Aleem Ford (born December 22, 1997) is an American-Puerto Rican[1] professional basketball player for the Rip City Remix of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Wisconsin Badgers.

Aleem Ford
No. 44 – Rip City Remix
PositionSmall forward
LeagueNBA G League
Personal information
Born (1997-12-22) December 22, 1997 (age 27)
Lawrenceville, Georgia, U.S.
NationalityPuerto Rican
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeWisconsin (2016–2021)
NBA draft2021: undrafted
Playing career2021–present
Career history
2021Leones de Ponce
2021–2022Lakeland Magic
2021Orlando Magic
2022Leones de Ponce
2022–2023Lakeland Magic
2023Leones de Ponce
2023–2024Cleveland Charge
2024Wisconsin Herd
2024Leones de Ponce
2024–presentRip City Remix
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

High school career

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Ford initially attended Archer High School, where he averaged 14.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks as a senior, earning All-Region 8-AAAAAA honors.[2] He later joined IMG Academy in Florida as a post-graduate player, averaging 13.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.[2]

College career

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Ford redshirted his true freshman season at Wisconsin. He averaged 5.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per game as a redshirt freshman. Following the season, he underwent knee surgery.[3] Ford averaged 3.1 points and 1.9 rebounds per game as a sophomore.[4] He averaged 8.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game as a junior.[5] As a senior, Ford averaged 8.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game.[6]

Professional career

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Leones de Ponce (2021)

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Ford began his professional career in 2021 with the Leones de Ponce of the Puerto Rican Baloncesto Superior Nacional, after being selected first in their draft.[6] In 32 games, he averaged 7.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.4 steals and 0.2 blocks per game.[7]

Lakeland / Orlando Magic (2021–2022)

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After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft, Ford signed with the Lakeland Magic of the NBA G League on November 4, 2021.[7][8] In 12 games, he averaged 9.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 28.1 minutes per game.[9]

On December 17, 2021, Ford was one of four players signed to 10-day contracts by the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association, when the team did not have enough players to play their home game that evening due to league COVID-19 protocols.[9] He made his NBA debut that evening, scoring 2 points and recording a steal in a 115–105 loss to the Miami Heat.[10] On December 27, he was reacquired by Lakeland.[11]

Return to Leones de Ponce (2022)

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After the conclusion of the G League season, Ford returned to Leones de Ponce.[12]

Return to Lakeland (2022–2023)

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On November 3, 2022, Ford was named to the opening night roster for the Lakeland Magic.[13]

Third stint with Leones de Ponce (2023)

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On March 30, 2023, Ford returned to Leones de Ponce of the Puerto Rican league[14]

Cleveland Charge (2023–2024)

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On October 21, 2023, Ford signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but was waived the same day,[15] and one week later, he signed with the Cleveland Charge of the NBA G League.[16]

Wisconsin Herd (2024)

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On March 4, 2024, Ford was traded to the Wisconsin Herd.[17]

Third stint with Leones (2024)

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In April, 2024, Ford returned to the Leones de Ponce.[18]

Rip City Remix (2024–present)

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On October 28, 2024, Ford joined the Rip City Remix.[19]

International career

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Ford is of Puerto Rican descent. He opted to play for the Puerto Rico men's national basketball team for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.[20]

Career statistics

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Legend
  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 Orlando 5 0 14.8 .300 .133 3.0 .4 .2 .0 2.8
Career 5 0 14.8 .300 .133 3.0 .4 .2 .0 2.8

Personal life

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The son of Steven and Zoraya Ford, he has an older sister, Medeenah. He majored in Communication Arts.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "Puerto Rico at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Americas Qualifiers". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Aleem Ford - 2020-21 Men's Basketball Roster". UWBadgers.com. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  3. ^ Polzin, Jim (November 26, 2018). "Badgers' Aleem Ford thrilled to be back on court after knee surgery". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  4. ^ Worgull, Benjamin (February 2, 2021). "Aleem Ford - Like Others on Wisconsin - Searching for Consistency". Rivals.com. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  5. ^ Low, Asher (March 22, 2020). "Aleem Ford could be next season's x-factor". Badgers Wire. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Modestti, Luis (April 25, 2021). "Ford selected first in BSN Draft". Latinbasket.com. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Kenney, Ben (November 4, 2021). "Former Badger Aleem Ford signs to a G-League roster". Badgers Wire. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  8. ^ "Lakeland Magic 2021-22 Training Camp Roster". NBA.com. October 28, 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  9. ^ a b "Orlando Magic Sign Ford, Gravett, Johnson and Schofield to 10-Day Contracts". NBA.com. December 17, 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  10. ^ Price, Khobi (December 18, 2021). "Magic sign 4 players ahead of home loss to Heat after 4 more Orlando players enter health and safety protocols". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  11. ^ "2021-22 NBA G League transactions". NBA.com. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  12. ^ "El centro Marvin Jones será el segundo refuerzo de los Leones de Ponce". PrimeraHora.com (in Spanish). March 19, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  13. ^ "Lakeland Magic Announce 2022-23 Opening Night Roster". oursportscentral.com. November 3, 2022. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  14. ^ La Guerra del BSN [@LaGuerraBSN] (March 30, 2023). "OFICIAL: El delantero Aleem Ford se integrará este domingo a los Leones de Ponce según confirmó el apoderado Gerardo "Jerry" Misla" (Tweet). Retrieved April 7, 2023 – via Twitter.
  15. ^ Hill, Arthur (October 21, 2023). "Cavaliers Waive Seven Players". HoopsRumors.com. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  16. ^ "Cleveland Charge 2023 Training Camp Roster". NBA.com. October 28, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  17. ^ "WISCONSIN HERD ACQUIRES ALEEM FORD". NBA.com. March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  18. ^ "Regular Season Round 4: Quebradillas - Ponce 99-64". LatinBasket.com. April 9, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  19. ^ Rip City Remix [@ripcityremix] (October 28, 2024). "Your official 2024 Remix training camp roster 🫨💿" (Tweet). Retrieved November 4, 2024 – via Twitter.
  20. ^ "Para largo el compromiso de Aleem Ford con la Selección Nacional". El Nuevo Día. November 10, 2022.
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