Shaun Livingston is one of the current National Basketball Association players to have made it in the league straight out of high school. The two-time NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors became somewhat of a journeyman in the NBA following a debilitating knee injury. He has however been able to turn his career around to become a key backup player with the Warriors.
Early Life
Shaun Livingston was born Shaun Patrick Livingston to Ann Wyman and Reggie Livingston on September 11, 1985, in Peoria, Illinois. He began playing his favourite sport from an early age, leading his grade school to LSA state titles in back to back years.
Livingston then attended Richwoods High School where he continued to play competitive basketball. He spent two years there before transferring to Peoria Central High School where he enjoyed more success. With his abilities, his school’s team were able to win Class AA state titles in 2003 and 2004. His performances specifically in the latter year earned him the crown of Illinois Mr. Basketball.
He further showcased his talents at the 2004 McDonald’s High School All-American game where he was named co-MVP. That success was said to have made his mind up as he chose to not attend college, despite committing to the highly-rated Duke University but head straight to the league from high school.
NBA Career
Shaun Livingston professional career began with the Los Angeles Clippers. They selected him with the 4th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft. He managed 30 appearances in his rookie season, where his team and fans saw firsthand what all the hype was about before he was sidelined by a knee injury that saw him miss 39 games.
The following season, Livingston picked off from where he left and playing an integral part in what was described at the time as the Clippers’ best season in franchise history. They managed 47 wins and 35 losses in the regular season, and got to the Western Conference semifinals where they lost to the Phoenix Suns in seven games. Personally, Livingston managed 61 regular season appearances and 12 in the postseason due to injuries.
In the 2006-07 season, Livingston was beginning to average more minutes, points, assists and rebounds per game. In a game against the Golden State Warriors on February 23, 2007, he recorded a career-high 14 assists. Injury, however, struck just three days later in a game against the Charlotte Bobcats where he suffered a debilitating knee injury after landing awkwardly following a missed layup. He dislocated his left kneecap and snapped the leg laterally.
Livingston was told by medical professionals that he might have his leg amputated due to the extent of the injury. Over a year later, in June 20008, following rigorous and extensive physical therapy, he was given the go ahead to resume basketball activities. By this time his contract with the Clippers was up so he signed with the Miami Heat. He spent a few months with the side before he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies who waived him that same day.
In March 2007, a few months after he was waived by the Grizzlies, he joined an NBA D-League affiliate of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Livingston spent three weeks with the side before putting pen to paper on a multi-year deal with the Thunder but was however waived in December that year. A brief stint with the Washington Wizards followed before he joined the Charlotte Bobcats and then the Milwaukee Bucks for a year before getting waived at Houston where he was traded to. He rejoined the Wizards but was again waived by the team after a month, prompting him to head to Cleveland where he spent the remainder of the 2012-13 season.
For the 2013-14 season, Shaun Livingston signed with the Brooklyn Nets where for the first time in a few years, he was able to get constant game time, playing a career-high 76 games while also starting a career-high 54 games. In July 2014, he agreed on a three-year deal with the Golden State Warriors where he has become a key player off the bench in their championship runs. He has so far won two NBA titles and is well on course to win a third one with the franchise.
Does He Have A Wife or Girlfriend?
Shaun Livingston is reportedly married to his longtime girlfriend Joanna Williams. Joanna, who is fondly referred to as Joey by her close friends, is a model of Puerto Rican, Italian and African ancestry. It is not clear when exactly the couple became lovers, however, they exchanged vows at a low-key wedding ceremony in August 2017. Together the couple shares a daughter named Tyler Marie, who was born in February 2017, a few months before their wedding.
Parents
Shaun Livingston’s parents, as stated above, are Reggie Livingston, his father, and Ann Wyman, his mother. The couple who got married two years after they met, had Shaun almost soon after their wedding before divorcing when he was only 15 months old. His mother took him for the early stages of his life before his father was later given custody.
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Shaun Livingston’s Net Worth
Following a journeyman career in the NBA, Shaun Livingston has finally found a home with the Warriors where he recently signed a three-year deal worth $24 million in July 2017. That will have him taking home about $7.6 million every year. His overall net worth is then estimated to be around $16 million.
Height, Weight and Other Facts
Birth Name: Shaun Patrick Livingston
Date of Birth: September 11, 1985
Place of Birth: Peoria, Illinois, USA
Nationality: American
Height: 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m)
Weight: 87 kg (192 lbs)
