.jpg) Cockburn withIllinois in 2022 | |
| No. 21 – Seoul Samsung Thunders | |
|---|---|
| Position | Center |
| League | KBL |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1999-09-01)1 September 1999 (age 25) Kingston, Jamaica |
| Listed height | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) |
| Listed weight | 293 lb (133 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | |
| College | Illinois (2019–2022) |
| NBA draft | 2022:undrafted |
| Playing career | 2022–present |
| Career history | |
| 2022–2023 | Niigata Albirex |
| 2023–present | Seoul Samsung Thunders |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Kofi Mazeze Cockburn[1] (/ˈkoʊbɜːrn/KOH-burn;[2] born 1 September 1999) is a Jamaican professionalbasketball player for theSeoul Samsung Thunders of theKorean Basketball League (KBL). He playedcollege basketball for theIllinois Fighting Illini.
Cockburn was born inKingston, Jamaica, and in 2014, moved toQueens,New York, to be with his mother, who had moved to Queens in 2009.[3] In addition to his participation in basketball at a young age, Cockburn also playedsoccer,cricket, and ran intrack and field.[3]
Cockburn first enrolled in high school at St. Andrew Technical High in Kingston, Jamaica, thenChrist the King Regional High School inMiddle Village, New York.[4] He playedAmateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball for the New York (NY) Rens, and was teammates with his futureIllinois teammateAlan Griffin.[5] During the summer of 2018 on theNike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) circuit with the NY Rens, Cockburn averaged 16.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 53.9 percent from the field.[6] Prior to his junior year, Cockburn was selected to participate in the 2017Basketball Without Borders Americas camp that was held inNassau, Bahamas.[7] After his junior season, Cockburn was named to the World Team for the 2018Nike Hoop Summit.[8] For his senior season, Cockburn transferred toOak Hill Academy inMouth of Wilson, Virginia, where he was teammates with fellow five-star recruitsCole Anthony andCameron Thomas.[9]
Prior to his senior high school season at Oak Hill Academy, Cockburn held 26 scholarship offers and narrowed the list of schools he was considering to 12, which includedCincinnati,Florida State,Illinois,Kansas,Kentucky,LSU,Oregon,Pittsburgh,South Carolina,St. John's,Syracuse andUConn.[10][11] Citing his relationship with Illinois assistant coachOrlando Antigua and the rest of the Illinois coaching staff, Cockburn committed to playing college basketball forIllinois on 6 January 2019.[12][13] Cockburn was a consensus four-starrecruit and was considered a top 50 player in the 2019 class.[10][12]
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kofi Cockburn C | Kingston, Jamaica | Oak Hill Academy (VA) | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | 255 lb (116 kg) | Jan 6, 2019 | |
Star ratings:Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 88 | ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals:45 247Sports:54 ESPN:50 | ||||||
Sources:
| ||||||
In his debut for Illinois, Cockburn had 10 points and 11 rebounds to help defeatNicholls 78–70 in overtime.[14] The following game, Cockburn scored 23 points and pulled down 14 rebounds in a 83–71 win overGrand Canyon.[15] Cockburn was namedBig Ten player of the week on 25 November after setting a school freshman record for rebounds in a game with 17 to go along with 18 points in a win versusThe Citadel.[16] On 11 December 2020, Cockburn had 19 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks in a 71–62 victory over fifth-rankedMichigan, Illinois' first win over a top-five program since 2013.[17] At the close of the regular season, Cockburn was namedBig Ten Freshman of the Year. He was selected to the Third Team All-Big Ten by the media and was Honorable Mention All-Conference according to the coaches.[18] As a freshman, Cockburn was Illinois' second-leading scorer and top rebounder, averaging 13.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game while leading the Illini with 1.4 blocks per game. He shot 53.2 percent from the floor and 67.7 percent at the foul line. Following the season, he declared for the2020 NBA draft.[19]
On August 1, Cockburn announced he was pulling out of the draft and returning for his sophomore season.[20] As a sophomore, Cockburn averaged 17.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, shooting 65.4 percent from the field. He was a Second TeamAll-American and First Team All-Big Ten selection. Following the season, he declared for the2021 NBA draft and entered the transfer portal.
Cockburn ultimately returned for his junior season at Illinois.[21] He was suspended for the first three games of his junior season due to selling apparel and memorabilia.[22] On 26 November 2021, Cockburn scored a career-high 38 points along with 10 rebounds in a 94–85 win againstTexas–Rio Grande Valley.[23] He was named to the First Team All-Big Ten.[24] As a junior, Cockburn averaged 20.9 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. On 20 April 2022, he declared for the2022 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.[25]
Cockburn went undrafted in the2022 NBA draft. He then signed anExhibit 10 contract with theUtah Jazz.[26] His contract wasn't picked up by the Jazz.
On 16 November 2022, Cockburn signed with theNiigata Albirex of theB. League.[27] He averaged 19 points and 12.3 rebounds per game.[28]
On 20 June 2023, Cockburn signed with theSeoul Samsung Thunders of theKorean Basketball League (KBL).[29] In May 2024, Cockburn re-signed with the Seoul Samsung Thunders.[30]
| 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 | League | GP | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 |  Niigata | B.League | 49 | 43 | 32.3 | .571 | – | .607 | 12.2 | 1.9 | .7 | .8 | 19.0 |
| 2023–24 |  Seoul Samsung | KBL | 48 | 43 | 28.9 | .576 | – | .623 | 11.8 | 2.3 | .5 | .8 | 23.6 |
| 2024–25 | Seoul Samsung | KBL | 25 | 18 | 24.4 | .588 | – | .656 | 10.2 | 1.3 | .4 | .5 | 17.5 |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | Illinois | 31 | 31 | 27.4 | .532 | .000 | .677 | 8.8 | .6 | .5 | 1.4 | 13.3 |
| 2020–21 | Illinois | 31 | 31 | 27.0 | .654 | – | .553 | 9.5 | .2 | .3 | 1.3 | 17.7 |
| 2021–22 | Illinois | 28 | 28 | 30.7 | .593 | – | .655 | 10.6 | .8 | .8 | 1.0 | 20.9 |
| Career | 90 | 90 | 28.3 | .596 | .000 | .623 | 9.6 | .5 | .6 | 1.2 | 17.2 | |