Kenneth Lofton Jr.

Kenneth Wayne Lofton Jr. (born August 14, 2002) is an American professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. He is a two-time all-conference selection in Conference USA, including first-team honors as a sophomore in 2022.

High school career
Lofton played basketball for Memorial High School in Port Arthur, Texas. He was initially a guard and became a post player following a growth spurt. He won a 5A state title in his sophomore season. As a senior, he averaged 17 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists per game, leading his team to a share of the 21–5A district title. Lofton earned 5A All-State honors and was a McDonald's All-American nominee. He signed a National Letter of Intent to play college basketball for Louisiana Tech.

College career
On March 28, 2021, Lofton recorded a freshman season-high 27 points and 13 rebounds, making a game-winning shot with 0.3 seconds left, in a 76–74 win over Colorado State at the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) third place game. He was an All-Tournament Team selection. As a freshman, Lofton averaged 12.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, earning Third Team All-Conference USA and Freshman of the Year honors. He was named Conference USA Freshman of the Week nine times, tied for the third-most in league history. Lofton was the first Louisiana Tech freshman to lead the team in rebounding since Paul Millsap in 2003–04.

As a sophomore, Lofton was named to the First Team All-Conference USA. He averaged 16.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. On March 22, 2022, Lofton declared for the 2022 NBA draft. He did not sign with an agent, allowing him the flexibility to return to Louisiana Tech.

Memphis Grizzlies / Hustle (2022–2023)
After going undrafted in the 2022 NBA draft, Lofton signed a two-way contract with the Memphis Grizzlies on July 2, 2022. He made his NBA debut on October 22, 2022, scoring four points in a 137–96 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Lofton was named to the G League's inaugural Next Up Game, the league's version of the NBA All-Star Game, for the 2022–23 season. On March 31, 2023, Lofton was awarded the NBA G League Rookie of the Year Award. On April 8, 2023, the Grizzlies converted Lofton's deal into a standard, multi-year NBA contract.

On April 9, 2023, Lofton scored a career-high 42 points and put up a career-high 14 rebounds in a 115–100 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in his first game as a starter. He also became the first player in NBA history to put up at least 40 points and 10 rebounds in a player's first career start, since starts were officially tracked since the 1970–71 season. On December 18, 2023, Lofton was waived by the Grizzlies.

Philadelphia 76ers / Delaware Blue Coats (2023–2024)
On December 23, 2023, Lofton signed a two-way contract with the Philadelphia 76ers and their G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats. On March 1, 2024, Lofton was waived.

Utah Jazz (2024–present)
On March 11, 2024, Lofton signed with the Utah Jazz.

National team career
Lofton represented the United States at the 2021 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Latvia. He averaged 13.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, helping his team win the gold medal. Lofton led the US in a come-from-behind victory against France in the final, with 15 of his team-high 16 points coming in the second half to secure an 83–81 win in the gold medal game.

Personal life
Rumors of his father being former professional baseball player Kenny Lofton are false. Kenneth Sr. served in the military and worked for the US postal service for 18 years. His older sister, Kennedi, played college basketball for Southern. His grandfather, Gene "Rock" Duhon, was a track and field athlete at Southern University, where he was named to the Track Hall of Fame, and competed at United States Olympic Trials.