Jarvis Varnado

Jarvis Varnado
Jarvis Varnado
Born	March 1, 1988 (age 38); Brownsville, Tennessee, U.S.
Occupation	Professional basketball player (retired)
Years active	2010–present

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Jarvis Varnado, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 28 November 2025

Jarvis Lamar Varnado (born March 1, 1988) is a retired American professional basketball athlete who most recently competed for Piratas de La Guaira in the Venezuelan Basketball League. Known primarily for his defensive prowess, Varnado excelled at shot blocking, a skill enhanced by his extensive wingspan.

Early life

In 2006, Varnado completed his high school education at Haywood High School located in Brownsville, Tennessee.

Ranked as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, he held the position of the No. 16 power forward and was nationally ranked No. 62 among players in 2006.

College career

Between 2006 and 2010, Varnado represented Mississippi State within the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

During the 2007–08 season, he led the NCAA in blocked shots with a total of 157, tying the SEC single-season record previously set by Shaquille O'Neal. He surpassed this mark the following year by recording 170 blocks.

On November 21, 2009, Varnado became the SEC's all-time leader in career blocks with 413, overtaking O'Neal's prior record of 412. Subsequently, on January 23, 2010, he moved past Adonal Foyle to claim the position of second-highest shot-blocker in NCAA Division I history and ultimately established the all-time Division I record with 536 blocks on February 24, 2010.

Varnado earned the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award for three straight seasons from 2008 through 2010—a first in conference history. Alongside David Robinson, he is one of only two collegiate players to amass over 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 500 blocked shots.

Carmatic Pistoia (2010–2011)

Selected by the Miami Heat as the 41st overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft, Varnado opted to begin his professional career with Italian second-division squad Carmatic Pistoia. Over 33 appearances, he averaged 15.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks per contest.

Hapoel Jerusalem (2011–2012)

After attending Miami Heat minicamps during summer 2011, Varnado signed with Hapoel Jerusalem of Israel’s Basketball Super League on August 12, 2011. He departed from the club on January 24, 2012, after participating in twelve games across all competitions.

Virtus Roma (2012)

Following his exit from Jerusalem, Varnado joined Virtus Roma, competing in Italy’s premier Lega Basket Serie A league.

Sioux Falls Skyforce (2012)

Invited to Miami Heat training sessions on September 7, 2012, Varnado was waived on October 26. Subsequently, he signed with the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA Development League where he earned player of the week recognition early in the 2012–13 season.

Boston Celtics (2012–2013)

Varnado inked a contract with the Boston Celtics on December 24, 2012; however, he was released shortly thereafter on January 6, 2013.

Miami Heat (2013)

On January 9, 2013, Varnado returned to the Miami Heat—the team that originally drafted him—signing a ten-day contract. After securing a second ten-day deal on January 20, he was signed for the rest of that season on January 30. During March and April of that year, he was assigned to Miami’s D-League affiliate, Sioux Falls Skyforce. Varnado earned an NBA championship ring when Miami defeated the San Antonio Spurs in a seven-game series during the 2013 NBA Finals.

The Heat waived him on October 21, 2013.

Iowa Energy (2013–2014)

On October 31, 2013, Varnado was reacquired by the Sioux Falls Skyforce but was immediately traded the following day to the Iowa Energy. He earned a spot on the Prospects All-Star team for the 2014 NBA D-League All-Star Game on February 3, 2014.

Chicago Bulls (2014)

Varnado inked a 10-day contract with the Chicago Bulls on February 18, 2014. However, the Bulls decided against renewing his contract on February 28, 2014.

Philadelphia 76ers (2014)

On March 1, 2014, Varnado signed a 10-day deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, which was extended to cover the rest of the season on March 12. He achieved a personal best of 9 points and 6 blocks in a victory against the Detroit Pistons on March 29. The 76ers waived him on October 7, 2014.

Los Angeles D-Fenders (2014–2015)

Varnado’s D-League rights were transferred to the Los Angeles D-Fenders on December 30, 2014. During his tenure, he averaged 11.6 points across eight games.

Piratas de Quebradillas (2015)

Following the conclusion of the 2014–15 D-League season, Varnado signed with Piratas de Quebradillas in Puerto Rico on April 21, 2015, to complete the remainder of the BSN campaign.

Dinamo Sassari (2015–2016)

On July 22, 2015, Varnado agreed to a one-year contract with Dinamo Sassari, competing in Italy’s top-tier Serie A and participating in the premier European competition, the EuroLeague.

Istanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor (2016–2017)

In July 2016, Varnado took part in the Los Angeles Lakers' 2016 NBA Summer League. Subsequently, on August 30, he signed with İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor of Turkey’s Basketball Super League. He and the club parted ways on February 5, 2017.

Tecnyconta Zaragoza (2017–2018)

Varnado secured a one-year deal with Tecnyconta Zaragoza of Spain’s Liga ACB on August 2, 2017. His stint ended prematurely on March 20, 2018, due to a plantar fascia injury in his left foot that kept him out for two months.

Memphis Hustle (2018–2019)

On November 30, 2018, Varnado joined the Memphis Hustle, a team competing in the NBA G League.

Fos Provence (2019)

Varnado left Memphis Hustle on January 15, 2019, to sign with Fos Provence in France’s top division, the LNB Pro A. Over eighteen games, he averaged 9.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per contest.

Hapoel Gilboa Galil (2019–2020)

He signed a one-year contract with Israeli club Hapoel Gilboa Galil on September 25, 2019. Throughout that season, he posted averages of 7.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game.

Club Atlético Aguada (2021–present)

On October 6, 2021, Varnado became part of Club Atlético Aguada, competing in Uruguay’s premier basketball league, the Liga Uruguaya de Básquetbol.

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Boston | 5 || 0 || 3.6 || .500 || .000 || .500 || .6 || .2 || .2 || .0 || 1.2 |- | style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;"|† | style="text-align:left;"|Miami | 8 || 0 || 5.0 || .333 || .000 || .000 || .8 || .3 || .0 || .3 || .3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Chicago | 1 || 0 || 2.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Philadelphia | 23 || 0 || 14.7 || .600 || .000 || .519 || 2.7 || .6 || .4 || 1.3 || 4.3 |- | style="text-align:left;" colspan="2"|Career | 37 || 0 || 10.7 || .582 || .000 || .518 || 1.9 || .4 || .3 || .8 || 2.9

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