Jamarion Sharp

Jamarion Demontrez Sharp (born August 26, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks. He played college basketball for John A. Logan College, Western Kentucky, and Ole Miss. At 7ft 5in, he was one of the tallest Division I players ever and is one of the tallest living humans.

Early life and high school career
Sharp was born on August 26, 2001. His father, Mario Sharp, was 6ft 9in and his mother, Shiby Watkins, was 6ft 5in. He admits that "growing up, [he] didn’t love the game of basketball". Sharp's future high school coach, Tim Haworth, who knew him since he was five years old, encouraged him to play.

Sharp had a growth spurt the summer after middle school and came into Hopkinsville High School as a 6ft 6in freshman. He grew to 6ft 8in by his junior year and became a seven-footer as a senior. He played basketball for the Tigers, where he appeared in the KHSAA Sweet Sixteen state tournament as a sophomore. As a junior, he averaged a modest 2.9 points and three rebounds per game. As a senior, he averaged 7.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, leading the Tigers to a 16–14 record and an 8th district semifinals appearance. He earned all-district honors and was selected to represent Team Kentucky in the 2019 Kentucky-Indiana All-Star game.

Western Kentucky head coach Rick Stansbury noticed Sharp, then a junior, in February 2018 while scouting another player. He caught Stansbury's attention during pre-game warm-ups but did not play in the first half. After Stansbury inquired about "the big kid", Haworth worked Sharp out in front of him at halftime by having him shoot jump hooks. Sharp was offered a scholarship "basically that night". However, he did not meet the academic requirements to attend Western Kentucky, his dream school, out of high school. On April 23, 2019, Sharp committed to John A. Logan College, a junior college (JUCO) in Carterville, Illinois.

John A. Logan
As a freshman for the John A. Logan Volunteers, Sharp was listed at 7ft 2in. He averaged 5.5 points, five rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game in his first year, earning All-Great Rivers Athletic Conference (GRAC) honors. While teaming with Jay Scrubb, they led the Volunteers to a 28–5 record and finished undefeated in conference play for the first time in school history. On January 28, 2021, Sharp recorded 20 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks in a double-overtime victory over Three Rivers. He recorded two triple-doubles in February against Kaskaskia College and Southwestern Illinois, including a season-high 12 blocks in the latter. As a sophomore, Sharp averaged 7.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.3 blocks per game, earning All-GRAC and all-region honors.

Sharp was rated a four-star prospect and the top JUCO recruit in the nation by 247Sports. He received offers from programs such as Arizona, Cincinnati and Oregon, but committed to Western Kentucky on November 23, 2020.

Western Kentucky
By the time Sharp arrived at Western Kentucky for the 2021–22 season, he had grown to 7ft 5in. In his first game as a Hilltopper, an exhibition against Campbellsville, he recorded 14 points, seven rebounds and three blocks in 17 minutes. Sharp said of the experience that it was "amazing to play for [his] dream school." On November 24 he earned his first start in a 88–62 victory against Alabama A&M after Jaylen Butz was sidelined with knee soreness. In just his fifth game, he contributed 10 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 blocks, recording the third triple-double in program history and setting the program single-game blocks record. On December 4, he recorded 17 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks in a 85–80 victory over in-state rivals Eastern Kentucky. On December 11, he recorded 16 points, nine rebounds and six blocks in a 71–48 victory over Ole Miss at the Holiday Hoopsgiving in Atlanta. On December 18, he had 14 points, eight rebounds and four blocks in their 82–72 win over Louisville – the Hilltoppers' first win over the Cardinals since 2008. In their next game against Kentucky, he recorded eight points, six rebounds and seven blocks in the first half before exiting the game with an ankle sprain.

Sharp finished the season with averages of 8.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and a nation-leading 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 72.7 percent from the field. His 148 blocks set a new single-season program record, surpassing Chris Marcus's 97 blocks in 2000–01. Sharp was named Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year and an honorable mention all-conference selection. He was a semifinalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award, as well as a finalist for the Lefty Driesell Award.

Personal life
In April 2024, Sharp was charged with aggravated assault for firing a gun while a vehicle was being repossessed. No one was injured in the incident. Sharp was taken into custody and was given a $100,000 bond by a municipal court judge.