Stewart with theDetroit Pistons in 2022 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 28 – Detroit Pistons | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Center /power forward | ||||||||||||||
| League | NBA | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (2001-05-22)May 22, 2001 (age 24) Rochester, New York, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 250 lb (113 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | |||||||||||||||
| College | Washington (2019–2020) | ||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 2020: 1st round, 16th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Drafted by | Portland Trail Blazers | ||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 2020–present | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| 2020–present | Detroit Pistons | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights | |||||||||||||||
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| Stats at NBA.com | |||||||||||||||
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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Isaiah Stewart II (born May 22, 2001), nicknamedBeef Stew,[1][2] is an American professionalbasketball player for theDetroit Pistons of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). He playedcollege basketball for theWashington Huskies. Listed at 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 m) and 250 pounds (113 kg), he plays thecenter andpower forward positions.
Stewart attendedMcQuaid Jesuit High School in New York in his first two years of high school, after which he transferred toLa Lumiere School, a prep school in Indiana. He was a consensus five-starrecruit and was ranked among the top players in the 2019 class. Stewart earnedMcDonald's All-American honors and was namedMr. Basketball USA andNaismith Prep Player of the Year.
Stewart was born inRochester, New York.[3] He grew upboxing and playingsoccer.[4] Starting in fifth grade, Stewart focused onbasketball, which he was drawn to because of his size and athleticism.[5] He played organized basketball for the first time at age 10, while attending elementary school in Rochester. At age 12, Stewart stood around 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m).[6]

Stewart attendedMcQuaid Jesuit High School in his first two years of high school. When he was 14 years old, as a freshman, he stood 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m).[6] In his freshman season, Stewart averaged 18.5 points, 12.4 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game, recording two back-to-back 40-point games, and was named Rochester City Athletic Conference player of the year.[7] In October 2016, he broke histailbone duringUnited States national under-16 team tryouts and consequently missed most of his sophomore season.[8] On February 2, 2017, Stewart returned to the court, posting 35 points, 14 rebounds, and six blocks in his season debut.[9]
Entering his junior year, Stewart transferred toLa Lumiere School, aprep school inLa Porte, Indiana with a prestigious basketball program.[10] In 19 games, he averaged 19.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game, leading his team to a 25–4 record.[3] Stewart earnedMaxPreps Junior All-American honorable mention recognition.[11] In his senior season with La Lumiere, he averaged 18.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game, helping his team to a 30–1 record.[12] Stewart won theNaismith Prep Player of the Year andMr. Basketball USA awards.[13][14] He was named to theUSA Today All-USA first team and MaxPreps All-American second team.[12][15] Stewart played in theMcDonald's All-American Game,[16]Jordan Brand Classic,[17] andNike Hoop Summit.[18]
Stewart finished his high school career as a consensus five-starrecruit and top-five player in the 2019 class.[19][20][21] On January 21, 2019, he committed to playing college basketball forWashington. The other finalists to land him wereDuke,Kentucky,Michigan State, andSyracuse. Stewart was drawn to Washington because of his longtime relationship withMike Hopkins.[22] He knew Hopkins, a former Syracuse assistant coach, since his time playing for McQuaid Jesuit.[23]
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isaiah Stewart C | Rochester, NY | La Lumiere School (IN) | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | 245 lb (111 kg) | Jan 20, 2019 | |
| Recruit ratings:Rivals: | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: Rivals: 2 247Sports: 4 ESPN: 3 | ||||||
Sources:
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Heading into the season Stewart and teammateJaden McDaniels were projected as potential top 3 picks for the2020 NBA draft and possibly going first and second. In part to this, Washington also received a lot of hype. Stewart made his college debut for UW against theBaylor Bears in the 2019Armed Forces Classic, recording 15 points and seven rebounds, including the game-winning basket in a 67–64 victory for Washington.[24] At the conclusion of the regular season, Stewart was named to theAll-Pac-12 first team and the Freshman Team.[25] Stewart posted 29 points and 12 rebounds againstArizona in the Pac-12 tournament. He averaged 17 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game as a freshman. On April 1, 2020, Stewart declared for the2020 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.[26]
Stewart was drafted 16th overall by thePortland Trail Blazers in the2020 NBA draft. On November 22, 2020, Stewart,Trevor Ariza, and a conditional future first-round pick were traded to theHouston Rockets in exchange forRobert Covington.[27] On November 24, Stewart, Ariza, a future second round pick, and cash considerations were traded to theDetroit Pistons in exchange forChristian Wood, a protected future first-round pick, and a second round pick in2021.[28] On December 1, the Pistons announced that they had signed Stewart to his rookie scale contract.[29] On March 26, 2021, Stewart was ejected from a game against theBrooklyn Nets with a flagrant-2 foul.[30]
On November 21, 2021, Stewart was ejected in the third quarter after repeatedly attempting to attackLeBron James during a 116–121 loss to theLos Angeles Lakers.[31] James initially hit Stewart in the face while attempting to block him out during a free throw attempt, which led to a bloody-faced Stewart charging at James multiple times. Stewart had to be held back by game officials and players.[32] The next day, it was announced that Stewart would be suspended for two games.[33]
On March 9, 2023, the Pistons announced that Stewart was diagnosed with a left shoulder impingement and would be sidelined for at least three-to-four weeks.[34] On July 10, 2023, it was reported that Stewart had agreed to a 4-year, $64 million contract extension with the Pistons.[35]
On December 23, 2023, Stewart was ejected from a game against thePhiladelphia 76ers with a flagrant-2 foul againstPatrick Beverley.[36] On February 14, 2024, Stewart was arrested inPhoenix for assault after punching opponentDrew Eubanks in the parking lot ofFootprint Center before a matchup against thePhoenix Suns. Stewart was issued a citation and released. The NBA suspended him for 3 games.[37]
On November 3, 2024, Stewart was assessed a flagrant 1 foul during a game against theBrooklyn Nets, and on November 13, Stewart was ejected with a flagrant 2 foul after grabbingGiannis Antetokounmpo out of the air by his jersey during a dunk attempt.[38] On January 8, 2025, Stewart was assessed a flagrant 1 foul during another game against the Nets after elbowingNoah Clowney in the neck. On January 29, Stewart was ejected from a game against theIndiana Pacers with a flagrant 2 foul for shovingThomas Bryant. He was automatically given a 1-game suspension for accruing his 6th flagrant foul point of the season, and he was also fined $50,000 for gestures he made after his ejection.[39] During a March 30 game against theMinnesota Timberwolves, Stewart received a technical foul for shovingDonte DiVincenzo and then was ejected on the following play after puttingNaz Reid in achokehold.[40] He was suspended for 2 games "based in part on his repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts".[41]. On February 9, 2026, Stewart was ejected from a game against theCharlotte Hornets with a double technical for charging at and throwing punches atMiles Bridges in the midst of a brawl.[42] A total of four players subsequently received suspensions as a result of the melee, with Stewart being dealt the longest suspension of 7 games.[43]
Stewart played for the United States at the2018 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup in Argentina. In seven games, he averaged 11.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.[44] In the finals, Stewart led all scorers with 15 points and nine rebounds in a 95–52 win overFrance to capture the gold medal.[45]
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 | Detroit | 68 | 14 | 21.4 | .553 | .333 | .696 | 6.7 | .9 | .6 | 1.3 | 7.9 |
| 2021–22 | Detroit | 71 | 71 | 25.6 | .510 | .326 | .718 | 8.7 | 1.2 | .3 | 1.1 | 8.3 |
| 2022–23 | Detroit | 50 | 47 | 28.3 | .442 | .327 | .738 | 8.1 | 1.4 | .4 | .7 | 11.3 |
| 2023–24 | Detroit | 46 | 45 | 30.9 | .487 | .383 | .753 | 6.6 | 1.6 | .4 | .8 | 10.9 |
| 2024–25 | Detroit | 72 | 4 | 19.9 | .559 | .321 | .759 | 5.5 | 1.7 | .4 | 1.6 | 6.0 |
| Career | 307 | 181 | 24.6 | .507 | .345 | .733 | 7.1 | 1.3 | .4 | 1.1 | 8.6 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Detroit | 1 | 0 | 19.0 | .500 | — | — | 5.0 | 1.0 | .0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Career | 1 | 0 | 19.0 | .500 | — | — | 5.0 | 1.0 | .0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | Washington | 32 | 32 | 32.2 | .570 | .250 | .774 | 8.8 | .8 | .5 | 2.1 | 17.0 |
Stewart's father Dela Stewart, who is a native ofJamaica, immigrated to the United States in the early 1970s for farm work. Later on, he moved toNew York, where he met Stewart's mother Shameka Holloway and began working in construction.[4] Stewart's paternal grandfather, who was a Jamaican fisherman and farmer, stood 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 m).[4][6] Stewart has worn the number 33 in honor of Jamaican-American former playerPatrick Ewing.[6]. Stewart has one son, Rafa Naryan Stewart (born July 24, 2024), with his wife, Kiley Stewart.