Who Is Rodney McGruder (NBA Star)? Here Are Facts You Need To Know
Rodney McGruder left the draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 2013 as an uncalled-up free player. Since he was still pursuing a career in basketball, he played in a few summer leagues, whereupon he got a look from Oklahoma City Thunder. However, he was released just one month after he joined the team.
Rodney aspired to a career abroad but soon returned to fight for a place in the NBA. By the time he made his debut in the professional league, he was playing in the summer leagues again, scoring 6 points in 24 minutes. This unique feat made people ask questions about who he is. Here you can find answers to these and other questions.
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Who is Rodney McGruder?
Rodney Christian McGruder is a professional basketball shooter/small forward born in Landover, Maryland on July 29, 1991, as the son of Rodney (father) and Rudine (mother) McGruder. He is an American nationality and belongs to the Black American ethnic group.
The basketball player trained for three years at the Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington, D.C., before moving on to the Arlington Country Day School in Jacksonville, Florida. After high school, Rodney McGruder went to Kansas State University, where he began his studies in 2009 and graduated in 2013 with a degree in human ecology.
After graduation, the young Shooting Guard / Small Forward was not selected by any team in the 2013 NBA draft. Nevertheless, he tried to start his career by playing for different teams in the following summer leagues. Fortune smiled on Rodney when the Miami Heat thought he would fit in well with their team after his impressive performance in the 2016 NBA Summer League. Since Christian McGruder joined the Florida-based team, he has been doing everything he can to stay at the top of his game.
Facts You Need to Know About The NBA Star
College Career Stats
When McGruder was on the Kansas State Wildcats men’s basketball team, he played a total of 135 games, of which he started 100. Of those, the Maryland-born hoop player scored 27.4 minutes per game, a field goal of 0.452, a 3-point field goal of 0.381, a free throw of 0.759 with 4.8 rebounds per game, 1.4 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.3 blocks, and 11.7 points per game.
Rodney McGruder Career Begining
Rodney didn’t have it rosy at the beginning of his career, not that he has made it to the top now, but he is much better in his games right now than he was at the cradle of his career.
After his barren NBA draft, Christian joined the Orlando Magic and the Charlotte Bobcats for the Orlando Summer League and the Las Vegas Summer League respectively. After his time with the two teams, the young baller signed with Oklahoma City Thunder but was released after almost a month in October 2013. The following month he started playing for Atomeromu SE of Hungary for the 2013-2014 season. He then returned to America to play for the Golden State Warriors in the 2014 NBA Summer League.
The Boston Celtics signed Rodney McGruder in September 2014 but gave him up after a month as the Maine Red Claws secured his services until March 2015, when he resigned. The Sioux Falls Skyforce became his interim team until he joined the Miami Heat for the NBA Summer League in 2015.
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First Contract
Rodney McGruder signed a 3-year contract with the Heats on July 7, 2016, worth over $3.4 million. He earns over $1.1 million annually.
NBA Highlights
He made his debut on October 26, 2016, against Orlando Magic in a 108-96 victory for his team. So far, the Shooting Guard has achieved a career-high of 25.2 minutes per game in the 2016-2017 season, a field goal of 0.493, and a 3-point percentage of 0.429 each in the 2017-2018 season. He also recorded a free throw of 0.620, 3.3 rebounds per game, 1.6 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.6 blocks, 0.2 blocks, and 6.4 points per game – all career highs he recorded in the 2016-2017 season.
Rodney McGruder Net Worth
Since the beginning of his career, Rodney McGruder has worked hard to be where he is today and has been well rewarded. The player is reportedly worth about $5 million.
Body Statistics
The NBA Shooting Guard / Small Striker stands at a height of 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) and weighs 200 lb (91 kg). At this height, he is one inch above the 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) high requirement for shooting guard and 2 inches below the 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m) high requirement for small forward.
