Denzel Valentine

Denzel Robert Valentine was born on November 16, 1993. He attended J. W. Sexton High School, where he played under his father, Carlton Valentine. As a sophomore, Valentine averaged 10.9 points, 5.8 assists, and 6.3 rebounds, leading Sexton to a state title game and earning 2010 Class B honorable mention all-state. His senior year saw him average 14 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists per game, guiding Sexton to a 27–1 record. During this period, he was recognized as the Lansing State Journal Player of the Year and Associated Press Class B Player of the Year. Valentine was ranked among the top 100 recruits nationally by Rivals.com (no. 81), ESPNU100 (no. 98), and Scout.com (no. 27).

Valentine proceeded to play college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans from 2012 to 2016. Early in his college career, he received the MSU’s Unsung Player Award and earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten in his sophomore year. A significant turning point in his college career occurred on November 17, 2015, when he recorded a triple-double with 29 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists against the Kansas Jayhawks, becoming the fourth player in Michigan State history to achieve this. Despite a knee surgery that sidelined him for a few weeks in December 2015, he returned in January 2016 and finished the regular season averaging 19.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.5 assists. His senior year was particularly distinguished, earning the Associated Press Player of the Year, NABC Player of the Year, and Big Ten Player of the Year awards, among others, and he was named a unanimous First-Team All-American. He also led Michigan State to win the Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis, where he was named Most Outstanding Player. These collegiate achievements significantly raised his draft stock from a potential undrafted player to a lottery pick.

In 2016, Valentine was selected by the Chicago Bulls as the 14th overall pick in the NBA Draft. He signed his rookie contract on July 16, 2016, and demonstrated his potential by hitting a game-winning shot in the Las Vegas Summer League championship. During his NBA tenure, he received multiple assignments to the Windy City Bulls, Chicago’s D-League affiliate, to further his development. In the 2017-18 season, he achieved career highs, scoring 34 points and hitting eight 3-pointers in a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 17, 2018. The same season, he recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds against the Utah Jazz on March 18, 2017, and later set a career-high with 13 rebounds against the Miami Heat on November 26, 2017. His career progression was impacted by injuries, including arthroscopic knee surgery in April 2018 and ankle surgery in November 2018, which led to him missing the entire 2018-19 season. After his time with the Bulls, Valentine continued his professional career with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Utah Jazz in the 2021-2022 season, followed by stints with the Maine Celtics, Sydney Kings, Olimpia Milano, and Pallacanestro Trieste, culminating in his signing with Reyer Venezia Mestre in 2025. He also represented the United States, earning a bronze medal at the 2015 Pan American Games.