Photo caption: Chicago Bulls Guard Jevon Carter (Photo by Marcus Robinson)
The Chicago Bulls signed lock down defender Jevon Carter to a recent deal this summer in an effort to improve their defensive presence on the perimeter and the team’s overall point guard play on the floor.
Born on the west side of Chicago and a native of west suburban Maywood, IL, Carter sat down with the Crusader on Bulls Media Day to talk about the importance of playing for his childhood team, being a top defender in the league, and his free agent decision to come back home.
During the interview, Carter said his three main goals for the team this year are to make the playoffs, win the division and win a championship.
“Honestly, it’s just a dream come true,” said Carter in the Crusader interview. “I can’t wait to get on the floor and give my effort and play for my city.”
On the importance of providing a defensive presence for a young team like the Bulls, Carter said it’s crucial to bring energy.
“It’s very important. I know what it’s like being young in this league. You got to have a lot of energy. You got to go out there and do all of the little things (like) dive on the floor, talk to each other and really just play together as a unit. We are going to definitely need that on the defensive end to start the games off.”
Carter shared the determining factor in his decision on who he would play for in free agency with the Crusader. “I mean, business is business,” said Carter. “They came and talked to me [and there is nothing better than playing for the Chicago Bulls].”
A graduate of Proviso East High School, Carter comes from a basketball breeding ground that produced basketball legends Jim Brewer, Sterling Brown, Dee Brown, Shannon Brown, Donnie Boyce, Michael Finley, Sherell Ford, Steven Hunter, Reggie Jordan, Jacob Pullen, and Glenn “Doc” Rivers.
According to the Chicago Bulls, the 6-foot-1, 200 pound guard arrives in Chicago following a career year with the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2022-23 NBA season. Carter posted career highs of 8.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 0.8 steals in 22.3 minutes per game over 81 games (39 starts). He shot .421 from three-point range last season, marking the 12th-highest percentage in the NBA among qualified players.
The defensive guard made multiple three-pointers in 38 games a year ago, including at least four triples in 13 contests. Carter knocked down five three-pointers en route to a career-high 36 points along with a career-high 12 assists against the Oklahoma City Thunder on November 9, 2022.
Carter has spent five years in the NBA with the Bucks (2022-23), Brooklyn Nets (2021-22), Phoenix Suns (2019-21) and Memphis Grizzlies (2018-19) after being drafted 32nd overall in the 2018 NBA Draft by Memphis. He holds career averages of 5.4 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.6 steals in 16.3 minutes through 304 NBA games (48 starts).
Prior to entering the NBA, Carter starred at West Virginia for four seasons while becoming the first-ever major conference player and fifth player ever in college basketball history to reach 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, 500 assists and 300 steals in a collegiate career. He ranks second all-time in Big 12 history in steals (330) and 11th in career assists (559).
Carter was a 2017-18 Consensus All-America Second Team selection as a senior while averaging 17.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 3.0 steals in 35.5 minutes over 37 games (all starts).
He garnered Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and NABC Defensive Player of the Year in his junior and senior campaigns, while being named Big 12 All-Defense three times and All-Big 12 twice (First Team in 2017-18, Second Team in 2016-17).
Joseph Phillips is the Sports Editor for the Chicago Crusader Newspaper. He is a Chicago native, who has been a sports writer for over 17 years. He also hosts the SC Media News and Sports Network Q&A radio show on WHPK 88.5 FM Chicago.
