Greg Stiemsma

Gregory Stiemsma
Born	(1985-09-26) September 26, 1985 Randolph, Wisconsin, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Basketball player, coach
Years active	2008–2015 (player), 2019–present (coach)
Known for	NBA player and basketball coach

Gregory Stiemsma (; born September 26, 1985) is a retired American professional basketball athlete who competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for four seasons. He played high school basketball at Randolph High School and continued his collegiate career at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Although he was not selected in the 2008 NBA draft, Stiemsma, a 6'11" center, gained recognition for his defensive prowess and shot-blocking skills.

High school career

At Randolph High School in Randolph, Wisconsin, Stiemsma was instrumental in securing Division 4 state championships during his sophomore, junior, and senior years. In the 2002–03 season as a junior, he achieved first-team all-state status while averaging 14.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.5 blocks, and 2.7 assists per game.

In November 2003, he committed to the University of Wisconsin–Madison by signing a National Letter of Intent. Despite being hampered by a right knee injury that limited him to just 18 games during his senior year (2003–04), he still earned third-team Associated Press all-state recognition, posting averages of 11.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 4.1 blocks per contest.

College career

During his freshman year with the Wisconsin Badgers, Stiemsma appeared in 10 games after missing six weeks due to a right foot injury, contributing an average of 1.1 points per game.

His sophomore season was again interrupted; he participated in only 16 games because of academic ineligibility stemming from poor grades and was subsequently diagnosed with depression related to these challenges. Nonetheless, he led the team with a total of 24 blocks, averaging 2.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks each game.

In his junior year, Stiemsma completed his first full season on the court, playing in all 34 games and averaging 2.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game.

As a senior, he topped the team with 40 blocks and recorded four games scoring in double digits, including a personal best of 14 points during an NCAA tournament matchup against Kansas State. Over the course of 35 games that season, he averaged 3.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game.

College statistics

|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2004–05 | style="text-align:left;"| Wisconsin | 10 || 0 || 2.7 || .833 || .000 || .500 || .6 || .0 || .1 || .2 || 1.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2005–06 | style="text-align:left;"| Wisconsin | 16 || 0 || 11.7 || .553 || .000 || .429 || 2.8 || .9 || .4 || 1.5 || 2.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2006–07 | style="text-align:left;"| Wisconsin | 34 || 0 || 9.9 || .500 || .000 || .808 || 1.6 || 1.1 || .1 || .9 || 2.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2007–08 | style="text-align:left;"| Wisconsin | 35 || 7 || 11.5 || .548 || .000 || .826 || 3.1 || .7 || .4 || 1.1 || 3.5 |-

2008–09 season

After going undrafted in the 2008 NBA draft, Stiemsma began his professional journey by signing with Oyak Renault in Turkey for the 2008–09 campaign. In February 2009, he transferred to South Korea’s Seoul SK Knights. Subsequently, on April 11, 2009, he joined the Sioux Falls Skyforce competing in the NBA Development League.

2009–10 season

During July 2009, Stiemsma participated in the NBA Summer League representing the Memphis Grizzlies. He returned to the Sioux Falls Skyforce in November of that year and later inked a deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves in April 2010, covering the rest of the season.

2010–11 season

Stiemsma took part in the Timberwolves' 2010 NBA Summer League roster but was released in September. Shortly afterward, he signed briefly with the Cleveland Cavaliers but was waived by October 2. Soon after, he secured a two-year agreement with Türk Telekom competing in Turkey’s Basketball League.

2011–12 season

In August 2011, Stiemsma agreed to terms with BC Sokhumi of the Georgian Superliga, though he departed prior to appearing in any games. He then rejoined the Sioux Falls Skyforce in November 2011.

Boston Celtics (2011–2012)

Stiemsma signed with the Boston Celtics on December 9, 2011. He made his debut on December 28, contributing 2 points, 6 blocks, and 4 rebounds during a loss against the New Orleans Hornets. In March 2012, he secured a sponsorship agreement with Nike.

On June 29, 2012, the Celtics extended a qualifying offer worth $1.05 million to Stiemsma, designating him as a restricted free agent.

Minnesota Timberwolves (2012–2013)

On July 21, 2012, Stiemsma received an offer sheet from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Two days later, Boston rescinded their qualifying offer, enabling Minnesota to sign him as an unrestricted free agent. He officially joined the Timberwolves on August 2, 2012.

The Timberwolves waived Stiemsma on July 7, 2013.

New Orleans Pelicans (2013–2014)

On July 10, 2013, Stiemsma inked a deal with the New Orleans Pelicans. His tenure concluded when he was released on April 14, 2014.

Toronto Raptors (2014–2015)

Stiemsma joined the Toronto Raptors roster on September 4, 2014.

He later signed with the Orlando Magic on September 24, 2015; however, an Achilles' tendon injury restricted him to just two preseason appearances. He was subsequently waived on October 22, prior to the start of the regular season.

On September 12, 2016, Stiemsma agreed to terms with the Portland Trail Blazers, but after participating in four preseason contests, he was waived on October 21.

Minnesota Timberwolves (2019–2021)

Stiemsma was appointed as a player development associate for the Minnesota Timberwolves on September 12, 2019.

San Antonio Spurs (2021–2024)

In 2021, he joined the San Antonio Spurs organization as a video assistant. He took on coaching responsibilities during their 2022 Summer League and earned a promotion to Player Development later that year.

Wisconsin Badgers (2024–Present)

In July 2024, Stiemsma assumed the role of Director of Player Development for the Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team.

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 55 || 3 || 13.9 || .545 || .000 || .707 || 3.2 || .5 || .7 || 1.5 || 2.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Minnesota | 76 || 19 || 15.9 || .457 || .000 || .768 || 3.4 || .4 || .6 || 1.2 || 4.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| New Orleans | 55 || 20 || 18.3 || .574 || .000 || .594 || 4.1 || .7 || .6 || 1.0 || 2.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Toronto | 17 || 0 || 3.9 || .750 || .000 || .500 || .9 || .2 || .1 || .0 || .8 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 203 || 42 || 15.0 || .509 || .000 || .705 || 3.3 || .5 || .6 || 1.1 || 3.2 |-

Playoffs

|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2012 | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 19 || 0 || 7.5 || .667 || .000 || .667 || 2.2 || .3 || .2 || .6 || 1.5 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 19 || 0 || 7.5 || .667 || .000 || .667 || 2.2 || .3 || .2 || .6 || 1.5

International career

During the 2011 Pan American Games, Stiemsma earned a bronze medal representing Team USA. He led all competitors in field goal accuracy at an impressive .889 and ranked second in blocks with a total of eleven.

Personal life

Of Dutch descent, Stiemsma is married to Emily and they have three children: two daughters and one son. He is the son of Rick and Sharry Stiemsma and has one sister named Erin. Stiemsma has openly shared his journey with depression.

External links

• Profile at Wisconsin