Gavin Edwards (basketball)

Gavin Edwards
No. 33 – Utsunomiya Brex
PositionPower forward / center
LeagueB.League
Personal information
Born (1988-01-15) January 15, 1988 (age 36)
Gilbert, Arizona
NationalityJapanese
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight243 lb (110 kg)
Career information
High schoolMesquite (Gilbert, Arizona)
CollegeUConn (2006–2010)
NBA draft2010: undrafted
Playing career2010–present
Career history
2010Anyang KGC
2010BC Khimik
2010–2011Springfield Armor
2011–2012Peristeri B.C.
2012–2013Westports KL Dragons
2013–2017Aisin SeaHorses Mikawa
2017–2023Chiba Jets Funabashi
2023–presentUtsunomiya Brex
Career highlights and awards
  • 2× NBL Blockshot leader (2015, 2016)
  • NBL All-Star (2015)
  • B.League All-Star (2019)

Gavin Earl Edwards (born January 15, 1988, in Gilbert, Arizona) is a U.S.-born Japanese professional basketball player for Utsunomiya Brex in Japan.[1] He is also a member of the Japanese men's national basketball team and competed for them in the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo.[2]

College

Edwards played collegiate basketball at UConn Huskies men's basketball.[3]

Professional and National Team career

Edwards plays professional basketball in Japan in the B.League, and as a naturalized import for the Japanese national team. “It’s not exactly how you’d picture going because you always think, ‘I’d love to play on Team USA,’ but everybody wants to play in the Olympics,” said Edwards, who played at UConn in 2006-10 and has played professionally in Japan for the past eight years."[4] He was one of the last members to be selected.[5]

Career statistics

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
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2013–14 Aisin 53 12 23.6 60.7 50.0 64.7 8.1 1.0 0.5 1.8 13.9
2014–15 Aisin 54 5 22.9 63.8 20.0 66.0 7.9 1.3 0.8 1.9 13.8
2015–16 Aisin 53 13 25.3 57.8 36.4 71.6 7.8 1.4 0.8 1.8 15.0
2016–17 Mikawa 60 16 26.0 54.5 29.2 68.8 7.5 1.5 0.8 1.2 14.6
2017–18 Chiba 60 59 29.0 60.9 25.7 64.4 7.7 2.8 0.9 1.2 18.1

Personal

Edwards and his wife, Elle, have a son and daughter. His wife and children live in Arizona while he lives in Funabashi. He is a naturalized Japanese citizen, which allowed him to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.[6]

His father, Earl Edwards is a former American football player.

References

  1. ^ Chiba Jets (10 February 2018). "Gavin Edwards". Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  2. ^ "Gavin Earl EDWARDS". Olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  3. ^ "Gavin Edwards - Men's Basketball". University of Connecticut Athletics. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  4. ^ Anthony, Mike (2021-07-08). "UConn's Gavin Edwards, a naturalized Japanese citizen, taking roundabout road to Olympic dream with host nation". CT Insider. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  5. ^ Nagatsuka, Kaz (2021-07-14). "Gavin Edwards, a late addition to team Japan, excited for Olympic opportunity". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  6. ^ Anthony, Mike (8 July 2021). "UConn's Gavin Edwards, a naturalized Japanese citizen, taking roundabout road to Olympic dream with host nation". CT Insider. Norwalk, Connecticut. Retrieved 7 April 2022.