JaVale McGee is a professional basketball player who currently plays in the National Basketball Association with the Golden State Warriors. The Flint, Michigan-born star, who once expressed his interest in playing for the Philippine national team after he was cut from the United States men’s national basketball team in 2010, is an NBA championship winner.

Early Life

JaVale McGee was born JaVale Lindy McGee to Pamela McGee and George Montgomery on the 19th of January, 1988 in Flint, Michigan. He attended more than one high school, notably Hales Franciscan High School in the south side of Chicago, Illinois where he began following in the footsteps of his parents to play basketball.

After high school, McGee attended the University of Nevada where he played in the Nevada Wolf Pack basketball program in the NCAA Division I Mountain West Conference. His versatility meant he could play at either forward positions or at center, the position in which he plays currently. McGee played collegiate basketball for two years, averaging 14.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game while shooting 53% from the field and 33% from three-point range, before choosing to take his talents to the Association.

Career

JaVale McGee was selected by the Washington Wizards with the 18th overall pick in the first round of the 2008 NBA Draft. He played with the team from 2008 to 2012, making a total of 255 regular season appearances. His best year was the 2010-11 season where he played his most games, 79, starting 75, and averaging 27.8 minutes per game. He was also selected to participate in the 2011 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, becoming the first Wizard to do so.

McGee lost the final round of the dunk competition to Blake Griffin but was consoled by being cited by the Guinness World Records as the person to dunk the most basketballs in a single jump. He did so by throwing down three balls, holding two on both hands, with the third one tossed to him by teammate John Wall.

In March 2012, McGee was traded to the Denver Nuggets. Despite making fewer appearances and getting fewer minutes than he did with the Wizards, he for the first time in his career, got to a chance to play in the playoffs as Denver secured the sixth seed in the Western Conference that year. They were eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round after seven games.

JaVale McGee went on to play in Denver until February 2015 when he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. His time in Philadelphia was very short as he was waived after making just six appearances. In August 2015, he joined the Dallas Mavericks. A stress fracture injury, however, limited his appearances for the side as he played in just 34 regular season games and 2 playoff games before he was again waived in July 2016.

JaVale McGee’s next team turned out to be the Golden State Warriors, losing finalists the year before but eventual winners of the 2017 NBA Championship. He is currently still playing for the Warriors as they try to win another championship.

JaVale McGee’s Net Worth

JaVale McGee’s is the tenth best-paid player on the Golden State Warriors’ roster with an annual salary of $2,116,955. He, however, has an estimated net worth of around $17 million which has afforded him a lavish lifestyle which includes a mansion in Los Angeles, and a fleet of luxury cars that include a Ferrari and Range Rover.

Who Are His Mom, Father & Sister?

JaVale McGee comes from a family of athletes. His mom, Pamela McGee, is a former WNBA star who played for the Los Angeles Sparks and the Sacramento Monarchs. Prior to her WNBA career, her and her twin sister, Paula, played college basketball for the University of Southern California where they won two NCAA Division One championships. Pamela also has a gold medal from the 1984 Olympic games to her name.

McGee’s biological father, George Montgomery, was also a professional basketballer who despite being drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in the second round of the 1985 NBA Draft, never got to play for the team. He played pro-basketball in Europe and South America for teams like ABC Nantes and Olimpia Venado Tuerto.

His half-sister, Imani McGee-Stafford, followed in the family footsteps to play professional basketball. She currently plays for the Atlanta Dream in the WNBA.

Does He Have A Wife or Girlfriend?

JaVale McGee is not married. He is, however, in a serious relationship with Giselle Ramirez whom he met in 2015 while she was working as a realtor in Los Angeles. It is said that she was the person who represented the baller in the purchase of his current LA residence. Together, the pair has a daughter named Genevieve Grey McGee.

Height, Weight, and Other Facts

Birth Name: JaVale Lindy McGee

Date of Birth: January 19, 1988

Place of Birth: Flint, Michigan

Nationality: American

Height: 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)

Weight: 122 kg (270 lbs)