Taurean Prince is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Atlanta Hawks. He was the twelfth overall pick selected by the Utah Jazz in the 2016 National Basketball Association draft in the first round. He has played for the Atlanta Hawks since his debut on October 27, 2016.
His position in the team is small forward. Most people would say that in the two years since Prince joined the NBA, the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 11, 2018 would be his best game yet. He posted a career-high 38 points with seven assists. which is frankly the best stat line from his two years in the NBA. He played so well that by the end of the Hawks’ last 16 games, he was the team’s second leading scorer behind Dennis Schroder.
Who is Taurean Prince of NBA
Prince was born to Anthony and Tamiko Prince in San Marcos, Texas. He has two younger siblings; Catina and Derrick. He attended Earl Warren High School in San Antonio, Texas and did his college education at Baylor University. His parents divorced when he was young, which allowed him to grow up much faster than other children his age. Especially when he decided to leave the small two-bedroom apartment he lived in with his mother and younger sister to go live with his father at the age of 12.
He had to go through a lot; starting with living in different houses (after his father lost their home), seeking shelter with the Salvation Army and finally living with his friend Bowdy Thompson, after his father was sent to prison for two years. Some would say that these struggles made him the man and basketball player he is today and it affected the way he played and trained.
In high school, Prince played three seasons of basketball under head coach Jim Weaver. He led the team to the semi-finals in his senior year. He originally planned to play for the LIU-Brooklyn Blackbirds in college, but moved to Baylor due to a coaching change in the old program.
He played college basketball for the Baylor Bears. In his first year, he played twenty-four games and all of them were on the bench. Additionally, he finished the year with 3.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in 6.4 minutes per game. The spring before his sophomore season, Prince was listed on the Big 12 Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
He won the Big 12 sixth man and earned full conference honors after earning 6.2 points and 2.8 rebounds in 14.2 minutes per game and appearing in all 38 games for Baylor. In his fourth season, Fran Fraschilla called him a strong contender for the 2015-16 Big 12 Player of the Year.
Although Prince made his debut on October 27, 2016, he officially joined the NBA on June 23, 2016, after being drafted by the Utah Jazz. On July 7, his rights were traded to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal that also involved the Indian Pacers. He signed the rookie contract with the Hawks on July 15, 2016.
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March 11 is considered a special day for TaureanPrince; just as special as a birthday or anniversary because in 2017 and 2018 was the day he recorded his best of the season. On March 11, 2017, he had 17 points in a 107–90 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Later that year, on April 6, he scored a career-high in points with a 123–116 win over the Boston Celtics. With 11 points, Prince became the first Hawks rookie to hit a double figure in his first four playoff games since Pete Maravich, who did it five straight in 1971.
After that, Prince continued to excel. In December 2017, he scored career points, allowing his team to defeat their opponents. Starting with the game on 12, he scored 24 points in a 123-114 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Three days later, he had five 3-pointers and had 17 points in a 96-94 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.
The following year also started well for him. He set a new career high on February 2, 2018, with 31 points in a 119-110 loss to the Boston Celtics. Then on March 11 (again), 2018, he set a new career high with 38 points in a 129-122 loss to the Chicago Bulls. Six days later, he had another 38-point effort in a 122-177 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
5 Quick Facts About The Prince of Taurus
1. Prince Taurean was born on March 22, 1994 in San Marcos, Texas.
2. Prince is 2.03m tall and weighs 100kg
3. Prince’s salary in 2018 was $2 million. His contract calls for salaries of $3 million in 2019 and 2020 and $5 million in 2021.
4. Prince credits his coach, John Collins, for helping him reach the heights he has today in the NBA.
5. At the age of 12, he became homeless and lived on the streets. However, since then his fortunes have changed drastically.