.jpg) Tshiebwe withKentucky in 2022 | |
| No. 34 – Utah Jazz | |
|---|---|
| Position | Center /power forward |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1999-11-27)27 November 1999 (age 26) Lubumbashi, DR Congo |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 255 lb (116 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
|
| College |
|
| NBA draft | 2023:undrafted |
| Playing career | 2023–present |
| Career history | |
| 2023–2024 | Indiana Pacers |
| 2023–2024 | →Indiana Mad Ants |
| 2024–present | Utah Jazz |
| 2024–present | →Salt Lake City Stars |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Oscar Tshiebwe (/ˈʃiːbweɪ/SHEEB-way;[1] born 27 November 1999) is a Congolese professionalbasketball player for theUtah Jazz of theNational Basketball Association (NBA), on atwo-way contract with theSalt Lake City Stars of theNBA G League. He playedcollege basketball for theWest Virginia Mountaineers and theKentucky Wildcats. In 2022, Tshiebwe was theconsensus national player of the year.
Tshiebwe grew up inLubumbashi,Democratic Republic of the Congo. He playedsoccer as a child but was encouraged to startbasketball because of his above-average height.[2] Tshiebwe trained by running on hills and on a mountain near his hometown.[3] He later attended a basketball camp led by Congolese NBA playerBismack Biyombo, who helped advance his career.[4] Tshiebwe did not start playing basketball until May 2014.[2]
Tshiebwe moved to the United States in November 2015,[5] before his freshman year of high school, attending Mountain Mission School inGrundy, Virginia.[3] Entering his junior year, he transferred toKennedy Catholic High School inHermitage, Pennsylvania.[6] As a junior, Tshiebwe averaged 21.1 points per game and led his team to aPennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Class 1A title.[7] He earned Class 1A All-State first team honors.[8] In his senior season, Tshiebwe averaged 23.4 points, 18 rebounds, and five blocks per game, leading Kennedy Catholic to a 24–3 record and the PIAA Class 6A championship.[9][10] He was a Class 6A All-State first team pick and was named PennsylvaniaGatorade Player of the Year.[9][11] He averaged 21.6 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks per game playing for ITPS Wildcats Select on the Adidas Gauntlet. Tshiebwe played in theMcDonald's All-American Game andNike Hoop Summit.[12][13]
He was considered a five-star recruit byRivals and247Sports and a four-star recruit byESPN.[14][15][16] On October 20, 2018, he committed to play college basketball forWest Virginia.[17]
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oscar Tshiebwe C | Lubumbashi,DR Congo | Kennedy Catholic (PA) | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 230 lb (100 kg) | Oct 20, 2018 | |
Recruit ratings:Rivals:  247Sports: ESPN:  (88) | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: Rivals: 26 247Sports: 22 ESPN: 46 | ||||||
Sources:
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In his second college game, Tshiebwe had a double-double with 20 points and 17 rebounds atPittsburgh. As a result, he was namedBig 12 Newcomer of the Week.[18] Tshiebwe had 19 points and 18 rebounds againstWichita State in the Cancun Challenge championship game, leading his team to victory and earning MVP honors.[19] He was again named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on December 2, 2019.[20] At the conclusion of the regular season, Tshiebwe was named to the Second Team All-Big 12 and the All-Newcomer Team.[21] Tshiebwe averaged 11.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game as a freshman while shooting 55% from the field.[22]
As a sophomore, he averaged 8.5 points and 7.8 rebounds through 10 games before leaving West Virginia for personal reasons.[23]
On January 10, 2021, Tshiebwe transferred toKentucky, after consideringMiami,NC State andIllinois.[24] In his debut for Kentucky, Tshiebwe tallied 17 points and 20 rebounds in a 79–71 loss toDuke.[25] On December 22, he scored 14 points and grabbed aRupp Arena-record 28 rebounds in a 95–60 win againstWestern Kentucky.[26]
At the close of the season, Tshiebwe was named theSporting News National Player of the Year,[27] as well as the unanimousSoutheastern Conference Player of the Year.[28][29]
After going undrafted in the2023 NBA draft, Tshiebwe joined theIndiana Pacers for the2023 NBA Summer League. On 3 July 2023, he signed atwo-way contract with the Pacers, splitting time with theirNBA G League affiliate, theIndiana Mad Ants.[30] On 9 December, he made his NBA debut in the2023 NBA In-Season Tournament championship game against theLos Angeles Lakers, and recorded his first regular-season point on 13 December, against theMilwaukee Bucks.
On 18 February 2024, Tshiebwe was selected to the 2024 NBA G League Next Up Game, along with Mad Ants teammatesIsaiah Wong andKyle Mangas, where his team was crowned champions. Tshiebwe also participated in the 2024 NBARising Stars Challenge atAll-Star Weekend, where his team lost in the finals to MVP and Pacers teammateBennedict Mathurin. On 2 April 2024, Tshiebwe was awarded theNBA G League Rookie of the Year Award after leading the league in rebounding and set a new NBA G League single-season rebounding record with 16.2 rebounds per game.[31] In2023–24, he recorded 27 double-doubles, seven games with 20-plus points and 20-plus rebounds, broke the record for most rebounds collected in anIndiana Mad Ants season, and broke the Mad Ants record for most rebounds in a game with 28. He was also selected to theAll-NBA G League 1st Team, as well as the All-NBA G League Rookie Team.[32]
On 12 August 2024, Tshiebwe signed atwo-way contract with theUtah Jazz.[33] On 28 March 2025, Tshiebwe made his first career start, recording seven points, 10 rebounds, one assist, and one steal in a 129-93 loss to theDenver Nuggets.[34] He made 14 appearances (one start) for Utah during the2024–25 NBA season, averaging 7.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 0.6 assists.
On 19 August 2025, Tshiebwe re-signed with the Jazz on a two-way contract.[35] While playing for theSalt Lake City Stars in a 16 November game against theSan Diego Clippers, Tshiebwe recorded 19 points and a career-high 30 rebounds.[36]
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–24 | Indiana | 8 | 0 | 5.2 | .500 | — | .750 | 2.0 | .3 | .3 | .1 | 3.3 |
| 2024–25 | Utah | 14 | 1 | 18.2 | .600 | — | .742 | 8.7 | .6 | .9 | .1 | 7.6 |
| Career | 22 | 1 | 13.5 | .578 | — | .744 | 6.3 | .5 | .7 | .1 | 6.0 | |
| * | Led NCAA Division I |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | West Virginia | 31 | 31 | 23.2 | .552 | — | .708 | 9.3 | .4 | .7 | 1.0 | 11.2 |
| 2020–21 | West Virginia | 10 | 10 | 19.9 | .523 | — | .607 | 7.8 | .7 | .4 | .4 | 8.5 |
| 2021–22 | Kentucky | 34 | 34 | 31.9 | .606 | — | .691 | 15.2* | 1.1 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 17.4 |
| 2022–23 | Kentucky | 32 | 30 | 33.6 | .560 | .000 | .729 | 13.7* | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 16.5 |
| Career | 107 | 105 | 28.8 | .573 | .000 | .705 | 12.3 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 14.5 | |
Tshiebwe is aChristian.[37] After Tshiebwe began attending Kennedy Catholic High School, Jeff Kollar and his wife, who live near the school, became hislegal guardians.[3] Kollar and his wife were previously guardians of brothers Mohamed andSagaba Konate, who both played basketball for Kennedy Catholic. Sagaba Konate also played college basketball for West Virginia.[6]
Tshiebwe is aKentucky Colonel.[38]
Tshiebwe has become a leading figure inname, image, and likeness (NIL) deals, despite being unable to take full advantage of his celebrity due to holding astudent visa. While he is allowed to sign sponsorship deals, he cannot make paid personal appearances (including autograph signings and commercial shoots) while in the U.S. with that visa status.[39] Tshiebwe's advisers are currently trying to change his visa status to "extraordinary ability", which would enable him to fully monetize his celebrity.[40] In August 2022, he was temporarily freed from the restrictions of his visa when the Wildcats went on a week-long preseason exhibition tour tothe Bahamas.[41] When the team's plane landed in the Bahamas, Tshiebwe's first phone call was reportedly to his agent, asking "Where do you need me?",[40] and he did promotional work for four companies before fully settling into his hotel room.[41] During the Wildcats' down time on that tour, Tshiebwe made numerous photo shoots and advertising reads, and signed large quantities of memorabilia. Kentucky head coachJohn Calipari was apparently unfazed by Tshiebwe's off-court work in the Bahamas, reportedly tellingThe Athletic, "He can't do this stuff in the States. Oscar, you weren't there today, but we all get why you're doing what you're doing."[40] By the end of the tour, he had reportedly made $500,000, bringing his total NIL money to $2.75 million in about six months. He used his first batch of NIL money to buy his mother a five-bedroom house, and has established a charitable foundation for the benefit of children in his homeland that is funded in large part by his NIL deals.[41]
