Former Miami Heat Standout Named EuroLeague MVP

It is not often that a player goes from being named to the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team to out of the league just three years later. That was the case though for guard Kendrick Nunn. The 6-foot-2 guard received those first team honors in the 2019-20 season. He last played in the league in the 2022-23 season. Joining Panathinaikos in 2023, he became a star overseas. It resulted in Kendrick Nunn being named the EuroLeague MVP for the 2024-25 season.

Former Miami Heat Standout Named EuroLeague MVP

Kendrick Nunn Named The 2024-25 EuroLeague MVP

Now 29 years old, Nunn has spent the last two seasons playing for Panathinaikos. While he showed potential and performed well at times in the NBA, his game has improved by leaps and bounds in the EuroLeague. His squad has already won the Greek Cup this season and are currently in the quarterfinals trying to earn a EuroLeague crown. The team’s excellence has been led by the stellar play of Nunn.

In his 33 EuroLeague appearances this season, Nunn has posted averages of 21.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.0 steals. He has scored efficiency as well as evidenced by his shooting marks of 50.3% from the field, 42.6% from beyond the arc, and 85.6% from the foul line.

On December 17, Nunn had a remarkable start in his team’s contest. Playing against EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, Nunn dropped 21 points in the first quarter alone. That was the most in EuroLeague history in a first quarter (since the play-by-play era in 2007) and tied for the most in any quarter. Former Knicks player Toney Douglas also scored 21 in a EuroLeague game in the fourth quarter during the 2017-18 season. All of Nunn’s 21 points in the opening stanza came via the three-pointer.

For those wondering if Nunn will eventually rejoin the NBA, it won’t happen anytime soon. He signed an extension with Panathinaikos until 2028, one that does not include an NBA opt-out clause.

NBA Career Saw Him Reach The NBA Finals

Despite a mighty productive 2017-18 season playing collegiately for Oakland, Nunn went undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft. After a strong preseason performance in 2019, he earned a spot on the Miami Heat roster. Not only did he make the team, but he started all 67 of his appearances during his rookie year. He posted averages of 15.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists, earning a spot on the All-Rookie First Team. While he came off the bench during the bubble playoffs of 2020, he played a role on a Miami team that reached the NBA Finals.

The following season, his scoring average dropped slightly, but his shooting splits improved across the board. In the 2021 offseason, Nunn agreed on a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. Unfortunately, a knee injury sidelined him for the entire 2021-22 season. He played 39 games for the Lakers the following year before being dealt to the Washington Wizards in a deal that saw Rui Hachimura sent to LA.

While Nunn is still young enough to possibly have a chance to return to the NBA once his current contract is over, he certainly is enjoying the success he is having with Panathinaikos.