Who Is Rodney McGruder (NBA Star)? Here Are Facts You Need To Know

Quick Facts

Rodney McGruder left the 2013 National Basketball Association (NBA) draft as an undrafted free agent. Still being poised to pursue a career in basketball, he played in a couple of summer leagues after which he got a look in from Oklahoma City Thunder. However, he was waived just a month after his signing with the team.

Rodney sought for a career progression abroad but soon returned to fight for a place in the NBA, he started again in the summer leagues until his professional league debut; netting 6 points within 24 minutes. That singular heroic act got people asking questions on who he is. Here, you will find answers to that and more.

Who is Rodney McGruder?

Rodney Christian McGruder is a professional basketball shooting guard/small forward who was born on July 29, 1991, in Landover, Maryland to Rodney (father) and Rudine (mother) McGruder. He is of American nationality and belongs to the Black-American ethnicity.

The basketballer schooled at Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington, D.C for three years before he transferred to Arlington Country Day School located in Jacksonville Florida. After high school, Rodney McGruder proceeded to Kansas State University where he began studying in 2009 and graduated in 2013 with a degree in human ecology.

Following his graduation, the young shooting guard/small forward didn’t get picked by any team in the 2013 NBA draft. That notwithstanding, he sought to kick off his career by playing for various teams in the summer leagues that followed. Fortune smiled on Rodney when the Miami Heat thought him to be a good fit in their team following his impressive performance in the 2016 NBA Summer League. Since joining the Florida based team, Christian McGruder has been doing all he can to be at the top of his game.

Facts You Need to Know About The NBA Star

College Career Stats

When McGruder was with the Kansas State Wildcats men’s basketball team, he played a total of 135 games out of which he started 100. From these, the Landover, Maryland born hoops player recorded 27.4 minutes per game, field goal percentage of .452, 3-point field goal of .381, free-throw of .759 with rebounds per game of 4.8, assist of 1.4, steals of .9, blocks of .3 and points per game of 11.7.

Career Begining

Rodney didn’t have it rosy at the beginning of his career, not that he has made it to the top now, but he is much better in his games currently than he was at the cradle of his career.

Following his barren NBA draft, Christian joined the Orlando Magic and the Charlotte Bobcats for the Orlando Summer League and Las Vegas Summer League respectively. After his stint with the two teams, the young baller signed with Oklahoma City Thunder but got waived almost after a month in October 2013. In the following month, he began playing for Atomerőmű SE of Hungary for the 2013-2014 season after which he returned to America to play for the Golden State Warriors in the 2014 NBA Summer League.

Boston Celtics signed Rodney McGruder in September 2014 but waived him after a month as Maine Red Claws secured his services until March 2015 when he was again waived. The Sioux Falls Skyforce became his interim team until he joined the Miami Heat for the 2015 NBA Summer League.

First Contract

Rodney McGruder signed a 3-year contract with the Heats on July 7, 2016, which was worth over $3.4 million. He earns over $1.1 million annually.

NBA Highlights

He made his debut on October 26, 2016, against the Orlando Magic in his team’s 108-96 win. So far, the shooting guard has recorded a career-high 25.2 minutes per game in the 2016-2017 season, a .493 field goal and 3-point percentage of .429 both in the 2017-2018 season. He has equally recorded a free-throw of .620, rebounds per game of 3.3, assist of 1.6, steals of .6, blocks of .2 and points per game of 6.4 which are all career highs he recorded in the 2016-2017 season.

Net Worth

Since the inception of his career, Rodney McGruder has worked hard to be where he is today and has been well rewarded in doing so. The player is reportedly worth about $5 million.

Body Statistics

The NBA shooting guard/small forward stands at a tall 6 feet 4 inches (1.93m) with a weight of 200 lb (91kg). At that height, he is an inch above the 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) height requirement for shooting guards and stands 2 inches below the 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m) requirement for small forwards.

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.