.jpg) Mobley with theCleveland Cavaliers in 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 4 – Cleveland Cavaliers | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Position | Power forward /center | ||||||||||||||||||||
| League | NBA | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (2001-06-18)June 18, 2001 (age 23) San Diego, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||
| High school | Rancho Christian School(Temecula, California) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| College | USC (2020–2021) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 2021: 1st round, 3rd overall pick | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Drafted by | Cleveland Cavaliers | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 2021–present | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–present | Cleveland Cavaliers | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Stats at NBA.com  | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |||||||||||||||||||||
Medals
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Evan Mobley (born June 18, 2001) is an American professionalbasketball player for theCleveland Cavaliers of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). He playedcollege basketball for theUSC Trojans and was selected third overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the2021 NBA draft.
Mobley, along with his older brotherIsaiah began playing basketball from an early age under the guidance of their father, Eric, a former basketball player. Evan was initially reluctant to play basketball but became more interested in the sport in eighth grade, when he stood 6'4.[1] Mobley began playing high school basketball as a freshman at Rancho Christian School inTemecula, California. In his first three years, he was teammates with Isaiah, a five-star recruit in the 2019 class.[2]
As a junior at Rancho Christian, Mobley averaged 19.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.7 blocks per game. He was named CaliforniaGatorade Player of the Year andThe Press-Enterprise player of the year.[3][4] In his senior season, Mobley averaged 20.5 points, 12.2 rebounds, 5.2 blocks, and 4.6 assists per game, leading Rancho Christian to a 22–8 record. He repeated as California Gatorade Player of the Year, joiningJrue Holiday as the award's only two-time winners.[5] Mobley was namedMorgan Wootten National Player of the Year.[6] He was also selected to play in theMcDonald's All-American Game,Jordan Brand Classic, andNike Hoop Summit, but all three games were canceled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[7]
Mobley was considered a consensus five-starrecruit and one of the top three players in the 2020 recruiting class and at one point ahead ofCade Cunningham .[8] On August 5, 2019, he committed to play college basketball forUSC over offers fromUCLA andWashington, among other majorNCAA Division I programs.[9] Mobley became one of the highest-ranked players to join the program.
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evan Mobley C | Murrieta, CA | Rancho Christian School (CA) | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Aug 5, 2019 | |
Star ratings:Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 97 | ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals:4 247Sports:3 ESPN:3 | ||||||
Sources:
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In his college debut for USC on November 25, 2020, Mobley scored 21 points and had nine rebounds in a 95–87 overtime win againstCalifornia Baptist.[10] On March 11, 2021, at thePac-12 tournament quarterfinals, he posted a career-high 26 points, nine rebounds and five blocks in a 91–85 double overtime victory overUtah.[11] In a 72–70 semifinals loss toColorado, Mobley scored 26 points for a second time, while recording nine rebounds and five blocks.[12] As a freshman, he averaged 16.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.8 blocks and 2.4 assists per game.[13] Mobley was named thePac-12 Player of the Year,Defensive Player of the Year andFreshman of the Year.[14] He became the second player from a major conference to win the trio of awards, joiningAnthony Davis of theSoutheastern Conference in2012.[15] On April 16, 2021, Mobley declared for the2021 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.[13] Mobley was seen by many as the second best prospect in the2021 NBA draft behindCade Cunningham.[16]
Mobley was selected third overall in the2021 NBA draft by theCleveland Cavaliers.[17] On August 3, 2021, he signed with the Cavaliers.[18] On August 8, 2021, Mobley made his summer league debut in a 84–76 loss against theHouston Rockets where he posted 12 points, five rebounds, and three blocks in 28 minutes.[19] On October 20, he made his NBA debut, putting up 17 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in a 132–121 loss to theMemphis Grizzlies.[20] On November 15, Mobley suffered a sprained right elbow in a 98–92 loss to theBoston Celtics.[21] He was named the NBA Eastern Rookie of the Month for games played in October/November.[22] On December 8, Mobley became the first Cleveland rookie sinceLeBron James in March 2004 to record five blocks in an NBA game.[23]
Starting all the 69 games he played, Mobley finished the season averaging 15.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.7 blocks, and .8 steals per game, while shooting .508, .250, and .663 from the field, the three-point line, and on free throws, respectively, on 33.8 minutes per game. He led rookies in both rebounds and blocks per game, while ranking fifth for points per game. He was the second best rookie (behindScottie Barnes of theToronto Raptors) in win shares (5.2) andvalue over replacement player (1.5). Alongside All-Star centerJarrett Allen, Mobley led Cleveland from a .306 winning percentage and the league's sixth-worst defense to a .537 winning percentage and the league's fifth best defense for efficiency. Of Mobley, fellow CavalierDarius Garland toldThe Ringer's Rob Mahoney: "He does everything for us. Defensive-wise, offensive-wise. He's a 7-foot unicorn."[24] Mobley finished as the runner-up toScottie Barnes in voting for theNBA Rookie of the Year. The 15-point difference was the smallest voting margin in 19 years since the award's voting format began in 2002–03.[25]
On January 21, 2023, Mobley scored a then career-high 38 points on 19-of-27 shooting from the field, along with nine rebounds and three assists in a 114–102 win over theMilwaukee Bucks. He became only the fourth player since 1979, when the 3-point line was adopted, to score at least 38 points without making a free throw or 3-pointer.Hakeem Olajuwon,Alex English (twice) andGeorge Gervin are the others.[26] On April 17, Mobley finished third in voting for theDefensive Player of the Year.[27] On May 9, Mobley was named to theNBA All-Defensive First Team[28]
On November 28, 2023, Mobley recorded 17 points, 19 rebounds, and 7 blocks in a 128–105 win over theAtlanta Hawks during the team's finalIn-Season Tournament matchup, setting a season-high in blocks and a career-high in rebounds.[29] On December 15, the Cavaliers announced that Mobley would undergoarthroscopic left knee surgery to treat discomfort in his knee that had sidelined him for the team's previous four games, estimating that he would be out for recovery for approximately six to eight weeks.[30]
On May 10, 2024, in Game 2 of theEastern Conference Semifinals, Mobley scored a then playoff career-high 21 points, along with 10 rebounds and a playoff career-high 5 assists in a 118–94 victory over theBoston Celtics.[31] Cleveland would go on to lose to Boston in five games despite Mobley's playoff career-high 33-point outing in the 113–98 close-out loss in Game 5.[32]
On December 7, 2024, Mobley scored a career-high 41 points, along with 10 rebounds and three blocks on 16-of-23 shooting from the field and a career-high 6-of-8 shooting from the three-point line in a 116–102 win over theCharlotte Hornets. He became the second NBA player under the age of 25 (afterKevin Durant) to record 40+ points, 10+ rebounds, 3+ blocks, and 5+ three-pointers made in a game.[33][34]
On January 30, 2025, Mobley was named as reserve for the2025 NBA All-Star Game, his first selection.[35]
Mobley played for theUnited States at the2018 FIBA Under-17 World Cup inArgentina. In seven games, he averaged 9.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game, helping his team win the gold medal.[36][37] Mobley joined theUnited States for the2019 FIBA Under-19 World Cup inHeraklion, Greece, but he was limited to playing two games and a total of seven minutes in the tournament due to back spasms. His team won the gold medal despite his absence.[38]
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | Cleveland | 69 | 69 | 33.8 | .508 | .250 | .663 | 8.3 | 2.5 | .8 | 1.7 | 15.0 |
| 2022–23 | Cleveland | 79 | 79 | 34.4 | .554 | .216 | .674 | 9.0 | 2.8 | .8 | 1.5 | 16.2 |
| 2023–24 | Cleveland | 50 | 50 | 30.6 | .580 | .373 | .719 | 9.4 | 3.2 | .9 | 1.4 | 15.7 |
| Career | 198 | 198 | 33.2 | .544 | .265 | .681 | 8.8 | 2.8 | .8 | 1.5 | 15.6 | |
| All-Star | 1 | 0 | 8.0 | .750 | .000 | — | .0 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | 6.0 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Cleveland | 2 | 2 | 36.3 | .600 | .333 | .750 | 7.5 | 3.5 | .0 | 2.0 | 18.5 |
| Career | 2 | 2 | 36.3 | .600 | .333 | .750 | 7.5 | 3.5 | .0 | 2.0 | 18.5 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Cleveland | 5 | 5 | 37.5 | .458 | .000 | .625 | 10.0 | 2.0 | .6 | 1.2 | 9.8 |
| 2024 | Cleveland | 12 | 12 | 35.2 | .555 | .278 | .694 | 9.3 | 2.3 | .8 | 2.2 | 16.0 |
| Career | 17 | 17 | 35.9 | .531 | .263 | .682 | 9.5 | 2.2 | .8 | 1.9 | 14.2 | |
| * | Led Division 1 |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 | USC | 33* | 33* | 33.9 | .578 | .300 | .694 | 8.7 | 2.4 | .8 | 2.9 | 16.4 |
Mobley's father Eric played college basketball forCal Poly Pomona andPortland and played professionally in China, Indonesia, Mexico and Portugal.[39] He later coachedAmateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball for 11 years. In 2018, he was hired as assistant basketball coach for USC.[40] Mobley's older brotherIsaiah Mobley also played for USC. He entered the 2022 NBA Draft and was selected 49th overall by the Cavaliers, rejoining his brother.[41] His mother, Nicol, is anelementary school teacher.[1] Mobley grew up with three foster siblings, including a Chineseexchange student named Johnny.[2]
