Romeo Langford
![]() Langford in 2017 | |||||||||||||||
No. 1 – Salt Lake City Stars | |||||||||||||||
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Position | Shooting guard | ||||||||||||||
League | NBA G League | ||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||
Born | New Albany, Indiana, U.S. | October 25, 1999||||||||||||||
Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||||||||
Listed weight | 216 lb (98 kg) | ||||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||||
High school | New Albany (New Albany, Indiana) | ||||||||||||||
College | Indiana (2018–2019) | ||||||||||||||
NBA draft | 2019: 1st round, 14th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
Selected by the Boston Celtics | |||||||||||||||
Playing career | 2019–present | ||||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||||
2019–2022 | Boston Celtics | ||||||||||||||
2019–2020 | →Maine Red Claws | ||||||||||||||
2022–2023 | San Antonio Spurs | ||||||||||||||
2023–present | Salt Lake City Stars | ||||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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Stats at NBA.com | |||||||||||||||
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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Romeo James Langford (born October 25, 1999) is an American professional basketball player for the Salt Lake City Stars of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers. Langford was ranked as one of the highest prospects in the college class of 2019; he finished as the fifth overall prospect in the 2018 247sports rankings. A shooting guard, he was drafted by the Celtics 14th overall in the 2019 NBA draft.[1]
High school career
Langford attended New Albany High School. Despite substantial interest from multiple prep schools, Langford chose to spend his four high school years at New Albany.[2] As a freshman, Langford led New Albany to a 23–3 record and the regional tournament while averaging 17.1 points and 6.0 rebounds.[3] In his sophomore year, he averaged 30.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game while leading New Albany to a 27–1 record and a class 4A state championship, the school's first state title since 1973. In his junior year, he averaged 28.7 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, leading New Albany to a 25–4 record and to the class 4A state quarterfinals. On November 21, 2017, Langford opened up his senior season with a then career high 48 points in a 110–36 victory over Charlestown.[4] On February 1, Langford scored a new career high 63 points against Jennings County. On January 16, 2018, Langford was announced as a McDonald's All-American to participate in the 2018 game.,[5] where he competed and won the Legends and Stars Shootout competition.[6] Langford finished his high school career fourth on the all-time Indiana state scoring list with 3,002 points.[7] The penultimate award of his high school career, Langford was crowned Indiana Mr. Basketball of 2018 at the annual IndyStar Sports Awards ceremony. In addition, he was also named the Boys Athlete of the Year.[8]
Recruitment
Langford was rated as a five-star recruit by Rivals, 247Sports, Scouts, and ESPN, which praised him for his electric scoring and playmaking abilities.[9][10][11]
Langford was recruited in high school by numerous high-profile schools, including Indiana, Louisville, Kansas, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, North Carolina, UCLA, and Duke,[12] and was visited by multiple coaches including John Calipari, Bill Self, Roy Williams, and Archie Miller.[13][14] On November 11, 2017, Langford announced via Twitter that he had narrowed his choices down to Indiana, Kansas, and Vanderbilt.[15] When asked about a timeline for his decision, Langford emphasized that he didn't want to rush the decision, and that he would "probably be making [his] decision after the season."[16] Langford announced on April 11, 2018, that he would declare his college choice on April 30 at New Albany High School.[17] On April 30, 2018, he announced his intention to play for his home state Indiana University.[1] He is the 27th former Indiana Mr. Basketball and 21st former McDonald's All-American to play basketball at Indiana.[18]
Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Romeo Langford SG |
New Albany, IN | New Albany (IN) | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Apr 30, 2018 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||||
Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 6 247Sports: 5 ESPN: 5 | ||||||
Sources:
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College career
Langford, who was ESPN’s No. 1 shooting guard in the Class of 2018 and Indiana's Gatorade Player of the Year, played one college season in his home state at Indiana University. Langford tore a ligament in his thumb in late November at IU, but continued to play through the injury.[19] Langford was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week four times.[20] He averaged 16.5 points per game, the highest among Big Ten freshmen and the third highest all-time among Indiana University freshmen, behind Eric Gordon and Mike Woodson.[21]
After the season, Langford declared for the 2019 NBA draft.[22]
Professional career
Boston Celtics (2019–2022)
Langford was selected with the 14th overall draft pick by the Boston Celtics in the 2019 NBA draft.[23] On July 11, 2019, Langford signed his rookie scale contract with the Celtics.[24] Langford was assigned to the Maine Red Claws for the start of the NBA G League season. He rolled his ankle in a game against Fort Wayne Mad Ants on November 15.[25] On September 22, 2020, the Celtics announced that Langford had undergone surgery to repair the scapholunate ligament of his right wrist and would miss the remainder of the 2019–20 NBA season.[26]
After his injury-riddled rookie season, Langford made his sophomore debut on April 4, 2021, against the Charlotte Hornets.[27] He continued to be a semi-constant rotation player for the rest of the season and showed intriguing signs of future potential in the 18 regular season games he played. As injuries continued to plague the Celtics into the 2021 NBA playoffs, Langford took on a larger role. In four of the five playoff games for Boston, he averaged more than 27 minutes per game. With the absences of Jaylen Brown, Kemba Walker, and Robert Williams, Langford's expanded playoff opportunity showed glimpses of individual progression, notably in Game 5 against the Brooklyn Nets where he dropped a playoff career-high 17 points to go along with two steals and two blocks.[28]
Langford played for the Celtics in the 2021 NBA Summer League.[29] On December 31, 2021, he scored a season-high 16 points, alongside three rebounds and two steals, in a 123–108 win over the Phoenix Suns.[30]
San Antonio Spurs (2022–2023)
On February 10, 2022, Langford was traded, alongside Josh Richardson, to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Derrick White.[31] Langford made his Spurs debut on March 7, scoring seven points in a 117–110 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.[32]
On December 29, 2022, Langford scored a career-high 23 points, alongside three rebounds, two assists and two steals, in a 122–115 win over the New York Knicks.[33]
Salt Lake City Stars (2023–present)
On August 30, 2023, Langford signed with the Utah Jazz,[34] but was waived on October 17.[35] On October 30, he joined the Salt Lake City Stars.[36]
Career statistics
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NBA
Regular season
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019–20 | Boston | 32 | 2 | 11.6 | .350 | .185 | .720 | 1.3 | .4 | .3 | .3 | 2.5 |
2020–21 | Boston | 18 | 4 | 15.7 | .356 | .278 | .750 | 1.9 | .7 | .3 | .3 | 3.1 |
2021–22 | Boston | 44 | 5 | 16.5 | .429 | .349 | .588 | 2.4 | .4 | .5 | .4 | 4.7 |
2021–22 | San Antonio | 4 | 0 | 10.8 | .571 | .000 | .375 | 1.0 | .5 | .3 | .0 | 2.8 |
2022–23 | San Antonio | 43 | 21 | 19.6 | .467 | .262 | .696 | 2.7 | 1.2 | .6 | .3 | 6.9 |
Career | 141 | 32 | 16.1 | .430 | .288 | .659 | 2.1 | .7 | .4 | .3 | 4.6 |
Play-in
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | Boston | 1 | 0 | 14.2 | 1.000 | – | .500 | 4.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 3.0 |
Career | 1 | 0 | 14.2 | 1.000 | – | .500 | 4.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 3.0 |
Playoffs
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | Boston | 7 | 0 | 6.6 | .400 | .500 | .500 | .4 | .3 | .1 | .0 | 1.4 |
2021 | Boston | 4 | 2 | 27.3 | .406 | .353 | 1.000 | 2.5 | 1.3 | .8 | .5 | 9.0 |
Career | 11 | 2 | 14.1 | .405 | .368 | .833 | 1.2 | .6 | .4 | .2 | 4.2 |
College
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018–19 | Indiana | 32 | 32 | 34.1 | .448 | .272 | .722 | 5.4 | 2.3 | .8 | .8 | 16.5 |
Career | 32 | 32 | 34.1 | .448 | .272 | .722 | 5.4 | 2.3 | .8 | .8 | 16.5 |
Personal life
In his childhood and early years Romeo grew up in New Albany, Indiana. Romeo is the son of Tim and Sabrina Langford, and has two sisters, Tiffany and Tisha.[37] He began playing basketball in the first grade, and has expressed admiration for NBA player LeBron James.[38] Romeo has expressed pride in challenging himself academically through advanced classes and enjoyment in taking math, and noted that he desires a college that would allow him to get a good degree in addition to playing basketball.[13][39] He is a close friend of NFL player Rondale Moore as the two grew up together on the same block in New Albany and played basketball together through their sophomore year of high school.[40]
He has a basketball court in a community park named after him in New Albany.[41]
References
- ^ a b Neddenriep, Kyle (April 30, 2018). "Romeo Langford decision: Mr. Basketball picks IU". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
- ^ Winstead, Kenzie (November 27, 2017). "Romeo Langford says he never considered leaving New Albany for a prep school". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
- ^ Neddenriep, Kyle (March 16, 2016). "'Total package' Romeo Langford drawing comparisons to Damon Bailey". Indy Star. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
- ^ "Top 5 Recruit Romeo Langford Drops 48 Points". SlamOnline.com. November 22, 2017. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
- ^ Borzello, Jeff (January 16, 2018). "Top players named to McDonald's All-American teams". ESPN. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
- ^ COOK, JOSH. "HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL: Langford's half-court shot helps team to win". News and Tribune. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
- ^ Neddenriep, Kyle (March 17, 2018). "'Thanks, Romeo': New Albany star's storied high school career comes to sudden end". Indy Star. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
- ^ Neddenriep, Kyle (April 29, 2018). "Romeo Langford of New Albany earns IndyStar Indiana Mr. Basketball". Indy Star. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
- ^ Davis, Tom (December 11, 2017). "NS on Romeo Langford, Part I: Managing the circus". The News-Sentinel. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
- ^ Davis, Tom (December 12, 2017). "NS on Romeo Langford, Part II: Is defending the state's top player even possible?". The News-Sentinel. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
- ^ Vance, Dan (December 13, 2017). "NS on Romeo Langford, Part III: Why he should go anywhere but Indiana University". The News-Sentinel. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
- ^ Neddenriep, Kyle (April 9, 2017). "The Battle for Romeo Langford is on". IndyStar. Retrieved November 26, 2017.
- ^ a b Page, Fletcher (May 8, 2017). "Meet New Albany's Shooting Star Romeo Langford". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
- ^ Estes, Gentry (December 8, 2017). "Indiana coach Archie Miller checks out Romeo Langford in New Albany-Floyd Central game". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
- ^ Grossman, Jack (November 11, 2017). "Romeo Langford trims his list to Indiana, Vanderbilt, and Kansas". Retrieved November 21, 2017.
- ^ Daniels, Evan (October 9, 2017). "Q and A with Five Star Guard Romeo Langford". Scout.com. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
- ^ Page, Fletcher (April 11, 2018). "Romeo Langford announces date for college pick between Kansas, Vanderbilt and Indiana". courier-journal.com. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
- ^ "Romeo Langford - Men's Basketball". Indiana University Athletics. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
- ^ "5 things to know about Celtics pick Romeo Langford | Boston.com". www.boston.com. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
- ^ "Indiana and Maryland Earn Weekly Men's Basketball Honors". Big Ten. January 14, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.[dead link]
- ^ Ohio State @ IU CBS Broadcast, February 10, 2019
- ^ "Indiana freshman Langford says he'll enter draft". April 4, 2019.
- ^ "Celtics Draft Langford, Williams, Edwards & Waters". NBA.com. June 21, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
- ^ "Celtics Sign Pair of First-Round Draft Picks Langford, Williams officially join Celtics". NBA.com. July 11, 2019. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
- ^ Himmelsbach, Adam (November 17, 2019). "Romeo Langford hurts ankle in Red Claws game". Boston Globe. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
- ^ "Romeo Langford Injury Update". NBA.com. September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- ^ "Romeo Langford shows defensive potential in Celtics' season debut". April 5, 2021.
- ^ "Celtics' Romeo Langford: Drops career-high 17 points in loss".
- ^ "Boston Celtics vs Atlanta Hawks Aug 8, 2021 Box Scores | NBA.com". www.nba.com. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- ^ "BROWN, SMART STAR AS CELTICS BEAT SUNS 123-108". NBA.com. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
- ^ "Fifth-year guard joins Boston backcourt; Langford, Richardson, 2022 protected first-round draft pick to San Antonio". NBA.com. February 10, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
- ^ Dominguez, Raul (March 8, 2022). "SPURS' POPOVICH TIES NELSON FOR NBA CAREER WINS RECORD". NBA.com. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
- ^ Dominguez, Raul (December 29, 2022). "SPURS OVERCOME RANDLE'S 41, HAND KNICKS FIFTH STRAIGHT LOSS". NBA.com. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
- ^ Rincon, Jeremy (August 30, 2023). "Utah Jazz Sign Kinsey, Langford, and Ongenda". NBA.com. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
- ^ Hundman, Gabby (October 17, 2023). "Utah Jazz Waive Devoe, Justice, and Langford". NBA.com. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
- ^ "Stars Announce 2023-24 Training Camp Roster". OurSportsCentral.com. October 30, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ Bozich, Alex (May 3, 2018). "Q & A: Langford's mother, Sabrina Langford". insidethehall.com. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
- ^ Makris, Stefanos (August 28, 2017). "Romeo Langford Interview". NBADraft.net. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
- ^ Maskulinski, Justin (January 13, 2017). "ROMEO THE PERSON: Langford remains grounded during rise to fame". News and Tribune. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
- ^ "2 phenoms, 1 hometown, 5 houses apart: Buddies Rondale Moore, Romeo Langford bring rare skills to college".
- ^ Sayers, Justin. "A New Albany basketball court will be named after Romeo Langford. Seriously". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
External links
- 1999 births
- Living people
- American men's basketball players
- Basketball players from Indiana
- Boston Celtics draft picks
- Boston Celtics players
- Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball players
- Maine Red Claws players
- McDonald's High School All-Americans
- New Albany High School (Indiana) alumni
- People from New Albany, Indiana
- Salt Lake City Stars players
- San Antonio Spurs players
- Shooting guards
- Small forwards
- Sportspeople from the Louisville metropolitan area