Bryce Dejean-Jones

Bryce Alexander Dejean-Jones (August 21, 1992 – May 28, 2016) was an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Iowa State University after stints with USC and UNLV, and played professionally for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was fatally shot on May 28, 2016, making him the first active NBA player to die since 2007.

High school career Dejean-Jones attended View Park Preparatory High School for two years, then transferred to and graduated from William Howard Taft Charter High School in the Woodland Hills section of Los Angeles. As a senior in 2009–10, he averaged 16.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.6 steals and made 56.8 percent of his shots, including 49.3 percent from beyond the arc in leading the Toreadors to the L.A. City Section final and third round of the Division I state playoffs.

College career Dejean-Jones began his college career with USC, appearing in 18 of 34 games as a freshman and starting in each of the Trojans' first 10 games. In 20.6 minutes per game, he averaged 7.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 37.9 percent from the field and 34.5 percent from three-point range, scoring in double figures seven times, including a career-high 21 points against New Mexico State.

College statistics

Professional career

Idaho Stampede (2015–2016) After going undrafted in the 2015 NBA draft, Dejean-Jones joined the New Orleans Pelicans for the 2015 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, averaging 12.8 points in six games. On August 20, 2015, he signed with the Pelicans, On December 13, he was acquired by the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League. He made his professional debut on December 19 in a 117–107 win over the Santa Cruz Warriors, recording 15 points, three rebounds, four assists and one steal in 21 minutes of action.

New Orleans Pelicans (2016) On January 21, 2016, Dejean-Jones signed a 10-day contract with the Pelicans. On January 28, in his fourth game for the team, Dejean-Jones started at shooting guard in place of the injured Tyreke Evans. In 34 minutes of action, he recorded 14 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 block, helping the Pelicans defeat the Sacramento Kings 114–105. On February 1, he signed a second 10-day contract, and continued to start for the Pelicans due to Evans' injury. On February 4, he had a career-best game with 17 points and 9 rebounds in a 99–96 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. On February 19, he signed a three-year deal with the Pelicans. A week later, he was ruled out for the rest of the season after undergoing successful surgery to repair a right wrist fracture.

Personal life Dejean-Jones was the son of KC and Franchesca Jones, and had four brothers and two sisters. He graduated from UNLV with a degree in sociology and pursued a master's degree in family and consumer sciences – youth development. He had one daughter, Allicsia DeJean. He was visiting his girlfriend, who lived on the floor above, for their daughter's first birthday. Dejean-Jones intended to re-enter her apartment after leaving to take a walk following an argument with her, but instead went to another apartment one floor below his girlfriend's apartment on the fourth floor. At about 3:20 a.m., Dejean-Jones forced open the front door of the third-floor apartment. While shouting for his girlfriend, Dejean-Jones approached and kicked open the bedroom door within the apartment. The resident, who had been sleeping, thought that the person breaking in intended to harm him, so he proceeded to retrieve and fire a handgun in self defense at Dejean-Jones through the bedroom door, striking him in the abdomen. Dejean-Jones, at the age of 23, was pronounced dead at a Dallas hospital. According to his agent, this was the first time that Dejean-Jones visited his girlfriend's new apartment.

NBA career statistics

Regular season