Cory Jefferson

Cory Jefferson
Born	(1990-12-26) December 26, 1990 Tacoma, Washington, U.S.
Occupation	Professional basketball player (retired)
Years active	2014–2020

Cory Allen Jefferson (born December 26, 1990) is a retired American professional basketball athlete. He played collegiate basketball at Baylor University and was a member of the United States team at the 2013 Summer Universiade held in Kazan, Russia.

High school career

Jefferson attended Killeen High School located in Killeen, Texas. During his sophomore year in 2006–07, he posted averages of 13.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 5.1 blocks per game, which earned him a spot on the All-District 16-4A first team. By his senior year in 2008–09, he increased his output to 19.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, guiding Killeen to three consecutive seasons with over 30 wins and four straight district titles.

Ranked as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Jefferson was positioned as the No. 13 power forward and the No. 51 overall player nationwide in the class of 2009.

College career

In his initial season at Baylor, Jefferson saw limited action, averaging 1.3 points and 1.2 rebounds across 4.6 minutes per contest in 21 appearances.

After redshirting the 2010–11 campaign, he returned for the 2011–12 season, participating in 34 games with one start. He posted averages of 3.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game; his total of 42 blocks ranked tenth on Baylor’s single-season leaderboard.

Jefferson’s junior year featured NIT All-Tournament recognition as he contributed to Baylor’s championship victory and earned an honorable mention in the Big 12 conference. Starting all 37 games that season, he averaged 13.3 points, eight rebounds, and nearly two blocks in just under 28 minutes per game.

In his senior year, Jefferson received third-team All-Big 12 honors and was named USBWA District VII Player of the Year. Over 38 starts, he averaged 13.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks while playing approximately 29 minutes each game.

College statistics

|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2009–10 | style="text-align:left;"| Baylor | 21 || 0 || 4.6 || .391 || .000 || .692 || 1.2 || .0 || .1 || .2 || 1.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2011–12 | style="text-align:left;"| Baylor | 34 || 1 || 10.5 || .522 || .000 || .600 || 2.6 || .1 || .2 || 1.2 || 3.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2012–13 | style="text-align:left;"| Baylor | 37 || 37 || 27.9 || .610 || .333 || .704 || 8.0 || .3 || .5 || 1.9 || 13.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2013–14 | style="text-align:left;"| Baylor | 38 || 38 || 29.0 || .500 || .368 || .640 || 8.2 || 1.0 || .4 || 1.3 || 13.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| Career | style="text-align:left;"| |130||76||19.9||.543||.340||.660||5.6||.4||.3||1.3||8.9 |-

Brooklyn Nets (2014–2015)

Jefferson was chosen with the final selection of the 2014 NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs but was immediately traded to the Brooklyn Nets on draft night.<ref> He participated with the Nets during the 2014 NBA Summer League and officially signed with them on July 23.<ref> His only starting assignment came on December 13, when he scored eleven points on flawless shooting along with five rebounds in a victory against the Charlotte Hornets.

On January 1, 2015, Jefferson was sent to the Maine Red Claws, the D-League affiliate of the Boston Celtics, before being recalled by Brooklyn a week later.<ref> On March 6, he achieved his first career double-double by posting season-best figures of twelve points and thirteen rebounds during a loss to the Phoenix Suns.

Jefferson was included on Brooklyn’s roster for the 2015 NBA Summer League, appearing in three contests before being released on July 13.<ref>

Phoenix Suns (2015–2016)

On September 16, 2015, Jefferson agreed to a one-year deal with the Phoenix Suns, which was non-guaranteed. After impressing head coach Jeff Hornacek and general manager Ryan McDonough during the preseason, he earned a place on the Suns' roster for the 2015–16 Phoenix Suns season opening night. Jefferson made his Suns debut on November 14, contributing 2 points and 2 rebounds in a 105–81 victory against the Denver Nuggets. He was waived on January 7, 2016, after participating in six games.

Jefferson joined the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League on January 20, 2016. The following day, he signed a 10-day contract to rejoin the Suns. After appearing in two additional games, his contract expired and he was not re-signed.

Bakersfield Jam (2016)

Jefferson returned to the Bakersfield Jam on February 1, 2016. In his first game back on February 2, he posted 18 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block during a 132–111 win over the Oklahoma City Blue.

Austin Spurs (2016–2017)

In July 2016, Jefferson participated with the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2016 NBA Summer League. He signed with the Cavaliers on September 26 but was released on October 20 following six preseason appearances. On November 12, 2016, he joined the Austin Spurs of the NBA Development League. On February 6, 2017, Jefferson earned selection to the Western Conference All-Star squad for the 2017 NBA D-League All-Star Game.

Philippines (2017)

In March 2017, Jefferson signed as an import player for the Alaska Aces competing in the 2017 PBA Commissioner's Cup.

Olimpia Milano (2017–2018)

Jefferson signed with Olimpia Milano on July 16, 2017, participating in Italy's top-tier league, Serie A, as well as the EuroLeague. He parted ways with Olimpia Milano on February 2, 2018.

Texas Legends (2018)

On February 22, 2018, Jefferson was acquired by the Texas Legends from the Agua Caliente Clippers, in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2018 NBA G League draft and returning player rights to Cameron Ayers.

Darüşşafaka (2018)

Jefferson signed with Turkish EuroLeague club Darüşşafaka on July 13, 2018. However, he was released on August 18 after not passing the physical examination.

Delaware Blue Coats (2018–2019)

Jefferson briefly inked a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers on October 12, 2018, but was waived the next day. He then joined the training camp roster of the Delaware Blue Coats.

Guangzhou Long-Lions (2019)

On January 16, 2019, Jefferson signed with the Guangzhou Long-Lions, making his debut that same day by scoring 17 points and grabbing six rebounds in a dominant 133–92 win over the Beikong Fly Dragons. He parted ways with Guangzhou on February 11 after being replaced by Lorenzo Brown.

Gran Canaria (2019)

Jefferson signed with Herbalife Gran Canaria of Spain’s Liga ACB on February 22, 2019. He appeared in six contests before mutually ending his tenure with the club on April 9, 2019.

Atléticos de San Germán (2020)

Jefferson became a member of the Atléticos de San Germán competing in Puerto Rico's basketball league on February 22, 2020. Subsequently, on May 27, 2021, he reached the final five competitors during the Big3 tryouts held in Dallas, contending for a spot in the Las Vegas finals.

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Brooklyn | 50 || 1 || 10.6 || .449 || .133 || .574 || 2.9 || .3 || .2 || .4 || 3.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Phoenix | 8 || 0 || 6.3 || .409 || .000 || .667 || 2.0 || .0 || .0 || .1 || 2.8 |- | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career | 58 || 1 || 10.0 || .453 || .125 || .554 || 2.8 || .3 || .2 || .4 || 3.5

Personal life

Jefferson is the son of Fancy Pace and the late Charles Jefferson. His mother dedicated 21 years to military service.

External links

• Baylor Bears bio