Vander Blue

Vander Blue
Vander Blue
Born	Vander Lee Blue II; July 17, 1992 (age 34); Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
Occupation	Professional basketball player
Years active	2013–present

Vander Lee Blue II (born July 17, 1992) is a professional basketball athlete from the United States currently playing for the Ángeles de la Ciudad de México in the Circuito de Baloncesto de la Costa del Pacífico (CIBACOPA).

College career

Standing 6'4" and playing as a shooting guard, Blue hails from Madison, Wisconsin. He initially committed to the University of Wisconsin but withdrew his commitment following unfavorable online feedback directed at the Wisconsin Badgers. Subsequently, he enrolled at Marquette for the 2010–11 season, where he became an important part of the rotation during his freshman and sophomore years before earning a starting position in his junior season. During that junior year, he averaged 14.8 points per game and was honored with second team All-Big East Conference recognition.

After completing his junior year, Blue chose to enter the 2013 NBA draft, foregoing his senior collegiate season.

Maccabi Rishon LeZion (2013)

Although Blue was not selected in the 2013 NBA draft, he participated in summer league play with the Houston Rockets in Orlando and later with the Memphis Grizzlies in Las Vegas. He signed with the Philadelphia 76ers on September 27, 2013, but was released on October 25 following five preseason appearances. Shortly thereafter, Blue joined Maccabi Rishon LeZion competing in Israel’s top league. He played seven games before being let go on December 31, 2013.

Delaware 87ers (2014)

Blue was acquired by the Delaware 87ers of the NBA Development League on January 14, 2014.

Boston Celtics (2014)

On January 22, 2014, Blue secured a 10-day contract with the Boston Celtics, debuting in the NBA that same day by contributing 2 points, 2 rebounds, and an assist during a victory over the Washington Wizards. He was assigned to the Maine Red Claws on January 31. The Celtics opted not to renew his contract beyond the initial period, concluding his stint with both teams. He returned to the Delaware 87ers on February 1.

Idaho Stampede (2014)

Blue was traded to the Idaho Stampede on March 7 as part of a four-team transaction and finished out the remainder of the 2013–14 season there. Over the course of that season across three D-League teams, he averaged 16.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.3 steals per game in a total of 27 contests.

Los Angeles D-Fenders (2014–2015)

In July 2014, Blue participated with the San Antonio Spurs during the 2014 NBA Summer League. He signed with the Washington Wizards on September 29 but was waived shortly after on October 3. On October 30, he rejoined the Idaho Stampede before being traded one day later to the Los Angeles D-Fenders in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2014 NBA Development League Draft. On February 12, 2015, Blue was selected for the Futures All-Star roster for the 2015 NBA Development League All-Star Game, replacing Jordan Hamilton.

Los Angeles Lakers (2015)

On April 13, 2015, Blue inked a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers utilizing an NBA hardship exemption due to multiple injuries within their roster that expanded it to sixteen players. With limited depth at guard positions, he saw substantial playing time over his two appearances for the Lakers.

Second Tenure with the D-Fenders (2015–2016)

In July 2015, Blue participated with the Chicago Bulls during the 2015 NBA Summer League. He was reacquired by the Los Angeles D-Fenders on October 31. On January 29, he secured his second consecutive selection to the West All-Star squad for the 2016 NBA D-League All-Star Game. By the conclusion of the season, Blue earned a spot on the All-NBA D-League First Team.

Guangxi Rhinos (2016)

Blue took part in the 2016 NBA Summer League with the Dallas Mavericks in July 2016. The subsequent month, he briefly played a single game in China representing the Guangxi Rhinos.

Third Tenure with the D-Fenders (2016–2017)

On October 30, 2016, Blue returned to the Los Angeles D-Fenders. He achieved his third straight Western Conference All-Star selection for the NBA D-League All-Star Game on February 6, 2017. On April 24, 2017, he was honored as the NBA Development League Most Valuable Player Award for the 2016–17 season after posting averages of 24.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.6 steals across 47 games. Twice recognized as Player of the Week, Blue played a key role in guiding the D-Fenders to a Western Conference-leading 34–16 record. He recorded ten games with at least 30 points and surpassed 40 points twice, including a remarkable performance on March 29 against the Reno Bighorns where he made a league-record 23 free throws en route to a season-high 41 points.

Return to the Lakers (2017–2018)

Blue re-signed with the Los Angeles Lakers on August 4, 2017, marking his second stint with the team but was released on October 14 during final preseason roster cuts. Shortly after, on October 18, he inked a two-way contract that split his time between the Lakers and their NBA G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers. Blue was waived by Los Angeles on January 12, 2018.

Auxilium Torino (2018)

On February 2, 2018, Blue agreed to terms with Italian club Auxilium Torino for the remainder of that season. He contributed significantly to Fiat Torino’s victory in the 2018 Italian Basketball Cup, narrowly defeating Germani Basket Brescia 69–67 in the Finals. Blue earned Finals MVP honors by delivering an impactful performance of 11 points, two rebounds, and three assists.

Wisconsin Herd (2018–2019)

Following an acquisition of his rights from South Bay on November 16, 2018, Blue joined the Wisconsin Herd competing in the NBA G League.

Texas Legends (2019)

On January 24, 2019, Blue was traded to the Texas Legends in exchange for returning player rights to Damon Lynn along with a second-round selection in the 2019 NBA G League draft.

Santa Cruz Warriors (2019)

Blue signed with the Santa Cruz Warriors during 2019 but was waived on December 12 after averaging averages of 8.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per contest.

Libertadores de Querétaro (2021)

Blue joined Golden Eagle Ylli of the Kosovo Basketball Superleague on March 8, 2020. Later, on August 18, 2021, he signed with Libertadores de Querétaro, participating in Mexico’s Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP).

Peñarol (2021)

On February 19, 2021, Blue signed with Club Atlético Peñarol, competing in Uruguay’s Liga Uruguaya de Basketball.

Libertadores de Querétaro (2022)

In August 2022, Blue rejoined Libertadores de Querétaro for the 2022 LNBP season, where he was recognized as an LNBP All-Star.

Ángeles de la Ciudad de México (2024–present)

Blue signed with the Ángeles de la Ciudad de México in January 2024, joining this newly established franchise competing in the Circuito de Baloncesto de la Costa del Pacífico (CIBACOPA).

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Boston | 3 || 0 || 5.0 || .500 || .000 || .200 || 1.0 || .3 || .0 || .0 || 1.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 2 || 1 || 37.0 || .300 || .200 || .400 || 4.5 || 4.0 || 1.5 || .0 || 11.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 5 || 0 || 9.0 || .200 || .000 || .500 || .2 || .6 || .2 || .0 || .6 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:left;"| Career | style="text-align:left;"| | 10 || 1 || 13.4 || .308 || .154 || .333 || 1.3 || 1.2 || .4 || .0 || 3.0

External links

Marquette Golden Eagles biography