

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On January 9, 2024, Preston signed a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz.[27] Preston was waived by the Jazz on November 22, 2024. Preston appeared in 8 games for the Jazz and 26 for the Stars.[28]

Career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

NBA

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Regular season

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2022–23 L.A. Clippers 14 0 8.8 .439 .278 .000 1.6 1.9 .1 .0 2.9
2023–24 Utah 7 0 10.2 .316 .000 — 2.4 2.3 .3 .1 1.7
Career 21 0 9.3 .400 .238 .000 1.9 2.0 .2 .0 2.5

Playoffs

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2023 L.A. Clippers 1 0 1.0 – – – .0 .0 .0 .0 .0
Career 1 0 1.0 – – – .0 .0 .0 .0 .0

College

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2018–19 Ohio 30 21 29.5 .434 .208 .765 3.6 3.4 .8 .1 6.0
2019–20 Ohio 32 32 38.1 .515 .407 .725 6.4 7.4 1.4 .1 16.8
2020–21 Ohio 20 20 34.6 .514 .390 .596 7.3 7.3 1.5 .3 15.7
Career 82 73 34.1 .498 .357 .703 5.6 5.9 1.2 .1 12.6

Personal life

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Preston is a Christian.[29] Preston's mother, Judith Sewell, died of lung cancer when Preston was a junior in high school. His father was absent from his life.[2] After his mother's death, Preston's aunt and uncle, who were living in Jamaica, became his legal guardians, though he remained in the United States and lived with the son of his mother's friend.[1][12] He grew up watching the Detroit Pistons and has written about the team for online publications.[2]

In April 2023, he was featured as the subject of an AT&T commercial that chronicled some unfortunate events in his early life. He had produced a highlight video that helped earn him a Division I scholarship with Ohio and an eventual pro career.[30]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Arkley, Jason (February 25, 2019). "Preston an unlikely freshman standout for Bobcats". The Athens Messenger. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d Lopresti, Mike (November 30, 2020). "Keep an eye on Ohio's unheralded Jason Preston, an early star in college basketball 2020". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  3. ^ "Ohio Men's Basketball Adds Preston To 2018-19 Signing Class". Ohio University. May 15, 2018. Archived from the original on March 7, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  4. ^ "Jason Preston". Ohio University. Retrieved November 27, 2020.[dead link‍]
  5. ^ "Preston scores 27 pts to lead Ohio University over Iona 81-72". ESPN. Associated Press. November 13, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  6. ^ McMillan, Lonnie (January 21, 2020). "Jackson, Knapke lead Toledo past Ohio University 83-74". Bobcat Attack. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  7. ^ Poisal, Anthony (February 8, 2020). "Men's Basketball: Jason Preston's pregame suggestion, triple-double carry Ohio University to blowout win over Miami". The Post. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  8. ^ Mauro, Bryan (July 19, 2020). "MAC Basketball: In-depth look at Ohio Bobcats junior guard Jason Preston". Busting Brackets. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  9. ^ Werner, Jeremy (November 27, 2020). "Quick hits: No. 8 Illini survive scare from Ohio 77-75". 247Sports. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  10. ^ Sykes, Mike D. II (November 28, 2020). "Listen to Ohio guard Jason Preston's absolutely incredible story". For The Win. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  11. ^ Colant, Juliana (November 29, 2020). "OU point guard Jason Preston goes viral over the weekend; Athens County has over 2,000 COVID-19 cases". The Post. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  12. ^ a b Gaydos, Ryan (November 28, 2020). "Ohio University point guard's backstory goes viral as he drops 31 points vs. Illinois". Fox News. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  13. ^ "Preston triple-double leads Ohio past Ball St. 85-77". Sports Illustrated. Associated Press. January 23, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  14. ^ Kirven, J. L. (March 14, 2021). "Men's Basketball: Jason Preston and Ben Vander Plas lead Ohio back to the NCAA Tournament". The Post. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  15. ^ Marot, Michael (March 21, 2021). "Virginia loses 62-58 to Preston, Ohio, ending title defense". Associated Press. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  16. ^ Gleckler, Jack (April 26, 2021). "Men's Basketball: Jason Preston declares for the 2021 NBA Draft". The Post. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  17. ^ Wojnarowski, Adrian (July 7, 2021). "Ohio Bobcats guard Jason Preston to remain in 2021 NBA draft, sign with agent". ESPN. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  18. ^ Mirjam, Swanson (July 30, 2021v). "Clippers eager to bet on Ohio's Jason Preston". The Orange County Register.
  19. ^ "Clippers' Jason Preston: Signs rookie contract". CBSSports.com. August 9, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  20. ^ Youngmisuk, Ohm (October 7, 2021). "LA Clippers rookie Jason Preston has right foot surgery". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  21. ^ Harris, Beth (October 23, 2022). "SUNS BEAT CLIPS 112-95, PAUL 3RD NBA PLAYER WITH 11K ASSISTS". NBA.com. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  22. ^ "Jason Preston Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  23. ^ Kirschenbaum, Alex (October 1, 2023). "Jason Preston Waived By Clippers". HoopsRumors.com. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  24. ^ Grizzlies PR [@GrizzliesPR] (October 16, 2023). "The @memgrizz today announced the team signed Jason Preston and Timmy Allen" (Tweet). Retrieved October 16, 2023 – via Twitter.
  25. ^ "Memphis Grizzlies sign Adonis Arms and David Johnson". NBA.com. October 18, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  26. ^ "Memphis Hustle announce 2023-24 training camp roster". NBA.com. October 30, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  27. ^ Hundman, Gabby (January 9, 2024). "Utah Jazz Sign Jason Preston to Two-Way Contract". NBA.com. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  28. ^ "Utah Jazz Sign David Jones to Two-Way Contract". NBA.com. November 22, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  29. ^ Kruse, Ethan (December 28, 2021). "Jason Preston - Everything Happens for a Reason". His Huddle. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  30. ^ "WATCH: VIRAL VIDEO OF JASON PRESTON SECURED CLIPPERS POINT GUARD SPOT AT COLLEGE". hitc.com. April 4, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
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