Frank Kaminsky

Francis Stanley Kaminsky III[1] (born April 4, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for Partizan Belgrade of the Basketball League of Serbia (KLS), the Adriatic League and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for the Wisconsin Badgers.

Frank Kaminsky
Kaminsky with Wisconsin in 2014
No. 44 – Partizan Belgrade
PositionCenter / Power forward
LeagueBasketball League of Serbia
ABA League
EuroLeague
Personal information
Born (1993-04-04) April 4, 1993
Winfield, Illinois, U.S.
Listed height7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
Listed weight240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
High schoolBenet Academy (Lisle, Illinois)
CollegeWisconsin (2011–2015)
NBA draft2015: 1st round, 9th overall pick
Selected by the Charlotte Hornets
Playing career2015–present
Career history
2015–2019Charlotte Hornets
2019–2022Phoenix Suns
2022–2023Atlanta Hawks
2023Houston Rockets
2023–presentPartizan Belgrade
Career highlights and awards
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com

During his college basketball career, Kaminsky set the Wisconsin single-game record for points (43).[2][3] He was the unanimous men's National College Player of the Year in 2015. Kaminsky was drafted ninth overall by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2015 NBA draft. He played with Charlotte for four seasons before signing with the Phoenix Suns as a free agent in July 2019. With the Suns, he reached the NBA Finals in 2021.

Early life and high school career

Kaminsky's father, Frank Jr., played basketball at Lewis University. His mother, Mary, played volleyball at Northwestern.[4] Kaminsky, who is of Polish and Serbian ancestry,[5] grew up in Woodridge, Illinois in a Serbian community.[6][7] In 1998, when he was 5 years old, his aunt Karen Stack Umlauf and uncle Jim Stack worked for the Chicago Bulls, and he had access to the practice facility when Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman were on the team.[8] Until high school, Kaminsky participated in basketball tournaments organized by Serb National Federation as a member of the Serbian Eagles A.C.[9][7]

Kaminsky attended Benet Academy in Lisle, Illinois.[10] He was named first-team all-state by the Chicago Sun-Times and IBCA and second-team all-state by the AP after averaging 14.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 4.2 blocks and 2.8 assists during his senior season. He led the Redwings to a 29-1 season after being defeated in the Sectional Semifinals by the East Aurora Tomcats that were led by Connecticut Huskies superstar and National Champion Ryan Boatright. He was also named all-area, all-conference and East Suburban Catholic Conference Player of the Year. Kaminsky's jersey number, 44, was retired in a ceremony at Benet Academy on November 18, 2017.[11]

Kaminsky has stated that his family had Chicago White Sox season tickets when he was a child and has described himself as a "die-hard White Sox fan." He threw out the first pitch at a White Sox game against the St. Louis Cardinals on July 21, 2015, stating in a pre-game interview that a saying in his family was, "We have two favorite teams in the MLB, the White Sox and whoever is playing the Cubs."[12]

College career

Kaminsky played in 35 of 36 games as a freshman. He scored a season-high nine points against UMKC on November 22, 2011.

Kaminsky played in 32 games, starting the first two games of the season. He finished the season averaging 4.2 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. He led the team in free-throw percentage at 76.7%. He posted a season-high 19 points at Illinois on February 3, 2013.

On November 19, 2013, Kaminsky broke the Wisconsin single-game scoring record with 43 points against North Dakota.[13] Kaminsky shot 16 of 19 from the field, including six of six from 3-point range and five of six from the free throw line. The previous Wisconsin single-game record was 42 points, set by Ken Barnes (vs. Indiana on March 8, 1965) and Michael Finley (vs. Eastern Michigan on December 10, 1994).

At the conclusion of the regular season, Kaminsky was named to the First Team All-Big Ten.[14]

On March 29, 2014, Kaminsky scored 28 points and had 11 rebounds as Wisconsin defeated #1 seeded Arizona 64–63 in overtime during the NCAA tournament to advance to the Final Four. After the game, Kaminsky was named West Regional Most Outstanding Player.[15]

Ahead of the 2014 season, Kaminsky was named the Big Ten preseason player of the year.[16] The Badgers were unanimously picked to win the Big Ten Championship.[17]

The Badgers and Kaminsky validated those predictions. The Badgers had a 36-3 record in games Kaminsky played. They won the Big Ten regular season title with a 16-2 record and the Big Ten tournament title. After becoming the first NCAA tournament 1-seed in school history, they made their way to their second consecutive Final Four. There, they avenged their previous season's loss to Kentucky, upsetting the 38-0 Wildcats 71-64 behind Kaminsky's 20 points and 11 rebounds.[18] In the Badgers' first national championship game in 74 years, they lost a 9-point second-half lead and were defeated 68-63 by the Duke Blue Devils. Kaminsky finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds. For the season, he finished with 18.8 PPG and 8.2 RPG, despite playing for a team that ranked 346th out of 351 in adjusted tempo. He led the nation in PER, an efficiency-based stat. Wisconsin boasted the highest adjusted offensive efficiency in KenPom history.

Kaminsky was named consensus first-team All-American.[19] On March 31, 2015, he was named the National Association of Basketball Coaches Player of the Year.[20] On April 3 he was named Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year, the first Wisconsin player to receive the award since its creation in 1961.[21] He also received the Oscar Robertson Trophy as the United States Basketball Writers Association College Player of the Year.[22] On April 5, he was named the Naismith College Player of the Year.[23] On April 10, he won both the John R. Wooden Award and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award.[24] On June 12 Kaminsky was named University of Wisconsin's Male Athlete of the Year.[25] He graduated with a life sciences communication major that same year. In 2015, the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame awarded its NPASHF Excellence in Sports Award to Kaminsky.

Professional career

Charlotte Hornets (2015–2019)

On June 25, 2015, Kaminsky was selected with the ninth overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2015 NBA draft.[26] On December 2, he scored 16 points in a 116–99 loss to the Golden State Warriors, earning increased minutes with starting center Al Jefferson out injured.[27] On December 23, he scored a then career-high 23 points in a 102–89 loss to the Boston Celtics.[28] On December 30, he had his second 20-point outing of the season in a 122–117 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.[29] On April 10, 2016, he recorded 18 points and a then career-high 11 rebounds in a 113–98 loss to the Washington Wizards.[30] In Game 3 of the Hornets' first-round playoff series against the Miami Heat, Kaminsky scored 15 points in a 96–80 win.[31]

On November 21, 2016, Kaminsky tied a career high with 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting in a 105–90 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.[32] On February 1, 2017, he set a new career high with 24 points off the bench in a 126–111 loss to the Golden State Warriors.[33] He topped that mark on February 15, scoring 27 points in a 90–85 loss to the Toronto Raptors.[34] On February 25, he recorded 23 points and a career-high 13 rebounds in a 99–85 win over the Sacramento Kings.[35] On April 8, he recorded a then career-high 7 assists in a loss to the Boston Celtics.[35]

On November 20, 2017, Kaminsky scored a season-high 24 points in a 118–102 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.[36] On December 18, he scored 24 points in a 109–91 win over the New York Knicks.[37] On April 10, 2018, he scored 24 points in a 119–93 win over the Indiana Pacers.[38]

On November 21, 2018, after scoring just nine points over the Hornets' first 16 games of the 2018–19 season, Kaminsky had 11 points off the bench in a 127–109 win over the Pacers.[39] He lost his spot in the rotation in 2018–19 under new coach James Borrego, appearing in just 26 games at the conclusion of February.[40] On March 1, 2019, he was inserted into the rotation to combat zone defense with his passing ability, going on to score 15 points in a 123–112 win over the Brooklyn Nets.[40] On April 5, he recorded 22 points and 13 rebounds in a 113–111 win over the Raptors.[41] Two days later, he scored a season-high 24 points in a 104–91 win over the Detroit Pistons.[42]

Phoenix Suns (2019–2022)

On July 17, 2019, Kaminsky signed a two-year, $10 million deal with the Phoenix Suns.[43][44][45] Kaminsky scored a season-high 24 points in a 115–108 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on December 11. Entering 2020, Kaminsky was initially sidelined with a right knee injury before having a left patella stress fracture sideline him for most of the rest of the season. He returned to action during the 2020 NBA Bubble period on July 31, 2020, helping the Suns with a 125–112 win over the Washington Wizards.[46] Kaminsky ultimately helped the team by coming off the bench for the majority of the rest of the season, ending with a record of 8-0 in the 2020 NBA Bubble, the team thus having a winning streak of at least eight games for the first time since March 2010.[47]

On November 19, 2020, Kaminsky had his second year on his contract waived, entering free agency early. On November 29, Kaminsky signed with the Sacramento Kings,[48][49] but was later waived by the Kings on December 20 after appearing in four preseason games.[50] Once he cleared waivers, Kaminsky was re-signed by the Suns on a more team-friendly, one-year deal that season.[51] On January 28, 2021, he was two assists shy from a triple-double night, recording 12 points, 13 rebounds, and a career-high eight assists off the bench in a 114–93 blowout win over the Golden State Warriors.[52] Later moving up to a starting power forward role in February, Kaminsky had another near-triple-double performance on February 10 with 12 points, 8 rebounds, and a career high-tying eight assists in a close 125–124 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.[53] Kaminsky reached his first NBA Finals, but the Suns lost the series in six games to the Bucks.[54]

On August 4, 2021, Kaminsky re-signed with the Suns on a one-year, $1.2 million deal.[55] On November 10, Kaminsky scored a career-high 31 points in a 119–109 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.[56] On November 21, he was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his right knee and was ruled out indefinitely.[57] On January 6, 2022, Kaminsky underwent a procedure on his right knee and was ruled out for at least two months.[58] On April 7, 2022, Kaminsky was waived.[59]

Atlanta Hawks (2022–2023)

On July 12, 2022, Kaminsky signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Hawks.[60]

Houston Rockets (2023)

On February 9, 2023, Kaminsky, Justin Holiday, and two future second-round draft picks were traded to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Bruno Fernando and Garrison Mathews.[61]

Partizan Mozzart Bet (2023–present)

On August 17, 2023, Kaminsky signed with Partizan Mozzart Bet of the Basketball League of Serbia, the Adriatic League and the EuroLeague.[62]

National team career

In November 2019, coach Igor Kokoškov announced that inviting Kaminsky to the Serbian national team was under consideration.[63][7]

Career statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Regular season
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2015–16 Charlotte 81321.1.410.337.7304.11.2.5.57.5
2016–17 Charlotte 751626.1.399.328.7564.52.2.6.511.7
2017–18 Charlotte 79423.2.429.380.7993.61.6.5.211.1
2018–19 Charlotte 47016.1.463.360.7383.51.3.3.38.6
2019–20 Phoenix 391319.9.450.331.6784.51.9.4.39.7
2020–21 Phoenix 471315.2.471.365.6174.01.7.3.46.6
2021–22 Phoenix 9020.1.545.333.9004.61.4.9.810.6
2022–23 Atlanta 2606.8.568.478.8331.4.8.2.02.7
Houston 1005.9.316.2001.0001.61.1.1.31.8
Career 4134919.8.430.349.7463.81.6.4.48.8

Playoffs
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2016 Charlotte 7527.1.304.294.8104.31.1.9.77.1
2021 Phoenix 1006.8.455.2001.0001.41.4.2.32.2
Career 17515.2.353.273.8182.61.3.5.54.2

College
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2011–12 Wisconsin 3507.7.411.286.5001.4.3.1.41.8
2012–13 Wisconsin 32210.3.439.311.7671.8.8.4.54.2
2013–14 Wisconsin 383827.2.528.378.7656.31.3.71.713.9
2014–15 Wisconsin 393933.6.547.416.7808.22.6.81.518.8
Career 1447920.4.522.369.7634.61.3.51.110.1

Personal life

In July 2023, Kaminsky married Sports Journalist Ashley Brewer.[64]

References
  1. Torre, Pablo S. (November 5, 2014). "Wisconsin Badgers big man Frank Kaminsky is back for senior season". ESPN The Magazine. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
  2. "Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky nets school record 43 points in rout". USA Today. Associated Press. November 19, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
  3. Bergeron, Elena (December 27, 2013). "Three and change". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  4. "Frank Kaminsky Bio". uwbadgers.com. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
  5. Alongside Local Legends, Kaminsky Ventures to Basketball-Crazed Serbia
  6. Wisconsin Badgers' Frank Kaminsky's Childhood Home Hits the Market - Woodridge, IL Patch Retrieved 2017-02-19.
  7. "Suns' Frank Kaminsky Might Play For the Serbian National Team". wagerbop.com. November 24, 2019. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  8. "Frank Kaminsky: Badgers to be great". ESPN. May 1, 2014. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
  9. "Kaminski u Beogradu: Tačno je, imam srpske korene – počeo sam u srpskoj ligi u Čikagu!". kosarka.hotsport.rs (in Serbian). August 18, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  10. Campbell, Alex (May 5, 2020). "Frank Kaminsky From Prep Star to NBA". Naperville Community Television/NCTV17. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  11. Baumgartner, Blake. "Homecoming king: Frank Kaminsky returns to Benet for banner raising". Naperville Sun. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  12. "White Sox fan Frank Kaminsky throws out first pitch at Cell". July 21, 2015.
  13. "School Record 43 points from Frank Kaminsky power UW past North Dakota". Madison.com. November 20, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  14. "Big Ten Announces 2014 Men's Basketball Postseason Honors: Michigan's Stauskas named Big Ten Player of the Year". BigTen.org. CBS Interactive. March 10, 2014. Archived from the original on April 29, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  15. Schnell, Lindsay (April 2, 2014). "In a family of athletes, Frank Kaminsky Jr. finally finds his moment". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on April 5, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  16. Potrykus, Jeff (October 16, 2014). "Frank Kaminsky named Big Ten preseason player of the year". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
  17. Temple, Jesse (October 16, 2014). "Wisconsin Badgers unanimous pick to win Big Ten basketball title". FOX Sports.
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  23. Frank Kaminsky Named 2015 Naismith Men's College Player of the Year. Bleacher Report. Retrieved on 2015-11-07.
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  33. Stephen Curry's 3-point clinic leads Warriors past Hornets
  34. Hornets' Frank Kaminsky sets new career-high in scoring
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  38. Hornets take advantage of resting Pacers for 119-93 win
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  45. Hippel, Hunter (July 19, 2019). "New Suns PF Frank Kaminsky details his free agency process". Arizona Sports 98.7FM. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  46. "Booker scores 27 points, Suns beat Wizards 125-112 in return". NBA.com. July 31, 2020. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  47. "Booker's 35 points help streaking Suns beat 76ers 130-117". NBA.com. August 11, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
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  49. Anderson, Jason (November 26, 2020). "Source: Sacramento Kings sign free agent center Frank 'The Tank' Kaminsky to one-year deal". sacbee.com. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  50. "Kings Waive Frank Kaminsky". NBA.com. December 20, 2020. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  51. Charania, Shams [@ShamsCharania] (December 21, 2020). "The Phoenix Suns have claimed F/C Frank Kaminsky off free agency waivers, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium" (Tweet). Retrieved January 29, 2021 – via Twitter.
  52. Brandt, David (January 28, 2021). "Suns Pull Away From Warriors, Climb Above .500 (Suns snap 3-game skid, roll to 114-93 win over Warriors)". NBA.com. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  53. Brandt, David (February 10, 2021). "Suns Rally Past Bucks Despite 47 From Antetokounmpo (Suns rally to beat Bucks 125-124 despite Giannis' 47 points)". NBA.com. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  54. Olson, Kellan (July 19, 2021). "Suns' season ends with loss in NBA Finals to deserving champion Bucks". Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  55. Goldberg, Rob (August 4, 2021). "Frank Kaminsky, Suns Agree to 1-Year, $2.1M Contract in Free Agency". Bleacher Report. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  56. Rankin, Duane (November 10, 2021). "5 takeaways from Phoenix Suns' win over Trail Blazers on Frank Kaminsky's career night". azcentral.com. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  57. "Phoenix Suns' Frank Kaminsky out indefinitely with right knee injury". ESPN. November 22, 2021. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  58. "Suns' Frank Kaminsky has procedure on right knee, out at least 8 weeks". Arizona Sports 98.7. January 8, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  59. Rankin, Duane [@DuaneRankin] (April 7, 2022). "Official: #Suns waive Frank Kaminsky III" (Tweet). Retrieved April 7, 2022 – via Twitter.
  60. "Hawks Sign Center Frank Kaminsky". NBA. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  61. "Rockets Complete Four-Player Trade with Atlanta". NBA.com. February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  62. "Frenk Kaminski nakon što je postao košarkaš Partizana Mozzart Bet: "Dolazim da se takmičim i pobeđujem"". KKPartizan.rs (in Serbian). August 17, 2023. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  63. "Amerikanac u dresu Srbije?". b92.net (in Serbian). November 23, 2019. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  64. Andrew Crane (July 8, 2023). "Ashley Brewer marries Frank Kaminsky in Mexico one week after ESPN layoff". nypost.com. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
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