Kiwi Gardner
| Al-Ansar | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard |
| League | Saudi Premier League |
| Personal information | |
| Born |
April 7, 1993 Manteca, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) |
| Listed weight | 155 lb (70 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
Manteca (Manteca, California) Westwind Prep (Phoenix, Arizona) |
| College | Midland College (2012–2013) |
| NBA draft | 2013 / Undrafted |
| Playing career | 2013–present |
| Career history | |
| 2013–2015 | Santa Cruz Warriors (D-League) |
| 2015 | Pioneros de Los Mochis (Mexico) |
| 2015–present | Al-Ansar (Saudi Arabia) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Keyondrei "Kiwi" Gardner (born April 7, 1993) is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for Al-Ansar of the Saudi Premier League. He played college basketball for Midland College. He became an Internet sensation via YouTube in 2011.[1][2]
High school career
From 2007 to 2010, Garner attended Manteca High School in Manteca, California. As a sophomore in 2008–09, he averaged 19.8 points, 6.0 assists, 2.1 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game as he helped the Buffaloes finish with a 24-4 record. As a junior in 2009–10, he averaged 24 points, 3.8 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 3.5 steals as he helped the Buffaloes finish a 23-6 record.[3]
In 2010, Gardner transferred to Westwind Preparatory Academy in Phoenix, Arizona. He did not meet the eligibility requirements of the Arizona Interscholastic Association because of transferring in his senior year, so he did not play on WPA's State Championship High School team that year. Instead, he played on WPA's prep team. Gardner was chosen to participate in the NCAA's High School Slam Dunk contest during the Final Four Tournament, where the crowd watched the same showmanship that has led to hundreds of thousands of hits on his YouTube highlight videos.[4] In 2010–11, he averaged 23.7 points, seven assists, four steals and four rebounds per game, while playing for Head Coach Gary Trousdale and leading Westwind to a 30-2 season and a state title.[3]
College career
On May 13, 2011, Gardner signed a national letter of intent with Providence College.[3] However, he did not make an appearance for the Friars after he never gained eligibility to play.[5]
In 2012, Gardner left Providence and moved to Midland College of the NJCAA. In 2012–13, he played 9 games for Midland in February 2013, averaging 9.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.[6]
In April 2013, Gardner declared for the NBA draft.[7]
Professional career
Gardner went undrafted in the 2013 NBA draft. On November 1, 2013, he was selected in the 7th round of the 2013 NBA D-League draft by the Santa Cruz Warriors.[8][9] In 2013–14, he played 35 games while averaging 6.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game.[10]
In July 2014, Gardner joined the Golden State Warriors for the 2014 NBA Summer League.[11] On November 3, 2014, Gardner was reacquired by the Santa Cruz Warriors.[12] On April 26, 2015, he won the D-League championship with the Warriors.[13]
On June 3, 2015, Gardner signed with Pioneros de Los Mochis for the rest of the 2015 CIBACOPA season.[14] In 10 games for Los Mochis, he averaged 23.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game.
In October 2015, Gardner signed with Al-Ansar of the Saudi Premier League.[15]
References
- ↑ "Kiwi Gardner, The Youtube Sensation... Official Senior Season Mixtape". YouTube.com. April 15, 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
- ↑ Gardner, Kiwi (December 31, 2013). Kiwi Gardner Gets A Break, Told To 'Go At The Rim'. Interview with David Greene. NPR. Morning Edition. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
- 1 2 3 "Kiwi Gardner Signs A NLI To Attend PC". Friars.com. May 13, 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
- ↑ "Gardner to be featured in dunk contest". MantecaBulletin.com. March 17, 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
- ↑ Simmons, Rusty (October 19, 2013). "Oakland's Gardner makes D-League tryout circuit". SFGate.com. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
- ↑ "Kiwi Gardner – NJCAA Stats". NJCAA.org. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
- ↑ "Eighteen early-entry candidates withdraw from 2013 Draft". NBA.com. June 18, 2013. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
- ↑ "2013 NBA Development League Draft". NBA.com. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
- ↑ "Santa Cruz Warriors Announce Training Camp Roster". NBA.com. November 6, 2013. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
- ↑ "Kiwi Gardner D-League Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
- ↑ "Warriors Announce 2014 Summer League Roster & T.V. Schedule". NBA.com. July 3, 2014. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
- ↑ "Santa Cruz Warriors Announce 2014 Training Camp Roster". NBA.com. November 3, 2014. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
- ↑ "Title Wave: Santa Cruz Wins NBA D-League Championship". NBA.com. April 26, 2015. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
- ↑ "Kiwi Gardner signs with Los Mochis". Court-Side.com. June 3, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ↑ Laird, Sam (October 20, 2015). "From East Oakland to Saudi Arabia, Kiwi Gardner's hoop dream marches on". Mashable.com. Retrieved December 23, 2015.