B. J. Mullens
Encyclopedia
Byron James "B. J." Mullens (born February 14, 1989 in Canal Winchester
, Ohio
) is an American
professional basketball
player. He was drafted 24th overall by the Dallas Mavericks
and immediately traded to the Thunder
in the 2009 NBA Draft
.
and was ranked as one of the top college recruits in the nation from the class of 2008. He was ranked #1 in the nation by Rivals.com
and #3 by Scout.com.
Mullens was offered and accepted a scholarship to Ohio State by the Buckeyes' head basketball coach, Thad Matta
, in 2004, which was the summer between Mullens' 8th and 9th grade year.
In his senior year he averaged 26 points and 15 rebounds, including 29 points and 18 rebounds in his final high school game.
He was a member of the 2008 McDonald's All-American Team
and he was a part of the 2008 Jordan Brand Classic at Madison Square Garden
, where he had 12 points.
to play basketball at Ohio State University
. Mullens averaged 8.8 points a game at a 64.2 shooting percentage during his freshman year with Ohio State. Mullens was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team and earned the Big Ten's Sixth Man of the Year award. Mullens only played one year for the Buckeyes before declaring eligibility for the NBA Draft.
in the 2009 NBA Draft
. His draft rights were traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder
for Rodrigue Beaubois
, the 25th overall pick, and a future 2nd round draft pick. In mid-2009, Mullens requested that all media personnel refer to him as "Byron" rather than by his prior nickname "B. J."
During the 2011 NBA lockout
, Mullens signed with Panionios B.C. However, he left the team after a month in Greece, saying that he wanted to join his Oklahoma City teammates for their voluntary practice sessions.
| align="left" | 2009–10
| align="left" | Oklahoma City
| 13 || 0 || 4.2 || .368 || .000 || .000 || .8 || .1 || .2 || .0 || 1.1
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | Oklahoma City
| 13 || 0 || 6.5 || .321 || .000 || .500 || 1.8 || .0 || .2 || .2 || 1.9
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 26 || 0 || 5.3 || .340 || .000 || .500 || 1.3 || .0 || .2 || .1 || 1.5
| align="left" | 2010
| align="left" | Oklahoma City
| 1 || 0 || 4.0 || .000 || .000 || .500 || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0 || 1.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 1 || 0 || 4.0 || .000 || .000 || .500 || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0 || 1.0
Canal Winchester, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,478 people, 1,664 households, and 1,264 families residing in the village. The 2004 census estimates that there are now 5,381 people residing in the village, and Canal Winchester may become a city within the next year or two. The population density was 702.9...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. He was drafted 24th overall by the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
and immediately traded to the Thunder
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....
in the 2009 NBA Draft
2009 NBA Draft
The 2009 NBA Draft was held on June 25, 2009, the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
.
High school
Mullens played competitively Canal Winchester High SchoolCanal Winchester High School
-Ohio High School Athletic Association State Championships:* Girls Volleyball - 1986 Bernay, Eure The French city of Bernay had 19 students from their high school visit America, while in America the students stayed in the homes of Canal Winchester High school students....
and was ranked as one of the top college recruits in the nation from the class of 2008. He was ranked #1 in the nation by Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
and #3 by Scout.com.
Mullens was offered and accepted a scholarship to Ohio State by the Buckeyes' head basketball coach, Thad Matta
Thad Matta
Thad Matta is an American college basketball coach. He is the current head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team. He was hired as the 13th head coach in Ohio State history on July 7, 2004 after the school had fired previous coach Jim O'Brien...
, in 2004, which was the summer between Mullens' 8th and 9th grade year.
In his senior year he averaged 26 points and 15 rebounds, including 29 points and 18 rebounds in his final high school game.
He was a member of the 2008 McDonald's All-American Team
McDonald's All-American Team
The McDonald's All-American Game refers to each of the all-star basketball games played each year for boys' and girls' high-school basketball graduates. Consisting of the top American and Canadian players, each team plays a single exhibition game after the conclusion of the high-school basketball...
and he was a part of the 2008 Jordan Brand Classic at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, where he had 12 points.
College
In November 2007 Mullens signed a letter of intentLetter of intent
A letter of intent is a document outlining an agreement between two or more parties before the agreement is finalized. The concept is similar to a heads of agreement...
to play basketball at Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
. Mullens averaged 8.8 points a game at a 64.2 shooting percentage during his freshman year with Ohio State. Mullens was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team and earned the Big Ten's Sixth Man of the Year award. Mullens only played one year for the Buckeyes before declaring eligibility for the NBA Draft.
College statistics
| Season | Team | Games | Minutes | Points | FG % | Rebounds | Blocks | Fouls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-09 | Ohio State Buckeyes Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball The Lucas Sapp men's basketball team represents The Ohio State University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. The Buckeyes are a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Buckeyes won their only National Championship in 1960 and have made a total of 21 NCAA Tournament appearances... |
33 | 20.3 | 8.8 | 64.2 | 4.7 | 1.1 | 2.1 |
NBA career
Mullens was drafted 24th overall by the Dallas MavericksDallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
in the 2009 NBA Draft
2009 NBA Draft
The 2009 NBA Draft was held on June 25, 2009, the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
. His draft rights were traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....
for Rodrigue Beaubois
Rodrigue Beaubois
Rodrigue Beaubois is a French professional basketball player who was drafted 25th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was immediately traded to the Dallas Mavericks after being drafted...
, the 25th overall pick, and a future 2nd round draft pick. In mid-2009, Mullens requested that all media personnel refer to him as "Byron" rather than by his prior nickname "B. J."
During the 2011 NBA lockout
2011 NBA lockout
The 2011 NBA lockout is the fourth lockout in the history of the National Basketball Association . The owners began the work stoppage at 12:01 am EDT on July 1, 2011. The main issues dividing the owners and the players are revenue sharing and the structure of the salary cap...
, Mullens signed with Panionios B.C. However, he left the team after a month in Greece, saying that he wanted to join his Oklahoma City teammates for their voluntary practice sessions.
Regular season
|-| align="left" | 2009–10
2009–10 NBA season
The 2009–10 NBA season was the 64th season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, and ended on Wednesday, April 14, 2010....
| align="left" | Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....
| 13 || 0 || 4.2 || .368 || .000 || .000 || .8 || .1 || .2 || .0 || 1.1
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
2010–11 NBA season
The 2010–11 NBA season was the 65th season of the National Basketball Association . The 2011 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 20, 2011 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in six games, 4 games to 2, to win their first NBA title, and...
| align="left" | Oklahoma City
| 13 || 0 || 6.5 || .321 || .000 || .500 || 1.8 || .0 || .2 || .2 || 1.9
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 26 || 0 || 5.3 || .340 || .000 || .500 || 1.3 || .0 || .2 || .1 || 1.5
Playoffs
|-| align="left" | 2010
2010 NBA Playoffs
The 2010 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2009–10 season. The playoffs started on April 17, 2010 with ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
| align="left" | Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....
| 1 || 0 || 4.0 || .000 || .000 || .500 || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0 || 1.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 1 || 0 || 4.0 || .000 || .000 || .500 || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0 || 1.0