Wendell Carter Jr. is a professional basketball player with the Orlando Magic. Originally drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 2018, where he played until his trade to Orlando in March 2021, Carter Jr. was the seventh overall pick in the NBA Draft after playing one season with the Duke Blue Devils. A 6’10” power forward/center, Carter Jr. has earned a long list of accolades throughout his high school, collegiate, and professional basketball careers — both on and off the court.

Carter Jr. attended Pace Academy high school in Atlanta, Georgia, where he earned a 3.8 GPA and led the team to win the 2016 Georgia Class AA state championship. He also won Gold as part of the 2016 FIBA Under-17 World Championship team representing the United States. In 2017, Carter was named Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year, which goes to student-athletes who exemplify outstanding character, leadership, and academics. 

Heavily recruited as a five-star high school athlete and ranked fifth in the country and first in the state of Georgia by ESPN, Carter Jr. was named a McDonald’s All-American during his senior year at Pace Academy. Carter Jr. went on to have one of the best freshman seasons in Duke’s history for a power forward/center, receiving All-ACC Second Team and All-Freshman ACC Team honors.

Carter Jr.’s parents have been integral in developing his skills both on and off the court. His mother, Kylia, was a Division I basketball player at the University of Mississippi, and his father, Wendell Sr., played professional basketball in the Dominican Republic after his collegiate career. In 2020, the Carter family established A Platform Squared, a nonprofit organization that focuses on financial literacy, social justice, mentorship, and economic empowerment.