Kennedy Meeks
American basketball player
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kennedy Rashod Meeks (born February 5, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Saitama Broncos of the B.League. He played college basketball for North Carolina. He is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina.
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Meeks in the 2013 McDonald's All-American Boys Game | |
| No. 6 – Saitama Broncos | |
|---|---|
| Position | Center |
| League | B.League |
| Personal information | |
| Born | February 5, 1995 |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 250 lb (113 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | West Charlotte (Charlotte, North Carolina) |
| College | North Carolina (2013–2017) |
| NBA draft | 2017: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2017–present |
| Career history | |
| 2017–2018 | Raptors 905 |
| 2018–2019 | SeaHorses Mikawa |
| 2019–2020 | Levanga Hokkaido |
| 2020–2021 | Seoul Samsung Thunders |
| 2021 | Changwon LG Sakers |
| 2021–2022 | Cholet Basket |
| 2022 | Marineros de Puerto Plata |
| 2023–2024 | Taoyuan Pauian Pilots |
| 2024–2025 | Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers |
| 2026–present | Saitama Broncos |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
High school career
Meeks attended West Charlotte High School, where he averaged 19 points, 16 rebounds, and 3 blocks as a senior. He was named to the McDonald's All-America team in 2013.[1]
College career
Freshman season (2013–14)
As a freshman, Meeks averaged 7.6 points and 6.1 rebounds in 16.3 minutes per game and was named to the ACC All-Freshman team. He worked with North Carolina strength and conditioning coach Jonas Sahratian to slim down in the offseason.[2]
Sophomore season (2014–15)
As a sophomore, Meeks was named an honorable mention All-ACC performer.[3] He sprained his left knee in the Tar Heels' Round of 32 NCAA Tournament victory over Arkansas. At the time, he was averaging 11.6 points, second behind Marcus Paige and he led the team in rebounds with 7.4 rebounds in 23.6 minutes per game.[4] He was in the midst of a scoring slump before the injury, scoring more than 10 points only once in the last eight games.[5]
Junior season (2015–16)
As a junior, Meeks scored a career high 25 points against Temple University.[6] On January 16, 2016, Meeks scored 23 points and 6 rebounds in a 67–55 victory against NC State.[7] He injured his left knee and was out for two weeks mid-season. He returned and helped lead UNC to the National Championship game, where they lost to a buzzer beater by Villanova's Kris Jenkins.
Senior season (2016–17)
In his senior season, he helped the Tar Heels reach a second consecutive NCAA championship game, and he grabbed 10 rebounds to help his team beat the Gonzaga Bulldogs 71–65. Meeks registered a strong run of performances at the end of the season, breaking Tyler Hansbrough's school record for the most rebounds in an NCAA tournament.[8]
College statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | North Carolina | 34 | 17 | 16.3 | .548 | - | .586 | 6.1 | .8 | .3 | .8 | 7.6 |
| 2014–15 | North Carolina | 37 | 32 | 23.3 | .562 | .000 | .641 | 7.3 | 1.1 | .6 | 1.2 | 11.4 |
| 2015–16 | North Carolina | 33 | 28 | 20.6 | .563 | – | .708 | 5.9 | 1 | .8 | 1 | 9.8 |
| 2016–17 | North Carolina | 40 | 40 | 24.3 | .555 | – | .622 | 9.5 | 1 | 1 | 1.2 | 12.5 |
| Career | 144 | 117 | 21.3 | .557 | .000 | .634 | 7.3 | 1 | .7 | 1.1 | 10.4 | |
Professional career
Raptors 905 (2017–2018)
After going undrafted in the 2017 NBA draft, Meeks was signed by the Toronto Raptors for their Summer League team and for training camp. He was waived by the Raptors on October 7, 2017.[9] As an affiliate player, he was picked up by the Raptors 905.
SeaHorses Mikawa (2018–2019)
On November 22, 2018, Kennedy Meeks signed with the SeaHorses Mikawa of the Japanese B.League.[10]
Levanga Hokkaido (2019–2020)
On June 30, 2019, Meeks signed with the Charlotte Hornets for the Summer League.[11]
On August 7, 2019, Meeks signed with Levanga Hokkaido of the Japanese B.League.[12]
Seoul Samsung Thunders (2020–2021)
On December 8, 2020, Meeks signed with the Seoul Samsung Thunders of the Korean Basketball League to replace Jessie Govan.[13]
Cholet Basket (2021–2022)
On September 29, 2021, Meeks signed with Cholet Basket of the LNB Pro A.[14]
Taoyuan Paiuan Pilots (2023–2024)
On September 13, 2023, Meeks signed with Taoyuan Pauian Pilots of the P. League+.[15]
Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers (2024–2025)
On October 1, 2024, Meeks signed with the Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers of the Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL).[16]
Saitama Broncos (2026–present)
On January 9, 2026, Meeks signed with the Saitama Broncos of the B.League for the 2025–26 season.[17]
Career statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | 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 | Led the league | |
| Year | Team | League | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Raptors 905 | NBA G League | 45 | 27.7 | .505 | .056 | .761 | 9.5 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 12.9 |
| 2018–19 | Aishin Sea Horses | B.League | 37 | 32.0 | .493 | .222 | .695 | 11.0 | 5.2 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 14.7 |
| 2019–20 | Levanga Hokkaido | B.League | 31 | 34.1 | .514 | .364 | .825 | 11.0 | 2.7 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 21.0 |
| 2020–21 | Seoul Samsung Thunders | KBL | 8 | 17.6 | .429 | .000 | .500 | 7.6 | .9 | .6 | .1 | 8.6 |
| 2021–22 | Cholet Basket | LNB Pro A | 25 | 15.5 | .463 | .318 | .818 | 3.6 | .8 | .6 | .3 | 7.4 |
Playoff statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Raptors 905 | 5 | 5 | 25.3 | .488 | .250 | .727 | 9.4 | .8 | .8 | .4 | 9.8 |
| Career | 5 | 5 | 25.3 | .488 | .250 | .727 | 9.4 | .8 | .8 | .4 | 9.8 | |
