Former NBA lottery pick and guard/forward O.J. Mayo is signing with the Liaoning Flying Leopards of the Chinese Basketball Association, as relayed by Alberto De Roa of HoopsHype.
Mayo, 36, is 6-foot-5 and still considered one of the greatest high school players of all time. He attended three high schools in the early-2000s — Rose Hill (Ky.) Christian, North College Hill (Ohio) and Huntington (W.Va.) Prep.
After playing college basketball at USC for the 2007-08, Mayo was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. Later that day, Mayo was the primary piece in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies that sent power forward Kevin Love to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Mayo played in the NBA from 2008-16 with the Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks and Milwaukee Bucks, compiling career averages of 13.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists, shooting 37 percent from the field and 32 percent on 3-pointers. He averaged a career-high 18.5 points and played in all 82 games as a rookie.
Since leaving the NBA, Mayo has had a strong career overseas, with stops in Puerto Rico, China, Taiwan, Russia and Egypt. This is his second stint with Liaoning, for which he also played in 2021-22.
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