Most people know Iman Shumpert as a professional basketball player who has played for several teams in the National Basketball Association. Most of the popular player’s fans also know that he was part of the historic Cleveland Cavaliers side which overturned a 3-1 deficit to emerge victorious in the NBA championships in 2017. However, there’s a plethora of facts about the shooting guard that is not known to many.
For one, not many know that the Illinois native has a love for the performing arts; in fact, he is a proficient lyricist with several rap songs to his credit. Not many people also know that he performed the great feat of delivering his first and second kids with his very own hands. Unsurprisingly, there are many more interesting facts worth knowing about the basketball player.
Iman Shumpert Went Pro After The NBA Draft In 2011
During the NBA draft of 2011, Iman Shumpert was drafted by the New York Knicks as the 17th overall pick. In February 2012, his then-teammate, Jared Jeffries, recognized Iman as one of the best on-ball defenders in the entire league. The Knicks then selected him to compete in the 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend Slam Dunk Contest; however, the rookie was not able to fulfill this expectation, due to a knee injury.
His knee injury was sustained on the 28th of April 2012 as the Knicks took on the Miami Heat in a first-round playoff game. After an MRI was conducted, it was revealed that Shumpert tore the ACL and meniscus in his left knee; this led to him missing the rest of the season.
The shooting guard finished fifth place in the 2012 NBA Rookie of the Year voting, receiving a total of 33 votes in addition to one first-place vote from a ballot box filled out by 120 broadcasters and writers from across the US. He also emerged as the only rookie to earn votes for the Defensive Player of the Year award.
He Bounced Back in January 2013 Only To Sustain Another Major Injury
He was medically cleared on the 13th of January 2013 to resume participation in team games. Subsequently, his season debut was four days later, on the 17th of January, when the Knicks took on the Detroit Pistons at The O2 Arena London. Iman Shumpert then recorded 8 points, 3 rebounds, one steal, one assist, in addition to one block.
In July 2013, he participated in one of his team’s summer league games in a 72-77 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, recording 2 points, 4 assists, and 6 rebounds. Iman sustained another major injury during the Knicks game against the Boston Celtics on the 12th of December 2014. Though his team won their opponent with a 101-95 score, Shumpert was ruled out for three weeks.
He Was Traded to The Cleveland Cavaliers In 2015
On the 5th of January 2015, the shooting guard joined the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA in a three-team trade deal also involving the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Knicks sent Shumpert and J. R. Smith to the Cavaliers which received a first-round pick in the 2015 NBA draft from the Thunder. On their own part, the Knicks received Alex Kirk, Lou Amundson, including a second-round pick in the 2019 NBA draft from the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers also sent Dion Waiters to Oklahoma City which in turn, sent Lance Thomas to the New York Knicks.
Iman Shumpert made his debut for his new team on the 23rd of January, 2015 in a 129-90 victory over the Charlotte Hornets where he recorded 8 points, 2 assists, plus 2 rebounds. The Cavaliers eventually lost to the Golden State Warriors after making it to the 2015 NBA Finals.
He Signed A Four-year/$40 Million Contract With the Cavaliers
Iman re-signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers on the 9th of July 2015, inking a four-year/$40 million deal. However, barely two months after the deal was wrapped up, the shooting guard suffered a ruptured Extensor Carpi Ulnaris sheath in his right wrist. The incident, which occurred on the 29th of September 2015, led to him being ruled out for the ensuing three months. Consequently, his season debut was accomplished on the 11th of December when the cavaliers faced the Orlando Magic, walking off with a 111–76 win; Shumpert scored 14 points off the bench.
The Cavaliers also emerged victorious in their game against the Boston Celtics on the 5th of March 2016, recording a 120–103 win. During the game, Iman recorded a total of 12 points in addition to a career-high 16 rebounds, also off the bench. He then got his left knee drained on the 11th of April and was ruled out for his team’s final two games of the regular season.
The shooting guard returned just in time for the playoffs assisting his team to make it to the NBA Finals for the second straight season. The Cleveland Cavaliers came against the Golden State Warriors once more, and in spite of the fact that they were already going down 3–1 in the series following a Game 4 loss, the Cavaliers went on to win the series in a total of seven games, emerging as the first team in the history of the NBA to win the championship after being down 3–1.
He Started Playing In The Point Guard Position From 2016
Early in the 2016–17 season, the coach of the Cavaliers’ team Tyronn Lue decided to start using Iman Shumpert at backup point guard. The Cavaliers later took on the Detroit Pistons on the 14th of March 2017 finishing in a 128–96 win over their opponent. There, the new backup point guard scored a season-high 18 points.
Iman assisted his team to go 12–1 over the initial three rounds of the playoffs, reaching the NBA Finals for a third straight season. During the finals, the Cavaliers faced the Golden State Warriors, however, luck was not on their side as they eventually lost the series in five games.
He sustained another injury on the 1st of December 2017 which required surgery on his left knee. This led to him being out for six to eight weeks. However, the talented player bounced back to action on the 23rd of January 2018 in a game against the San Antonio Spurs. His time with the Cleveland Cavaliers ended shortly thereafter.
Iman Shumpert Was Acquired By The Sacramento Kings In 2018
Upon the expiration of his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the NBA’s Sacramento Kings acquired Shumpert on the 8th of February 2018. His move was actualized in a three-team trade also involving the Utah Jazz. In spite of the fact that he didn’t play for the Kings in 2017–18, Iman opted in for the final year of his contract on the 8th of June 2018. His debut for his new team was made in a 123–117 season-opening loss to the Utah Jazz on the 17th of October 2018. There, Iman Shumpert scored 5 points and 3 rebounds in a total of 18 minutes off the bench.
Four days later, the Kings came against the Oklahoma City Thunder, recording a win of 131–120 where Iman scored 16 of his 26 points within the first quarter. He achieved a similar feat on the 19th of November in another 117–113 win over the Thunder, scoring 21 of his 23 points during the first half. On the 27th of December, the Kings also emerged victorious against the Los Angeles Lakers in a 117–116 win; there, Shumpert scored a total of 18 points, matching his career-high with six 3-pointers.
The Kings Traded Shumpert To The Houston Rockets In 2019
At the conclusion of the Shooting guard’s one year contract with the Sacramento Kings, Shumpert was traded again. He was traded in a three-team deal when he was acquired by the Houston Rockets on the 7th of February 2019.
The deal which also involved the Cleveland Cavaliers saw the Rockets sending a 2020 second-round pick to the Sacramento Kings, as well as Brandon Knight, Marquese Chriss, and a 2019 first-round pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Iman’s time with the Rockets saw him averaging 4.6 points in 19.1 minutes for each game over a 20-game stint in Houston in the regular season. In a total of eight playoff appearances, Iman Shumpert’s numbers dropped to 3.6 points in 13.6 minutes a game, owing to tighter rotations by Houston coach Mike D’Antoni.
The Brooklyn Nets Waived Shumpert Towards The End Of 2019
On the 13th of November 2019, the shooting guard signed with the Brooklyn Nets, which had a roster exemption made out by the 25-game PED suspension to Wilson Chandler. At the expiration of Chandler’s suspension on the 12th of December, Shumpert was waived by the Nets.
In his career of over eight years as a professional basketball player in the NBA, the Illinois native recorded an average of 7.3 points in 25.2 minutes per game. Shumpert has played with top NBA teams like the Houston Rockets, Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks, and Cleveland Cavaliers. This includes a rotation role as a key perimeter defender on Cleveland’s 2015-16 championship teams.
According to the shooting guard, he is currently a free agent working quietly behind the scenes. This was his response to Sacramento Kings’ guard – Buddy Hield, and Washington Wizards’ guard – Isaiah Thomas who took to Twitter to express their view that Iman Shumpert should be signed by an NBA team.
According to reports, the reason Iman is not signed on to any NBA team at the moment is that he turned down Houston’s contract overtures, electing to stay a free agent.
After months of discussions, free agent Iman Shumpert has decided to decline the Rockets' contract offer, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. Shumpert will not attend team minicamp this week in Las Vegas.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 17, 2019
The Shooting Guard’s Net Worth Is Calculated In Excess Of 14 Million
Considering how far he has come in his career as a professional basketball player with the National Basketball Association, one would not be wrong to expect that Iman Shumpert would have an impressive fortune to show for his eight years of hard work with the league, and thankfully, they will be right.
The basketball star earns an annual salary of $9.7 million and has an overall net worth of $14 million. Imam’s wealth stems majorly from his salary earnings; notable among his contracts is the one he inked with the Cavaliers involving a four-year/$40 million deal. The Illinois native also earns from sponsorship deals with top brands like Adidas and Nike.
Iman Shumpert Has Made Some Wise Investments With His Fortune
Additionally, Iman Shumpert is one smart fellow and has grown his wealth through a simple investment strategy known as automating finances. Automating finances involves sending a portion of your earnings straight to an investment account or retirement savings account.
According to the player, since his rookie contract in 2011, he has been sending half of his paychecks directly into an investment account. This is undoubtedly a wise decision which is often made by high-income earners.
Iman Shumpert Grew Up In Oak Park, Illinois
Iman Asante Shumpert was born on the 26th of June 1990 in Oak Park, Illinois to Odis and L’Tanya Shumpert. The pro basketballer also has three brothers – Odis Jr., Ahrii, and Kasani. The emerging player spent his formative years in Oak Park and fell in love with basketball as a child.
Iman Shumpert regularly played with his brothers in their backyard and grew up idolizing NBA great, Michael Jordan. The young Shumpert also had a beloved aunt who would always take him to see live games. During one of these games, he got the chance to shake hands with the Chicago Bulls player and resolved to one day play in the NBA.
Iman Shumpert Is Enjoying Marital Bliss With Teyana Taylor
Shumpert is married to the multi-talented Teyana Taylor. Teyena is an accomplished choreographer, musician, and model. She has appeared as a dancer in several music videos including Ring the Alarm by Beyoncé, Blue Magic by Jay-Z, and Fade by Kanye West. She has also released several singles as well as two full-length albums, VII (2014) and K.J.S.E (2018).
In addition to her gig in the music industry, Taylor is also an actress and has appeared in projects such as Madea’s Big Happy Family, Stomp The Yard: Homecoming, Brotherly Love, The After Party, The Trap, and several others.
They Exchanged Marriage Vows In 2016
It is not known exactly when Shumpert and Taylor commenced their relationship, however, they dated for some years before tying the knot in October 2016. The couple has two children together. Their first daughter, Iman Tayla Shumpert Jr., was born on the 16th of December 2015.
Taylor went into labor weeks before her due date and Shumpert had no choice but to take matters into his own hands. He delivered his daughter and used a pair of headphones to steady the umbilical cord until the paramedics arrived. In a surprise turn of events, Iman also took delivery of his second daughter in the bathroom before the arrival of the medics. The baby named Rue Rose arrived on the 6th of September 2020.
