NBL Awards Finalists: The Hits, The Misses, and the Biggest Snubs
February 9, 2025
Marcus Lee
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 14/09/94
- Place of Birth: Antioch, California (USA)
- Position: CTR
- Height (CM): 208
- Weight (KG): 102
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: Kentucky University (2014-2017) / University of California (2017-2018)
- NBL DEBUT: 19/11/22
- AGE AT DEBUT: 28
- LAST NBL GAME: 8/02/25
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 30
- NBL History: Melbourne 2023, 2025 | Tasmania 2024
- Championships: 1
- Tasmania (2024)
BIO: Marcus Lee was born in Antioch, California (USA) where he attended Deer Valley High School.
As a high school junior, he averaged 13.9 points, 13.1 rebounds, 9.1 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game. During his senior year he averaged 17.7 points, 19.5 rebounds, and 6.7 blocks per game and led Deer Valley to the 2013 CIF North Coast Sectionals to defeat De La Salle High School from Concord, California.
Lee was a consensus top 20 player in the high school class of 2013 according to various recruiting services. He played in the 2013 McDonald’s All American and Jordan Brand Classic games and was named 3rd team USA Today and first-team Parade All-American.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Marcus Lee made his NBL debut with the Melbourne United at 28 years of age. He scored two points in his first game.
Marcus Lee, with an impressive 7’3 wingspan, was college teammates with Isaac Humphries at Kentucky University. Upon joining Melbourne United, head coach Dean Vickerman expressed high hopes for Lee’s contribution to the team.
“Marcus is a 6’10 rim protector in his prime, bringing defensive agility and the floor speed we needed, similar to what Ariel would have provided,” Vickerman shared.
Lee, standing 6’11, was a powerful presence around the rim during his time with Melbourne United in the latter half of the NBL23 season, posting averages of nearly 8 rebounds and 9 points per game.
TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS
2023/24
Upon signing Lee, Tasmania JackJumpers Co-CEO Jorrick Chivers welcomed the addition with enthusiasm, saying, “We’re thrilled to have Marcus join the JackJumpers. He’s an intelligent, athletic big who adds size and strength to our frontcourt.”
Chivers continued, “We believe Marcus will integrate seamlessly into our team and make an immediate impact. His paint protection and ability to facilitate offense are crucial, and his basketball IQ is top-tier among league players. He was one of the most efficient scorers with United, shooting over 65%, and we’re excited to see what he brings this season.”
Throughout NBL24, Lee played 34 games, starting in 32, and ranked second on the team in blocks and third in rebounds, providing essential backup to Will Magnay. However, Lee’s season was disrupted by a series of injuries and a suspension. He sustained a shoulder injury during the seeding qualifier, was suspended in the second game of the semi-finals series, and later suffered a season-ending knee injury in the grand final series.
At the season’s close, the JackJumpers decided not to re-sign Lee due to Magnay’s return and the strategic choice not to allocate an import spot to a backup center.
Head coach Scott Roth praised Lee’s time with the club, saying, “Marcus was a fantastic presence here—well-liked by everyone in the club and the fans. He brought energy and was a valuable asset on the court for us.”
Marcus Lee currently plays for the Melbourne United and has played 77 games in his NBL career. He has averaged 6.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists since entering the league in 2022.
CURRENT CONTRACT:
Melbourne United – 1 Year Deal (2024-25)
Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 30 | Melbourne | 19-10 (2) | 26 | 405.0 | 175 | 143 | 25 | 95 | 48 | 13 | 44 | 19 | 67 | 74 | 124 | 60% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 27 | 49 | 55% | 59% | 60% | 14 |
| 2023-24 | 29 | Tasmania | 16-12 (3) | 34 | 526.0 | 207 | 182 | 39 | 69 | 113 | 16 | 28 | 37 | 98 | 89 | 139 | 64% | 0 | 1 | 0% | 29 | 52 | 56% | 63% | 64% | 16 |
| 2022-23 | 28 | Melbourne | 15-13 (7) | 17 | 403.0 | 150 | 128 | 23 | 47 | 81 | 13 | 27 | 13 | 60 | 65 | 96 | 68% | 0 | 2 | 0% | 20 | 36 | 56% | 66% | 68% | 22 | Totals | 77 | 1334 | 532 | 453 | 87 | 211 | 242 | 42 | 99 | 69 | 225 | 228 | 359 | 63.5% | 0 | 3 | 0.0% | 76 | 137 | 55.5% | 63% | 64% | 22 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 30 | Melbourne | 19-10 (2) | 26 | 15.6 | 6.7 | 5.5 | 1.0 | 3.7 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 4.8 | 60% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 1.0 | 1.9 | 55% | 59% | 60% | 14 |
| 2023-24 | 29 | Tasmania | 16-12 (3) | 34 | 15.5 | 6.1 | 5.4 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 3.3 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 4.1 | 64% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 0.9 | 1.5 | 56% | 63% | 64% | 16 |
| 2022-23 | 28 | Melbourne | 15-13 (7) | 17 | 23.7 | 8.8 | 7.5 | 1.4 | 2.8 | 4.8 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 5.6 | 68% | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0% | 1.2 | 2.1 | 56% | 66% | 68% | 22 | Total | 77 | 17.3 | 6.9 | 5.9 | 1.1 | 2.7 | 3.1 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 4.7 | 63.5% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0% | 0.0 | 55.5% | 63% | 64% | 22 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 22 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
|---|
NBA EXPERIENCE
After going undrafted in the 2018 NBA draft, Lee played for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Summer League and spent preseason with the Miami Heat. He subsequently joined the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA G League for the 2018–19 season.
In 19 games, he averaged 8.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 73.3 percent from the field.
| Season | Team | PTS | AST | STL | BLK | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 55% | 61% | 61% | 96% | ||||||
| 2 | 0 | 22 | 5 | 3 | 4 | ||||||
| Total | 228 | 359 | 63.5% | 0 | 3 | 0.0% |
NBA TOTAL STATISTICS
| YEAR | AGE | TEAM | POS | GP | GS | MINS | PTS | TRB | AST | ORB | DRB | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 30 | Melbourne | 12-7 (2) | 16 | 25.0 | 108 | 82 | 15 | 59 | 23 | 7 | 26 | 13 | 43 | 43 | 73 | 59% | 0 | 0 | #DIV/0! | 22 | 37 | 59% | 60% | 59% | 13 |
| 2023-24 | 29 | Tasmania | 16-12 (3) | 34 | 526.0 | 207 | 182 | 39 | 69 | 113 | 16 | 28 | 37 | 98 | 89 | 139 | 64% | 0 | 1 | 0% | 29 | 52 | 56% | 63% | 64% | 16 |
| 2022-23 | 28 | Melbourne | 15-13 (7) | 17 | 403.0 | 150 | 128 | 23 | 47 | 81 | 13 | 27 | 13 | 60 | 65 | 96 | 68% | 0 | 2 | 0% | 20 | 36 | 56% | 66% | 68% | 22 | Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Italy - Vanoli Cremona (2020–2021), Semt77 Yalovaspor (2021–2022) | Puerto Rico - Leones de Ponce (2022) | Italy - Manresa (2022) | Spain - Pallacanestro Reggiana (2023)
Played in Italy, Turkey, Puerto Rico and Spain. After short preseason stints with Aris Thessaloniki in Greece and Bnei Herzliya in Israel, Lee re-joined the Skyforce for the 2019–20 season. He averaged 10.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.6 blocks per game in 2019–20.
On August 9, 2020, Lee signed with Vanoli Cremona of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) for the 2020–21 season.
On July 2, 2021, Lee signed with Semt77 Yalovaspor of the Turkish Basketball Super League and then following the 2021–22 season, he joined Leones de Ponce in Puerto Rico for the 2022 BSN season.
On July 30, 2022, Lee signed with Baxi Manresa of the Liga ACB. Mid-season, he left Manresa and signed with Melbourne United, where he finished the remainder of the 2022/23 NBL season.
During the NBL off-season, he played he signed with Pallacanestro Reggiana of the Lega Basket Serie A.
COLLEGE
On October 18, 2012, Lee committed to play at the University of Kentucky. He joined Julius Randle, twins Andrew Harrison and Aaron Harrison, James Young, and Dakari Johnson as one of six Kentucky signees to be selected in the 2013 McDonald's All-American Boys Game as well as the 2013 Jordan Brand Classic.
Although Lee was behind 7-footers Willie Cauley-Stein and Dakari Johnson in the rotation for much of the 2013 season, Lee found his way in the starting lineup over Cauley-Stein for four games in the beginning of the year. Lee scored 17 points shooting 7 for 8 in the regular-season opener vs. UNC Ashville on November 8, 2013, and 10 points shooting 4 for 5 against Texas-Arlington on November 19. However, he was not used very often throughout the season, appearing in only 25 of 40 games and averaging just 2.4 PPG in 6.3 minutes per game. When Cauley-Stein suffered an injury against arch-rival Louisville in the Sweet 16 of the 2014 NCAA Tournament, Marcus Lee stepped up in the following game vs. the Michigan Wolverines in the Elite 8 and scored 10 points, grabbed 8 rebounds (7 offensive), and had two blocked shots, all while committing zero fouls or turnovers. Because of his performance in the Elite 8, Lee was named to the Midwest Regional All-Tournament team, along with teammates Aaron Harrison and Midwest Regional Most Outstanding Player Julius Randle. That year Wildcats made it to the finals but lost to Connecticut. During the 2013-14 season Lee played 25 games, averaging 2.4 points and 1.4 rebounds per game.
On April 18, 2014, Lee announced he would return to the University of Kentucky for his sophomore year to join a front court including Cauley-Stein, Johnson, Alex Poythress, Karl-Anthony Towns, Trey Lyles, and Derek Willis.
During the 2014-15 season Lee played 39 games, averaging 2.6 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.
During 2015-16, he played in 36 games, starting 20 of them. He had the highest number of rebounds in his team in 12 games. He finished the season with 6.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.
In June 2016, Lee joined the University of California Golden Bears. In his redshirt senior season at California, Lee started all 32 games and averaged 11.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, and 1.3 assists per game. He had the eight-highest single-season blocks in school history with 52.
AWARDS
- McDonald's All-American (2013)
- McDonald's All-American (2013)
- First-team Parade All-American (2013)
Related
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