Luke Kennard (basketball)

Luke Douglas Kennard (born June 24, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils and was drafted by the Detroit Pistons with the 12th pick in the 2017 NBA draft. He has also played for the Los Angeles Clippers.

High school career
Kennard attended Franklin High School in Franklin, Ohio near Dayton. As a senior, he was named the Parade National Player of the Year. He was named the Ohio Gatorade Basketball Player of the Year as junior and senior. He also played high school football, lettering for three years as a quarterback. And though he shot with his left hand in basketball, he threw with his right hand in football.

Finishing high school, Kennard was one of the most sought after recruits in the nation. He was ranked as the No. 24 prospect in his recruiting class by ESPN. Kennard committed to Duke University to play college basketball during his junior year of high school. He finished his career with the second most points in Ohio history, three spots ahead of LeBron James. He was a McDonald's All-American selection.

In 2020, it was announced that Franklin High would retire Kennard's number 10.

Freshman season (2015–2016)
In practice, he frequently matched up against Duke guard Grayson Allen.

On January 6, 2016, Luke scored 23 points in a 91–75 win over Wake Forest. On February 6, 2016, Kennard tallied 26 points in an 88–80 win over NC State. As a freshman at Duke, Kennard averaged 11.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.

Sophomore season (2016–2017)
On November 29, 2016, he scored 20 points in a 78–69 win against Michigan State in ACC–Big Ten Challenge. On December 3, 2016, Kennard scored 35 points in a 94–55 win over Maine. On January 28, 2017, Kennard scored 34 points in an 85–83 win over Wake Forest. On February 11, 2017, Kennard tallied 25 points in a 64–62 victory over Clemson. On March 3, 2017, Luke scored 20 points in a 79–72 victory over Clemson in the second round and scored 24 points in an 81–77 win against Louisville in the quarterfinals of the 2017 ACC tournament. On March 10, 2017, Kennard scored 20 points in a 93–83 win over rival North Carolina in the semifinals. On March 11, 2017, Kennard tallied 16 points in a 75–69 win against Notre Dame in the ACC Championship game.

During his sophomore year, Luke averaged 19.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. He led the team both from the three-point range with 43.8% and free throw line at 85.6%. As a sophomore, he was named first team All-ACC and second-team All-American.

He finished 1–6 from the field and fouled out in Duke's second-round loss to South Carolina in the NCAA tournament. His reaction to the final foul call against him quickly turned into a meme.

After his sophomore season, Kennard chose to forgo his final two years of collegiate eligibility and enter the 2017 NBA draft. He joined Duke teammates Jayson Tatum, Harry Giles, and Frank Jackson in declaring early for the draft.

Detroit Pistons (2017–2020)
On June 22, 2017, Kennard was drafted 12th overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 2017 NBA draft.

He made his NBA debut on October 20, 2017, against the Washington Wizards, scoring 11 points and recording 2 steals in 18 minutes. Kennard started his first NBA game on December 15, 2017, after Avery Bradley suffered a groin injury, scoring 9 points with 5 rebounds and 4 assists in a win against the Indiana Pacers. Kennard recorded his first career double-double on January 24, 2018, with 10 points and 10 rebounds. On April 11, 2018, Kennard recorded a former career-high 23 points in a 119–87 victory over the Chicago Bulls.

In July 2018, the Pistons announced that Kennard suffered a left knee strain and would miss the 2018 NBA Summer League. On October 26, 2018, Kennard suffered a sprain of the AC joint in his right shoulder and would be out for at least two weeks. On December 10, 2018, he recorded a career-high 28 points in a 116–102 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. On April 10, 2019, Kennard recorded 27 points in the last game of the regular season, in a 115–89 win over the New York Knicks.

On October 23, 2019, Kennard scored 30 points and three rebounds in a 119–110 win over the Indiana Pacers. The season was Kennard's first as a full-time starter for the Pistons, but it was cut short after 28 games due to bilateral knee tendinitis and, subsequently, the suspension of the season due to COVID-19.

Los Angeles Clippers (2020–2023)
On November 19, 2020, Kennard was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in a three-team trade that involved the Brooklyn Nets, sending Rodney McGruder, Džanan Musa, and the draft rights of Saddiq Bey and Jaylen Hands to Detroit. On March 22, 2021, Kennard posted 20 points on 8-for-8 from the field, including 4-for-4 from 3-point range coming off the bench, along with seven rebounds, four assists and a block in 18 minutes of action in a 119–110 win over the Atlanta Hawks, becoming the first player in franchise history to log at least 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists with less than 20 minutes of playing time in a game.

On December 18, 2021, Kennard scored a season-high 27 points, alongside seven rebounds and three assists, in a 104–103 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. On January 25, 2022, he was fouled while shooting a three-pointer and made the shot as well as the free throw, which propelled the Clippers to a 116–115 win over the Washington Wizards. The Clippers had trailed by as many as 35 points during the game. Kennard missed the Clippers’ two postseason play-in tournament games with a hamstring injury, as they were eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 2018.

Memphis Grizzlies (2023–present)
On February 9, 2023, Kennard was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in a three-team trade involving the Houston Rockets. He made his Grizzlies debut three days later, recording four points and two rebounds in a 119–109 loss to the Boston Celtics. On March 24, Kennard scored a career-high tying 30 points in a 151–114 win over the Houston Rockets. His ten made 3-pointers set a Grizzlies franchise record for most threes made in a game, surpassing the previous mark (9) set twice by Mike Miller and once by current teammate Jaren Jackson Jr.

Personal life
Kennard briefly dated reality TV star Savannah Chrisley. Kennard later began dating Anna Castro, proposing on October 17, 2021. They were married on August 5, 2022.