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Sonny Weems

From Alfawiki
Sonny Weems
Born (1986-07-08) July 8, 1986 (age 40)
United States
OccupationProfessional basketball player
Years active2008–present
Known forPlaying for multiple NBA teams and international clubs; All-EuroLeague First Team (2014)

Clarence "Sonny" Weems (born July 8, 1986) is an American professional basketball athlete currently competing for the Shenzhen Leopards in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). His collegiate career included playing for both the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith and the University of Arkansas. Drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the 2008 NBA draft, Weems was promptly traded to the Denver Nuggets. Throughout his NBA tenure, he has also been part of the Toronto Raptors, Phoenix Suns, and Philadelphia 76ers, along with professional stints in Lithuania and Russia. Standing at , he covers both the shooting guard and small forward roles. Notably, he was named to the All-EuroLeague First Team in 2014.

Early life

Born with cleft feet, Weems faced early predictions that walking or running might be impossible. Overcoming these initial obstacles, he went on to become a state champion in both long jump and high jump events.

High school and college career

While attending West Memphis High School, Weems guided his team to a 5A state title and secured first team all-state recognition during his senior year. His scoring averaged above 20 points per game in his sophomore and junior seasons, complemented by 14.0 rebounds per game as a senior. Across his high school career, his squad achieved a 68–10 record.

Weems began his collegiate journey at University of Arkansas-Fort Smith (UAFS), a junior college, where as a freshman he earned third team All-American, all-conference, and all-region distinctions. Rated as the nation’s top junior college player by both Rivals.com and Street & Smith's, he captained UAFS to the 2006 National Junior College Athletic Association National Championship. Over two years, Weems contributed to a combined 62–7 record and back-to-back Bi-State Conference Eastern Division championships.

Arkansas Razorbacks

Transferring to the Arkansas Razorbacks for his junior year under coach Stan Heath, Weems posted an average of 11.8 points per game while earning all-tournament accolades at the Old Spice Classic and SEC Tournament. His efforts helped Arkansas achieve their third consecutive winning season along with their second straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

In his senior season with coach John Pelphrey, Weems was honored as first team All-SEC, averaging 15.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists each game. He propelled the Razorbacks to their first NCAA tournament victory in nearly a decade by scoring 31 points against Indiana University, outperforming notable freshman star Eric Gordon. Following their exit in the second round of the tournament, Weems claimed victory in the State Farm College Slam Dunk Championship held during the Final Four.

NBA draft

In April 2008, Weems initially accepted an invitation to participate in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament but subsequently withdrew. Instead, he attended workouts for multiple NBA franchises including the Memphis Grizzlies, Orlando Magic, Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets, and Portland Trail Blazers, drawing attention for his quickness and agility. Selected 39th overall in the 2008 NBA draft by the Bulls, he was immediately involved in a three-team trade that sent him to the Denver Nuggets.

NBA Development League

Following his recovery from surgery and injury, Weems was assigned on December 10, 2008, to the Denver Nuggets’ NBA Development League team, the Colorado 14ers. Over the course of 10 games, he posted averages of 18.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. Key performances included leading the squad with 20 points in a victory over the Reno Bighorns on December 14, delivering 24 points in a narrow defeat to the Sioux Falls Skyforce on December 17, and scoring 26 points against the Tulsa 66ers on December 20. Additionally, he contributed 25 points in another win versus Tulsa on December 23 and achieved a double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds during a triumph over the Fort Wayne Mad Ants on December 30. Weems was recalled by Denver on January 6, 2009.

Denver Nuggets

In his NBA debut for the Nuggets on January 17, 2009, Weems scored four points after coming off the bench in a 106–88 loss to Orlando. Later that year, on July 31, he was traded alongside Walter Sharpe and cash considerations to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Malik Allen.

Toronto Raptors

On August 18, 2009, the Bucks traded Weems and Amir Johnson to the Toronto Raptors in return for Carlos Delfino and Roko Ukić. He achieved a then career-high of 21 points as a starter on April 7, 2010, before surpassing it with a personal best of 25 points against the Philadelphia 76ers on November 17, 2010.

Žalgiris Kaunas (2011–2012)

Weems inked a one-year contract with Lithuanian team Žalgiris Kaunas on July 8, 2011. His tenure ended in March 2012 due to an ankle injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Weems later expressed dissatisfaction with the medical treatment available in Lithuania, noting that he had to return to the United States for proper care. Across 15 EuroLeague appearances, he averaged 15.5 points and five rebounds per game.

2012–13 season

On July 30, 2012, Weems signed a three-year deal with CSKA Moscow, seen as a successor to former star Andrei Kirilenko. On October 18, he posted a EuroLeague career-high of 30 points during an overtime victory against Partizan Belgrade. Playing alongside prominent European talents such as Miloš Teodosić, Nenad Krstić, Theo Papaloukas, and Victor Khryapa, CSKA secured third place at the 2013 EuroLeague Final Four, falling to Olympiacos in the semifinals. Weems averaged 13.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists over 28 EuroLeague contests and contributed to winning the VTB United League championship by defeating Lokomotiv Kuban in the finals.

2013–14 season

With few changes to the roster, Weems continued as a pivotal figure for CSKA. On January 17, 2014, he achieved a career-high of ten assists along with sixteen points in a tight EuroLeague loss to Partizan. His strong season performance earned him a spot on the All-EuroLeague First Team in May. Although his scoring average slightly declined to 12.2 points per game, his defensive contributions grew noticeably. CSKA was again ousted in the EuroLeague semifinals by eventual champions Maccabi Tel Aviv. The team claimed its third straight VTB United League title by sweeping Nizhny Novgorod in the final series. On July 4, 2014, Weems extended his contract with CSKA through the year 2017.

2014–15 season

During the 2014–15 campaign, CSKA Moscow advanced to the 2015 EuroLeague Final Four for the fourth year running, overcoming Panathinaikos with a 3–1 series victory in the quarterfinals. Although they entered the semifinals as favorites, CSKA narrowly fell to Olympiacos 70–68 following a late rally orchestrated by Vassilis Spanoulis. The team claimed third place by defeating Fenerbahçe 86–80. Weems enhanced his performance metrics, posting averages of 13.1 points, 4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists across 26 games. The season concluded triumphantly with CSKA capturing the VTB United League title, sweeping Khimki 3–0 in the finals.

On June 16, 2015, Weems and CSKA Moscow parted ways as he opted to return to the NBA. Over three seasons, he appeared in 166 contests for CSKA, maintaining averages of 12.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3 assists per game in both EuroLeague and VTB United League play.

Phoenix Suns (2015–2016)

Weems signed a two-year deal with the Phoenix Suns on July 17, 2015. He made his debut on October 28 against the Dallas Mavericks, contributing 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal during a 111–95 defeat. On January 26, 2016, he notched a season-best 12 points in a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. After averaging 2.5 points, 1.3 assists, and 1.1 rebounds over 36 games with an average of nearly 12 minutes per contest, Weems was waived on March 5, 2016.

Philadelphia 76ers (2016)

Two days later, on March 7, Weems was picked up off waivers by the Philadelphia 76ers. His stint proved challenging as he struggled to find form and sustained a right quadriceps strain on March 26 against the Portland Trail Blazers. The following day, he was released from the team.

Maccabi Tel Aviv (2016–2017)

On June 14, 2016, Weems inked a two-year contract with Israeli powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv. However, his tenure ended prematurely on January 30, 2017, after failing to complete an anti-doping test.

Zhejiang Golden Bulls (2017–2018)

In July of 2017, Weems joined the Zhejiang Golden Bulls competing in the Chinese Basketball Association. During his time there, he averaged impressive numbers: 31.7 points, 8 rebounds, and nearly 6 assists over a span of 38 games.

Anadolu Efes (2018)

Weems signed with Turkish club Anadolu Efes on February 24, 2018 for the remainder of that season. He debuted on March 1 by scoring 19 points alongside grabbing six rebounds and dishing out two assists in a defeat against Olimpia Milano.

Guangdong Southern Tigers (2018–2022 & 2023–2024)

On October 8, 2018, Weems committed to the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association. He helped secure three straight CBA championships from 2019 through 2021 and earned Finals MVP honors in the championship series of 2020 after averaging an outstanding 34.7 points against the Liaoning Flying Leopards.

In January of 2022, Weems was involved in an altercation with Liaoning player Han Dejun, resulting in both players being ejected and fined—Weems receiving a $22,008 penalty accompanied by a five-game suspension. Following this incident, Weems was subjected to racial abuse from Liaoning supporters while leaving the team bus. The episode elicited condemnation from both the Chinese Basketball Association and prominent basketball figure Jeremy Lin.

Shanxi Loongs (2022–2023)

In 2022, Weems committed to a one-year deal with the Shanxi Loongs competing in the Chinese Basketball Association.

Shenzhen Leopards (2024–present)

On October 13, 2024, Weems signed with the Shenzhen Leopards, another team within the Chinese Basketball Association.

Personal life

During May 2020, Weems contributed protective masks to West Memphis, Arkansas, focusing on assisting elderly and economically disadvantaged individuals through his organization "Weems World," which supported local efforts against COVID-19.

In June 2024, he played a leading role in the Athletes Abroad Summit, an event designed to equip American athletes for professional opportunities overseas, collaborating with Kyle Hines and Edniesha Curry.

Regular season

|- | align="left" | | align="left" | Denver | 12 || 0 || 4.6 || .320 || .000 || .375 || .3 || .3 || .1 || .0 || 1.6 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Toronto | 69 || 19 || 19.8 || .515 || .133 || .688 || 2.8 || 1.5 || .6 || .4 || 7.5 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Toronto | 59 || 28 || 23.9 || .444 || .279 || .766 || 2.6 || 1.8 || .6 || .0 || 9.2 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Phoenix | 36 || 0 || 11.7 || .393 || .406 || .538 || 1.1 || 1.3 || .3 || .0 || 2.5 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Philadelphia | 7 || 0 || 11.1 || .333 || .222 || .500 || 1.7 || .3 || .0 || .0 || 2.4 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 183 || 47 || 18.2 || .465 || .283 || .702 || 2.2 || 1.4 || .5 || .2 || 6.5 |-

EuroLeague

|- | align="left" | 2011–12 | align="left" | Žalgiris | 15 || 15 || 29.9 || .474 || .360 || .686 || 5.0 || 1.3 || .9 || .2 || 15.5 || 12.7 |- | align="left" | 2012–13 | align="left" rowspan=3| CSKA Moscow | 28|| 27|| 28.8|| .472|| .385|| .813|| 2.9|| 2.1|| .8|| .1||13.7||11.8 |- | align="left" | 2013–14 | 29|| 27||28.5|| .442|| .354|| .754||3.5||3.7|| .9|| .2||12.2||12.4 |- | align="left" | 2014–15 |26||22||26.9|| .425|| .371|| .792||4.0||3.5|| 1.0|| .2||13.1||11.8 |- | align="left" | 2016–17 | align="left" | Maccabi |19||16||27.0|| .509|| .327|| .703||3.3||3.4|| .9|| .1||11.6||11.1 |- | align="left" | 2017–18 | align="left" | Anadolu Efes |6||6||| 30.4||| .452||| .318||| .769|||3.5||| 4.0||| .7||| .0||| 15.5||| 13.7 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career |123|||113|||28.3||| .459||| .361||| .757|||3.6|||3.0||| .9||| .2|||13.2|||12.0

Domestic leagues

Year Team League GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2011–12 rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | Template:Country data LTUTemplate:Namespace detect showall BC Žalgiris style="text-align:center;" | Lithuanian Basketball League 13 12 23.6 .441 .343 .694 3.9 1.9 1.4 .1 9.9
2011–12 VTB United League style="text-align:center;" | VTB United League 16 16 25.4 .474 .342 .735 4.1 2.0 .8 .4 10.3
2012–13 VTB United League rowspan="4" style="text-align:center;" | Template:Country data RUTemplate:Namespace detect showall PBC CSKA Moscow style="text-align:center;" | VTB United League 25 19 24.3 .485 .442 .659 2.5 1.7 .7 .1 11.5
2012–13 PBL season style="text-align:center;" | Russian Professional Basketball League 15 14 24.6 .454 .468 .667 3.1 2.1 0.5 0 11.2
26 25 29 0,444 0,371 0,711 3,2 3,3 1,0 .4 11,0
31 26 22,1 0,454 0,437 0,75 2,7 3,5 0,6 0,2 11,6
Template:Flagicon\ISR Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C. ISBL 11 9 24,3 0,333 0,229 '.846 3,8 4,5 1,0 0,1 7,7
Template:Flagicon\CHN Zhejiang Golden Bulls CBA 38 38 38,9 0,509 0,409 0,834 8 5,9 1,6 0,3 31,7
Template:Flagicon\TUR Anadolu Efes S.K. BSL 15 10 27,7 0,500 0,333 '773' 3,4 3,1 0,7 0,1 12,9
rowspan=4; Template:Flagicon\CHN Guangdong Southern Tigers rowspan=4; CBA '54' 12 33,2 .566 0,371 0,786 5,7 6,4 1,6 0,2 23,1
51 30 29,5 0,539 0,364 '817' 6,1 6,1 '1,6' '.4' 21,8
'54' '36' '21', '3' '505' '333' '796' '4', '7' '5', '2' '1', '4' , '2' '16', '7'
'27' '27' '27', '0' '505' '397' '824' '4', '7' '5', '6' '1', '2' , '4' '15', '0'

External links

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