Emoni Bates
Emoni Bates was born on January 28, 2004. See ranking, bio blurb, and everyone else born that day.
About Emoni Bates
Emoni James-Wayne Bates ( ee-MON-ee; born January 28, 2004) is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Texas Legends of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Memphis Tigers and the Eastern Michigan Eagles. In his first two years of high school, Bates played basketball for Lincoln High School in his hometown Ypsilanti, Michigan, where he was heavily touted by the national media and rated as the top recruit in his class. He led Lincoln to a state championship as a freshman and became the first sophomore to win the Gatorade National Player of the Year boys' award. For his junior season, Bates transferred to Ypsi Prep Academy, a new school created by his father. A former Michigan State commit, he opted to graduate early from high school and start his college career at Memphis. As a freshman at Memphis, Bates missed time with injuries and fell sharply in NBA draft projections after not meeting expectations. He transferred to his hometown team Eastern Michigan for his sophomore season. He was drafted with the 49th pick in the 2023 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers.