Lorenzo D'Ontez Brown Banks (born 26 August 1990) is an American-born naturalized Spanish professionalbasketball player forOlimpia Milano of theLega Basket Serie A (LBA) and theEuroLeague. He played college basketball for theNC State Wolfpack and spent several seasons in theNational Basketball Association (NBA). Born in the United States, he helped lead theSpanish national team to aEuroBasket title in2022.
Brown initially attendedCentennial High School in his nativeRoswell, Georgia (United States). He averaged 20.8 points as a senior and was named a fourth-team Parade All-American and the Georgia 5A player of the Year. When he graduated in 2009, he was the No. 36 nationally and the No. 7 shooting guard overall by Rivals.com. After he graduated, he attended theHargrave Military Academy inChatham, Virginia.[3]
Brown, a 6'5"guard, played forNC State from 2010 to 2013. He started all three seasons and led the Wolfpack to consecutiveNCAA tournament appearances in2012 and2013. As a junior, Brown averaged 12.4points and 4.3rebounds per game and led theAtlantic Coast Conference (ACC) inassists with 7.2 per game.[4] At the close of the season, Brown was named second team All-ACC.[5] During his college career Brown averaged 11.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 32.6 minutes per game.
After the2012–13 season, Brown decided to forgo his final season of college eligibility and declared for the2013 NBA draft.[6]
Brown was selected with the 52nd overall pick in the2013 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves[7] and subsequently joined the team for the2013 NBA Summer League. On September 26, 2013, he signed his first professional contract with the Timberwolves.[8] However, he was waived by Timberwolves on October 25, 2013.[9]
On November 1, 2013, he was acquired by theSpringfield Armor.[10] On November 20, 2013, he signed with thePhiladelphia 76ers.[11] He made his debut that same day, scoring 5 points with 58 seconds left in the 4th quarter.[12] During his rookie season, he had multiple assignments with the Delaware 87ers.[13] On March 14, 2014, he was waived by the 76ers.[14] On March 16, 2014, he was re-acquired by the Springfield Armor.[15]
On July 29, 2014, he signed withReyer Venezia of Italy for the 2014–15 season.[16] On September 5, 2014, his contract was voided by Venezia after he failed physicals.[17] On September 25, 2014, he signed with theDetroit Pistons.[18] However, he was later waived by the Pistons on October 20, 2014.[19] On November 1, 2014, he was acquired by theGrand Rapids Drive.[20] On November 15, he made his debut for the Drive in a 112–103 loss to theBakersfield Jam, recording 14 points, six rebounds and five assists in 33 minutes.[21] On February 4, 2015, he was named to the Futures All-Star team for the 2015NBA D-League All-Star Game.[22]
On January 28, 2015, he signed a 10-day contract with theMinnesota Timberwolves.[23] Three days later, in just his third game for the Timberwolves, he was thrown into the starting line-up due to being the only healthy point guard on the team asMo Williams andZach LaVine were both out injured. He was forced to play all but five seconds of their 90–106 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers as he recorded 9 assists, 6 rebounds and 1 point.[24] He moved back to the bench the following game on February 2 with the return ofRicky Rubio from long-term injury. His playing time drastically decreased as he managed just 1:29 minutes of action in the 94–100 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.[25] On February 6, he signed a second 10-day contract with the Timberwolves.[26] On February 19, 2015, he signed with the Timberwolves for the rest of the season.[27] On October 24, 2015, he was waived by the Timberwolves.[28]
On November 12, 2015, Brown was reacquired by the Grand Rapids Drive.[29] Two days later, he made his season debut in a 113–101 win over theDelaware 87ers, recording 13 points, two rebounds, two assists and three steals in 23 minutes off the bench.[30]
On January 8, 2016, Brown signed a 10-day contract with thePhoenix Suns.[31] He made his debut for the Suns four days later, recording 7 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds and 1 steal in a 116–97 loss to theIndiana Pacers.[32] On January 18, he signed a second 10-day contract with the Suns.[33] After his contract expired, the Suns decided to not retain him, making him a free agent. On January 29, he was named in the East All-Star team for the 2016 NBA D-League All-Star Game, earning his second straight All-Star nod.[34] On February 2, he was reacquired by the Grand Rapids Drive.[35]
On March 18, 2016, Brown signed a 10-day contract with theDetroit Pistons.[36][37] He later signed a second 10-day contract with the Pistons on March 28,[38] and then for the rest of the season on April 13.[39] Brown was waived by the Pistons on October 22, 2016, before playing in a game for them.[40]
On November 4, 2016, Brown signed a deal with Russian teamUNICS Kazan,[41] but his contract was voided on November 15 after failing a physical.[42] On December 8, 2016, he signed a contract with theZhejiang Golden Bulls of theChinese Basketball Association to replace the injuredCady Lalanne.[43] In 20 games, he averaged 24.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 2.6 steals per game, and shot 80% from the free throw line.[44]
On March 3, 2017, following the conclusion of the2016–17 CBA season, Brown was reacquired by theGrand Rapids Drive.[45]
Brown joined theDetroit Pistons for the 2017NBA Summer League. He ultimately signed atwo-way contract with theToronto Raptors. Under the terms of the deal, split time between the Raptors and their G League affiliate, theRaptors 905.[46] He also became the first player who previously had NBA experience to sign a two-way contract with an NBA team. He won theNBA G League Most Valuable Player Award for the season with Raptors 905.[47] Prior to the close of the season, Brown's contract was upgraded to a standard deal.[48]
On July 20, 2018, the Raptors re-signed Brown.[49] In 26 games for the team during the2018–19 season, Brown averaged 2.1 points per game in 8.2 minutes per game. On January 7, 2019, the Raptors waived Brown.[50]
On February 10, 2019,Guangzhou Loong Lions of theChinese Basketball Association was reported to have signed Brown.[51][52] Brown made his debut for the Loong Lions two days later, scoring 17 points with 2 rebounds and a steal in a 97–93 victory over theBeijing Ducks.[53] In eight games he averaged 25.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 2.8 steals per game, and shot 80% from the free throw line.[44]
On August 3, 2019,KK Crvena zvezda announced that they had signed Brown.[54][55] He averaged 11.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.2 steals per game, and shot 84% from the free throw line.[44]
On July 14, 2020, he signed withFenerbahçe Beko of theTurkish Basketball Super League.[56] He averaged 10.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, and shot 83% from the free throw line.[44] On June 17, 2021, Brown was released from the Turkish club.
On July 23, 2021, Brown signed a one-year contract withUNICS.[57] He left the team in early 2022 due to the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, but returned later to finish the season.[58][59] He averaged 13.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, and shot 85% from the free throw line.[44]
On June 29, 2022, Brown signed a two-year deal with Israeli clubMaccabi Tel Aviv.[60] In 2022–23, he averaged 16.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.0 steals per game, and shot 89% from the free throw line.[44]
In February, Brown signed a contract extension with Maccabi until the end of the 2025–26 season.[61]
On June 19, 2024, Brown agreed upon a three-year contract, worth €5.4 million (along with a €600,000 buyout compensation forMaccabi), with the reigningEuroLeague championsPanathinaikos. The deal was made official on June 25, 2024.
Despite the length of the contract, Brown left the club in 2025 following an underwhelming season in which his performances did not meet expectations. As part of the agreement to terminate the contract early, Panathinaikos paid him a compensation of €700,000 to facilitate the move.[62]
On July 12, 2025, Brown signed a multi-year contract with Italian powerhouseOlimpia Milano.[63] In October 2025, Brown missed the opening two games of the Euroleague season due to a left thigh strain.[64]
After being anaturalization target for Croatia,[65][66][67] Brown was grantedSpanish citizenship in early July 2022 ahead ofEuroBasket 2022.[68][69][70] Brown stated that the prospect of being coached at the Spain national team bySergio Scariolo—whom he had previously collaborated with at theToronto Raptors—was the deciding factor the player chose Spain.[66]
He representedSpain atEuroBasket 2022, winning gold in the final againstFrance. He was subsequently named to theAll-Tournament Team.
| 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 | PIR | Performance index rating |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | Philadelphia | 26 | 0 | 8.6 | .302 | .100 | .692 | 1.1 | 1.6 | .5 | .1 | 2.5 |
| 2014–15 | Minnesota | 29 | 7 | 18.9 | .426 | .214 | .632 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 1.0 | .2 | 4.2 |
| 2015–16 | Phoenix | 8 | 0 | 7.6 | .320 | .125 | .750 | .9 | 1.4 | .4 | .1 | 2.5 |
| 2017–18 | Toronto | 14 | 0 | 9.9 | .412 | .167 | 1.000 | 1.1 | .9 | .4 | — | 2.3 |
| 2018–19 | Toronto | 26 | 0 | 8.2 | .324 | .214 | 1.000 | 1.2 | 1.1 | .5 | .2 | 2.1 |
| Career | 103 | 7 | 11.5 | .364 | .170 | .707 | 1.5 | 1.8 | .6 | .1 | 2.8 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Toronto | 4 | 0 | 7.3 | .300 | .400 | .500 | 1.5 | .5 | — | .3 | 2.3 |
| Career | 4 | 0 | 7.3 | .300 | .400 | .500 | 1.5 | .5 | — | .3 | 2.3 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | Crvena zvezda | 27 | 27 | 25.3 | .417 | .288 | .823 | 3.3 | 4.6 | 1.1 | .4 | 12.3 | 13.0 |
| 2020–21 | Fenerbahçe | 37 | 12 | 23.0 | .423 | .327 | .804 | 2.2 | 3.5 | 1.3 | — | 9.5 | 8.6 |
| 2021–22 | UNICS | 24 | 23 | 29.4 | .488 | .322 | .857 | 3.4 | 6.1 | 1.5 | .2 | 13.8 | 17.3 |
| 2022–23 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | 35 | 35 | 31.6 | .444 | .353 | .911 | 3.0 | 5.5 | 1.1 | .1 | 16.4 | 16.1 |
| 2023–24 | 38 | 38 | 29.3 | .415 | .345 | .859 | 2.8 | 6.1 | 1.0 | .1 | 13.2 | 13.1 | |
| Career | 161 | 135 | 27.7 | .435 | .334 | .856 | 2.9 | 5.1 | 1.2 | .1 | 13.0 | 13.3 | |
| Year | Team | League | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 |  Delaware 87ers | D-League | 12 | 35.0 | .468 | .426 | .804 | 5.2 | 6.9 | 1.7 | .2 | 19.9 |
| Springfield Armor | D-League | 8 | 25.3 | .435 | .211 | .852 | 3.2 | 5.2 | 1.0 | .6 | 13.4 | |
| 2014–15 | Grand Rapids Drive | D-League | 19 | 31.8 | .500 | .382 | .810 | 5.3 | 3.8 | 1.9 | .3 | 16.8 |
| 2015–16 | Grand Rapids Drive | D-League | 25 | 33.3 | .503 | .352 | .860 | 5.5 | 5.8 | 2.1 | .3 | 18.3 |
| 2016–17 | Grand Rapids Drive | D-League | 11 | 35.8 | .473 | .353 | .781 | 7.7 | 4.0 | 1.7 | .4 | 23.6 |
| 2016–17 |  Zhejiang G. B. | CBA | 20 | 32.6 | .457 | .301 | .804 | 7.4 | 5.5 | 2.6 | .5 | 23.9 |
| 2017–18 | Raptors 905 | G League | 32 | 33.2 | .468 | .330 | .792 | 5.2 | 8.8 | 1.7 | .2 | 18.7 |
| 2018–19 | Guangzhou L. L. | CBA | 8 | 32.0 | .592 | .293 | .800 | 5.4 | 4.9 | 2.7 | .6 | 25.2 |
| 2019–20 |  Crvena zvezda | ABA | 18 | 21.3 | .503 | .313 | .917 | 2.7 | 6.3 | 1.4 | .4 | 10.6 |
| 2020–21 |  Fenerbahçe | TBSL | 20 | 23.8 | .452 | .346 | .860 | 2.8 | 4.3 | 1.2 | .1 | 11.9 |
| 2021–22 |  UNICS | VTBUL | 17 | 29.1 | .423 | .368 | .850 | 3.7 | 5.0 | 1.0 | .3 | 14.6 |
| 2022–23 |  Maccabi Tel Aviv | Ligat HaAl | 22 | 24.9 | .393 | .303 | .849 | 2.1 | 6.1 | .9 | .1 | 11.2 |
| 2023–24 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | Ligat HaAl | 23 | 22.6 | .453 | .412 | .689 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 1.1 | .0 | 11.6 |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010–11 | NC State | 31 | 26 | 28.8 | .413 | .298 | .713 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 1.3 | .4 | 9.3 |
| 2011–12 | NC State | 37 | 37 | 34.3 | .450 | .351 | .729 | 4.5 | 6.3 | 1.8 | .5 | 12.7 |
| 2012–13 | NC State | 33 | 32 | 34.2 | .419 | .263 | .771 | 4.3 | 7.2 | 2.0 | .6 | 12.4 |
| Career | 101 | 95 | 32.6 | .429 | .305 | .741 | 4.2 | 5.8 | 1.7 | .5 | 11.6 | |
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