Trentyn Flowers
October 9, 2023
Antonius Cleveland
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 2/02/94
- Place of Birth: Memphis, Tennessee (USA)
- Position: SG
- Height (CM): 196
- Weight (KG): 90
- Junior Assoc:
- College: Southeast Missouri State University (2013-2017)
- NBL DEBUT: 5/12/21
- AGE AT DEBUT: 27
- LAST NBL GAME: 5/02/23
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 29
- NBL History: Illawarra 2022 | Adelaide 2023
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Antonius Cleveland was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee (USA). He later moved to Ludowici, Georgia with his family, where he attended Cleveland attended Faith Baptist Christian Academy.
Cleveland played for the Melbourne United when they faced off against the Oklahoma City Thunder in their NBLxNBA game vs October 2017. United had a number of player injuries and had Cleveland fill in as a replacement player.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Antonius Cleveland made his NBL debut with the Illawarra Hawks at 27 years of age. He scored six points in his first game.
After coming close to defeating the Perth Wildcats and advancing to the NBL21 Finals, the Illawarra Hawks entered the new season with high hopes for an even stronger campaign. The team re-signed their leading scorer, Tyler Harvey, to a three-year deal and brought in import additions Antonius Cleveland and Travis Trice to bolster their roster. However, before the season began, Trice was released from his contract due to his refusal to receive the COVID vaccine, with Xavier Rathan-Mayes signed as his replacement. Other key signings included Harry Froling (joining his brother Sam from Brisbane) and Duop Reath (via Serbia), fresh off an impressive Boomers campaign.
Reath, coming into the season on the back of his Olympic bronze medal and NBA aspirations, started the year on fire, averaging 19.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks over his first four games. Meanwhile, star guard Tyler Harvey found his second year in the NBL a bit more challenging, seeing his scoring dip from 20.4 points per game to 16.1, though he still led the team in scoring.
Club legend Tim Coenraad (3.9 points and 2.2 rebounds) initially wasn’t included in the full roster, but was later elevated to replace Daniel Grida after a season-ending knee injury.
The Hawks saw significant improvement across the roster, with Next Star Justinian Jessup (13.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.2 steals) stepping up in his second season, and Sam Froling (8.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks) bouncing back from injury to anchor the frontcourt. Antonius Cleveland proved to be a vital addition, averaging 14.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game, filling the stat sheet across multiple categories.
Illawarra finished the regular season in second place with a 19-9 record, setting the stage for another playoff run. However, the Hawks’ hopes were dashed in the semifinals once again, this time by their cross-town rivals, the Sydney Kings.
Despite the disappointing finish, Duop Reath (15.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks) earned the team’s MVP award for his standout season, while Antonius Cleveland was recognised for his defensive prowess, taking home the Damian Martin Trophy for Defensive Player of the Year and earning a spot on the All-NBL First Team.
ADELAIDE 36ERS
2022/23
After finishing seventh with a 10-18 record during CJ Bruton’s first season as coach, Adelaide entered NBL23 after finally giving Bruton a full offseason to prepare a roster which had struggled with injuries and cohesion. Captain Mitch McCarron, Daniel Johnson, Sunday Dech, Hyrum Harris and Kai Sotto returned, while Isaac Humphries (to Melbourne), Mojave King (to G League Ignite), Todd Withers (to Rytas Vilnius), Cameron Bairstow (retired), Dusty Hannahs (free agent), Tad Dufelmeier Jr (free agent) and Emmanuel Malou (free agent) departed. Anthony Drmic (via Brisbane), Robert Franks (via Brisbane), Craig Randall II (via Long Island Nets), Kyrin Galloway (via New Zealand), Deng Acuoth (via Knox) and Antonius Cleveland (via Illawarra) joined the group.
Cleveland signed a two-year deal after winning the NBL’s Defensive Player of the Year award and being named to the All-NBL First Team during his lone season with Illawarra. “The roster, I was intrigued by it and I want to be part of something special here,” Cleveland said. “He wants to play fast and defend and just have fun. I can pretty much fall right into what he wanted to do, I just felt like it was a perfect match.”
Cleveland immediately displayed his defensive impact during the NBL Blitz, recording 12 points and 3 steals as Adelaide defeated South East Melbourne 84-76. He followed with 27 points, including 19 during the first quarter, as the 36ers defeated Tasmania 87-79 behind Randall II (17 points), while McVeigh (16 points) led the JackJumpers.
Adelaide then became the first NBL team to defeat an NBA opponent when it stunned the Phoenix Suns 134-124. Cleveland (22 points) contributed alongside Randall II (35 points) and Franks (32 points and 7 rebounds), while McCarron recorded 16 assists and 9 rebounds as the 36ers made 24 three-pointers.
The NBLxNBA trip ended against the Oklahoma City Thunder, where Cleveland (19 points), Randall II (27 points and 8 assists) and Franks (20 points and 7 rebounds) led Adelaide, while Mann (26 points) carried Oklahoma City to a 131-98 win.
Adelaide opened its regular season against Tasmania at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on October 13, where Cleveland (10 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 steal) made his 36ers debut. Randall II (18 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal) and Franks (14 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks) led Adelaide, but Tasmania made seven three-pointers during a 32-10 opening quarter and won 97-72 behind Magette (23 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 steals).
Cleveland (15.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.9 steals across 28 games) started every game and became Adelaide’s most dependable two-way player, finishing second on the team in scoring while regularly defending the opposition’s leading perimeter threat. Adelaide was unable to maintain the momentum created during its United States trip and opened the season with a 3-4 record, while Randall II (20.3 points across 6 games) had several on-court verbal altercations with Bruton and was released after reacting negatively to being moved to the bench.
Cleveland helped Adelaide defeat Cairns 78-75 at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on December 2, finishing with 23 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals while restricting Hogg to 7 points. Franks (15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals) provided support, while McCall (24 points) led Cairns before Cleveland’s offensive rebound and putback gave Adelaide a 75-73 lead with 55 seconds remaining. “Craig (Randall II) was leading the league in scoring, so when that is removed you have to step up,” Cleveland said.
Adelaide sat at 6-8 when former Sydney guard Ian Clark (via Sydney) joined for the final 10 games, with Clark (12.2 points and 3.1 assists across 10 games) adding championship experience as the 36ers battled Melbourne, Perth and South East Melbourne for the final two Play-In positions.
Cleveland’s best performance came against Cairns at the Cairns Convention Centre on January 30, where he made four three-pointers and finished with 27 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals without committing a turnover. Franks (20 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists) helped Adelaide build a 17-point lead, while Hogg (26 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks) and Waardenburg (26 points) led Cairns before the 36ers held on for a 99-96 win and kept their Play-In hopes alive.
Franks (17.7 points and 6.5 rebounds across 28 games) led Adelaide in scoring and rebounding, while Johnson (11.1 points and 5.3 rebounds across 27 games) recorded his lowest scoring average in almost a decade. Drmic (10.3 points and 3.4 rebounds across 25 games), McCarron (7.8 points, 5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.6 steals across 26 games), Dech (7.3 points across 28 games) and Sotto (6.8 points and 4.5 rebounds across 27 games) were the other main contributors. Cleveland won the Damian Martin Trophy for the second consecutive season, becoming the eighth player in NBL history to win consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards, and also received Adelaide’s Mark Davis Trophy as club Most Valuable Player, Members’ Choice MVP and Best Defensive Player award.
Cleveland kept Adelaide’s season alive against defending champion Sydney at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on February 3, finishing with 23 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block as the 36ers recovered from a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit. Franks (19 points and 5 rebounds) and Clark (18 points and 2 steals) supported him, while Soares (24 points and 7 rebounds) led Sydney before Adelaide won 115-108 in front of a sellout crowd of 9,505.
Two days later, Adelaide faced Melbourne at John Cain Arena needing a win and other results to reach the Play-In tournament. Cleveland (30 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 block) made 10 of his 17 field-goal attempts and five of seven three-pointers, while Dech (20 points and 4 assists) and Clark (14 points, 4 assists, and 3 steals) provided support. Tucker (31 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists) led Melbourne to a 116-107 win, leaving Adelaide with six losses from its final eight games and an eighth-place finish with a 13-15 record.Antonius Cleveland played two seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Illawarra Hawks and the Adelaide 36ers. He averaged 14.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 58 NBL games.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 29 | Adelaide | 13-15 (8) | 28 | 807.3 | 443 | 147 | 77 | 41 | 106 | 53 | 19 | 53 | 75 | 170 | 349 | 49% | 35 | 97 | 36% | 68 | 101 | 67% | 56% | 54% | 30 |
| 2021-22 | 28 | Illawarra | 19-9 (2) | 30 | 881.1 | 426 | 197 | 68 | 59 | 138 | 59 | 36 | 43 | 87 | 164 | 350 | 47% | 15 | 69 | 22% | 83 | 115 | 72% | 53% | 49% | 22 | Totals | 58 | 1688 | 869 | 344 | 145 | 100 | 244 | 112 | 55 | 96 | 162 | 334 | 699 | 47.8% | 50 | 166 | 30.1% | 151 | 216 | 69.9% | 55% | 51% | 30 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 29 | Adelaide | 13-15 (8) | 28 | 28.8 | 15.8 | 5.3 | 2.8 | 1.5 | 3.8 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 1.9 | 2.7 | 6.1 | 12.5 | 49% | 1.3 | 3.5 | 36% | 2.4 | 3.6 | 67% | 56% | 54% | 30 |
| 2021-22 | 28 | Illawarra | 19-9 (2) | 30 | 29.4 | 14.2 | 6.6 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 4.6 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 2.9 | 5.5 | 11.7 | 47% | 0.5 | 2.3 | 22% | 2.8 | 3.8 | 72% | 53% | 49% | 22 | Total | 58 | 29.1 | 15.0 | 5.9 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 4.2 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 2.8 | 5.8 | 12.1 | 47.8% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 30.1% | 0.9 | 2.9 | 69.9% | 55% | 51% | 30 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 30 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
|---|
NBA EXPERIENCE
After going undrafted in the 2017 NBA draft, Cleveland signed with the Portland Trail Blazers to join their roster for the 2017 NBA Summer League.
While playing for Portland, he averaged 5.8 ppg in six games coming off the bench. On July 27, 2017, Cleveland signed with the Golden State Warriors on a training camp deal. On September 30, Cleveland was waived by the Warriors. Hed then be assigned to the Santa Cruz Warriors NBA G League affiliate team on October 24, 2017.
On November 17, 2017, Cleveland signed a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks. He made his NBA debut later that night in a 111–87 blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, recording 2 points and 2 rebounds in 6 minutes of play. Throughout his time on that two-way deal, he would split his playing time between the Mavericks and their G League affiliate, the Texas Legends. On December 18, 2017, he was injured in a 97–91 loss to the Phoenix Suns. He was waived from the team a day later, with his spot on the team being replaced by Kyle Collinsworth.
On February 22, 2018, the Atlanta Hawks signed Cleveland to a 10-day contract. He signed his second 10-day contract with Atlanta on March 4. On March 14, 2018, Atlanta signed Cleveland to a multi-year contract. On July 21, 2018, Cleveland was placed on waivers by the Hawks.
On July 23, 2018, the Chicago Bulls claimed Cleveland off waivers. He was waived by the Bulls on October 12, 2018. He re-joined the Santa Cruz Warriors for the 2018–19 season.
On July 25, 2019, Cleveland re-signed with the Dallas Mavericks on a two-way contract with the Texas Legends. He averaged 14.4 points and 7.3 rebounds for the G League Legends.
On December 3, 2020, Cleveland signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but was waived the same day. He then joined the Thunders G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue where he averaged 15.1 points per game.
Cleveland would finish his NBA career having played 30 NBA games for Dallas (2018, 2020) and Atlanta (2018).
Cleveland played 28 games in the NBA. He averaged 1.2 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 0.1 assists per game over his NBA career.
NBA TRANSACTIONS:
- August 16, 2017: Signed a contract with the Golden State Warriors
-
October 1, 2017: Waived by the Golden State Warriors.
-
November 17, 2017: Signed a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks
December 19, 2017: Waived by the Dallas Mavericks.
-
February 22, 2018: Signed a 10-day contract with the Atlanta Hawks.
-
March 4, 2018: Signed a 2nd 10-day contract with the Atlanta Hawks.
-
March 14, 2018: Signed a multi-year contract with the Atlanta Hawks
July 21, 2018: Waived by the Atlanta Hawks.
-
July 23, 2018: Claimed on waivers by the Chicago Bulls from the Atlanta Hawks
October 13, 2018: Waived by the Chicago Bulls.
-
July 24, 2019: Signed a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks
December 2, 2020: Signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder
| Season | Team | PTS | AST | STL | BLK | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 83% | 83% | 97% | 93% | ||||||
| 2 | 0 | 30 | 7 | 5 | 4 | ||||||
| Total | 334 | 699 | 47.8% | 50 | 166 | 30.1% |
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% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 25 | Dallas | SG | 11 | 0 | 46 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 14 | 29% | 0 | 3 | 0% | 3 | 5 | 60% | 34% | 29% |
| 2017-18 | 23 | Dallas | SG | 13 | 0 | 81 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 4 | 14 | 29% | 0 | 1 | 0% | 2 | 4 | 50% | 32% | 29% |
| 2017-18 | 23 | Atlanta | SG | 4 | 0 | 42 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 4 | 7 | 57% | 3 | 3 | 100% | 2 | 2 | 100% | 82% | 79% | Total | 28 | 0 | 169 | 34 | 21 | 3 | 5 | 16 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 31 | 12 | 35 | 34% | 3 | 7 | 43% | 7 | 11 | 64% |
NBA PER GAME 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% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 25 | Dallas | SG | 11 | 0 | 4.2 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 29% | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0% | 0.3 | 0.5 | 60% | 34% | 29% |
| 2017-18 | 23 | Dallas | SG | 13 | 0 | 6.2 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 29% | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0% | 0.2 | 0.3 | 50% | 32% | 29% |
| 2017-18 | 23 | Atlanta | SG | 4 | 0 | 10.5 | 3.3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 57% | 0.8 | 0.8 | 100% | 0.5 | 0.5 | 100% | 82% | 79% | Total | 28 | 0 | 6.0 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 34% | 0.1 | 0.3 | 43% | 0.3 | 0.4 | 64% |
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Israel - Hapoel BC Eilat (2023), Maccabi Tel Aviv (2023–2024) | Russia - Lokomotiv Kuban (2024–2025), CSKA Moscow (2025–2026)
Cleveland joined Hapoel BC Eilat for the 2022–23 Israeli Basketball Premier League season at the conclusion of the 2022/23 NBL season, and in 11 games he averaged 17.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.8 steals.
Cleveland joined Maccabi Tel Aviv for the 2023–24 Israeli Basketball Premier League and EuroLeague seasons after signing a two-year deal on July 27, 2023, and Maccabi fell one game short of reaching the EuroLeague Final Four by losing Game 5 to Panathinaikos 95–88.
With Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2023–24, Cleveland won the Israeli League championship and averaged 5.4 points and 1.7 rebounds in 33 EuroLeague games.
Cleveland joined Lokomotiv Kuban for the 2024–25 VTB United League season in Russia, and he averaged 14.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.7 steals while being named the VTB United League Defensive Player of the Year.
In 2025, Cleveland teamed up with another former NBL talent, Casper Ware, to play for CSKA Moscow, and he signed a two-year deal with the club on June 14, 2025.
COLLEGE
Antonius Cleveland played four NCAA seasons at Southeast Missouri State from 2013–14 to 2016–17, starting 109 of 121 games and finishing his SEMO career with 1,556 points (12.9 ppg), while also ranking among the program’s top career leaders in points (5th), field goals made (4th), field goals attempted (4th), free throws made (4th), free throws attempted (3rd), and steals (2nd, 159).
As a freshman in 2013–14, Cleveland started 21 games and averaged 9.1 points per game while shooting 52.5 percent from the field, earning Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Week honours four times and producing multiple highlight moments, including a 21-point outing in SEMO’s 118–115 double-overtime win over Murray State and a game-winning halfcourt buzzer-beater at UT Martin that made ESPN’s SportsCenter “fantastic finishes” lead-in.
He also generated national attention that season with an alley-oop dunk vs Tennessee State that landed at No. 6 on ESPN’s Top Plays, while contributing across the box score with 53 assists, 32 steals, and 16 blocks as one of SEMO’s most versatile first-year pieces.
In his sophomore year (2014–15), Cleveland started all 30 games and finished second on the team in scoring at 10.8 points per game, adding 4.8 rebounds per game on 47.2 percent shooting while ranking near the team lead in assists (55), steals (38), and blocks (15), and his in-game dunk at Missouri later appeared in ESPN SportsCenter’s “Crazy College Dunks” segment.
Cleveland’s junior season (2015–16) marked his breakout as SEMO’s leading scorer, as he averaged 15.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game while also leading the team in minutes (31.4 mpg), steals (42), and blocks (15), finishing top-10 in multiple OVC categories and posting a career-high 25 points vs Ole Miss, plus five double-doubles across the season.
That 2015–16 campaign included several defining two-way games, notably a 20-point, 11-rebound performance vs UT Martin where he hit a free throw to force overtime and made late steals in the extra period, and a 24-point game in the season finale at Austin Peay that pushed him past 1,000 career points as one of the program’s most productive multi-category starters.
As a senior in 2016–17, Cleveland again led SEMO in scoring at 16.6 points per game and was named First-Team All-Ohio Valley Conference, with his season line also including 5.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 32.9 minutes per game across 33 starts, while ranking among OVC leaders in steals and field-goal percentage during his final year.
By the end of his SEMO career, Cleveland’s durability and workload stood out alongside the production, with his 109 career starts listed as the most in program history, and he also became the first Redhawk to advance to the College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championship event, adding a national stage appearance to his NCAA résumé.
AWARDS
- 1x All-NBL First Team
Related
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