1. Early life and education
1.1. High school career
Eric Bledsoe attended Parker High School in Birmingham, Alabama. During his senior year in the 2008-09 season, he displayed exceptional all-around performance, averaging 20.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 11.5 assists per game. His contributions helped lead Parker High School to a 5A state championship runner-up finish. Regarded as a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, Bledsoe was ranked as the No. 3 point guard and the No. 23 player nationally in the class of 2009.
1.2. College career
Bledsoe played a single season of college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats in 2009-10. In 37 games, with 35 starts, he averaged 11.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. He was instrumental in helping the Wildcats achieve an impressive 35-3 record and reach the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. For his performance, he was named to the Sporting News SEC All-Freshman Team and earned CollegeInsider.com Freshman All-American honors.
Throughout the season, Bledsoe scored in double digits in 20 games, including four instances where he tallied at least 20 points. In the four NCAA tournament games, he averaged 15.3 points. He set a Kentucky school record for most three-pointers made in an NCAA tournament game by hitting eight against East Tennessee State, a game where he also scored a career-high 29 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field and 8-of-9 from beyond the arc. Although a natural point guard, Bledsoe often played the shooting guard position, frequently alongside fellow freshman John Wall. On April 7, 2010, Bledsoe declared for the NBA draft, opting to forgo his remaining three seasons of collegiate eligibility.
1.2.1. Grade controversy
In September 2010, reports emerged concerning discrepancies in Bledsoe's high school transcripts, raising questions about his eligibility to play for Kentucky during his collegiate season. The Alabama Public School System initiated an investigation by hiring the independent law firm of White Arnold & Dowd. The inquiry focused on allegations that one of Bledsoe's grades had been improperly altered from a C to an A, which would have increased his GPA sufficiently to meet NCAA eligibility requirements.
Investigators concluded that the instructor's reasons for changing the grade were "not credible." Furthermore, the investigation revealed that a significant number of his high school grades had been overwritten to reflect higher marks. Despite these findings, the school board voted to uphold the altered grade. The NCAA subsequently declared its investigation into Bledsoe's eligibility closed the following week.
2. Professional career
Eric Bledsoe's professional basketball career began in 2010 when he was drafted into the NBA. He has since played for multiple teams, including the Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, and New Orleans Pelicans, before eventually moving to the Chinese Basketball Association.
2.1. Los Angeles Clippers (2010-2013)
During pre-draft workouts, Bledsoe was noted for his quickness, strong ball-handling skills, and his ability to make three-point field goals. He was selected as the 18th overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder, but his draft rights were immediately traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.
In his rookie season (2010-11), Bledsoe averaged 6.7 points and 3.6 assists, starting in 25 games. His performance earned him a selection to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. In his second season (2011-12), his playing time significantly decreased following the Clippers' acquisition of star point guard Chris Paul. Bledsoe averaged only 11 minutes per game, with just one start, and his statistics saw a decline. During this period, he was also assigned to the Clippers' NBA Development League affiliate team, the Bakersfield Jam.
Despite remaining behind Chris Paul in the depth chart for most games, Bledsoe's statistics improved during his third season (2012-13). He also participated in the 2013 NBA All-Star Game's Slam Dunk Contest.
2.2. Phoenix Suns (2013-2017)
Bledsoe's tenure with the Phoenix Suns marked a significant period in his career, where he developed into a primary scoring and playmaking option.
2.2.1. 2013-14 season
On July 10, 2013, Bledsoe was traded to the Phoenix Suns as part of a three-way deal involving the Los Angeles Clippers and the Milwaukee Bucks. The trade sent Bledsoe and teammate Caron Butler to the Suns, while the Suns' Jared Dudley and the Bucks' JJ Redick went to the Clippers, and two second-round draft picks were sent to the Bucks.
Bledsoe made an impressive debut with the Suns on opening night, contributing 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists in a 104-91 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. In his second game with the Suns, he hit his first career game-winning shot in an 87-84 home victory against the Utah Jazz. On November 19, 2013, Bledsoe sustained a shin injury after colliding with teammate P. J. Tucker during practice, causing him to miss six games. He returned on November 29, scoring 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals in a 112-101 win against the Jazz. On December 13, 2013, he achieved a then-career-high 28 points in a 116-107 victory over the Sacramento Kings. Bledsoe also recorded his first double-double with the Suns on December 23, scoring 16 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and dishing out 7 assists in a dominant 117-90 win against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Towards the end of 2013, during the third quarter of a game against the Clippers, Bledsoe injured his left shin. This injury later evolved into a torn meniscus, sidelining him for nearly two and a half months. His absence contributed to the Suns signing former player Leandro Barbosa for the remainder of the season. Bledsoe returned to action on March 12, 2014, against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Two days later, he returned to the starting lineup and recorded 17 points and 10 rebounds in an 87-80 victory over the Boston Celtics. He continued to start for the remainder of the season. On November 14, 2019, Bledsoe scored 31 points, setting a new NBA career high, in a 124-115 victory over the Chicago Bulls.
2.2.2. 2014-15 season
On June 27, 2014, the Suns extended a qualifying offer to Bledsoe, making him a restricted free agent. After several months of negotiations and rumors regarding his future, Bledsoe and the Suns reached an agreement on a new five-year contract worth 70.00 M USD on September 24, 2014. In the Suns' 2014-15 season opener on October 29, 2014, against the Los Angeles Lakers, Bledsoe recorded 16 points, nine assists, and six rebounds before being ejected with 30 seconds left in the third quarter after receiving his second technical foul. Despite his ejection, the Suns won the game 119-99.
On December 8, 2014, Bledsoe achieved his first career triple-double with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 16 assists, although the Suns lost 120-121 in overtime to his former team, the Los Angeles Clippers. On December 23, he recorded his second career triple-double, which did not require overtime, with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 124-115 win over the Dallas Mavericks. On January 21, 2015, Bledsoe set a career-high with 33 points, along with 10 rebounds and 6 assists, in a 118-113 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. On February 26, 2015, he nearly achieved another triple-double with 28 points (on 11-of-16 shooting), 13 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 blocks, and 1 steal in a 117-113 overtime win against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He became only the ninth player in NBA history to record such a stat line in a regular season game, and the first point guard to record 28+ points on 50% shooting, 13+ rebounds, 9+ assists, 4+ blocks, and at least one steal. On March 21, he scored a new career-high of 34 points in a 117-102 win over the Houston Rockets.
2.2.3. 2015-16 season
On October 31, 2015, Bledsoe scored 33 points, just two shy of his career-high, and added 6 assists in a 101-90 win against the Portland Trail Blazers. On November 12, he was one assist shy of a triple-double, finishing with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists in a 118-104 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. On December 13, in a victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Bledsoe recorded 23 points, 9 assists, 4 steals, and tied his career-high with 4 blocked shots. This marked the NBA's first "four-by-four" (at least four rebounds, four assists, four steals, and four blocks) by a guard since Dwyane Wade achieved it on February 28, 2009. On December 29, he underwent successful surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee and was ruled out for the remainder of the 2015-16 season. Following Bledsoe's injury, the Suns managed to win only 11 more games over the final three months of the season.
2.2.4. 2016-17 season
On September 15, 2016, Bledsoe was medically cleared for his first five-on-five scrimmage play since his injury. He made his return to the court in the Suns' season opener on October 26 against the Sacramento Kings. In his first game since his knee injury in December 2015, Bledsoe recorded 16 points, six rebounds, five assists, and one steal in a 113-94 loss. On November 2, he scored 20 points and hit the game-winning three-pointer in overtime, securing the Suns' first win of the season with a 118-115 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
On November 27, he set a new career-high with 35 points in a 120-114 loss to the Denver Nuggets. On December 13, he delivered a 31-point performance in a 113-111 overtime win over the New York Knicks. This was his third consecutive 30-point game, making him the first Suns player to achieve this feat since Amar'e Stoudemire in March 2010. On December 23, Bledsoe recorded 24 points and a season-high 11 assists in a 123-116 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. On January 16, 2017, Bledsoe nearly secured his third career triple-double, finishing with 31 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists in a 106-101 loss to the Utah Jazz. Six days later, he recorded a career-high 40 points and a season-high 13 assists in a 115-103 win over the Toronto Raptors. He surpassed that mark on January 28 with a 41-point effort in a 123-112 loss to Denver. Two games later, on February 1, Bledsoe tied his career-high with another 41-point performance in a 124-114 loss to his former team, the Los Angeles Clippers. Bledsoe's achievement of three 40-point games within 11 days set a new Suns franchise record, surpassing Charlie Scott's previous record of 13 days set in 1973. In the Suns' final game before the 2017 NBA All-Star Weekend on February 15, Bledsoe recorded his third career triple-double with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists in a 137-101 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. On March 15, he was sidelined for the remainder of the season due to ongoing knee soreness, concluding a season in which he achieved career highs in points and assists.
2.2.5. 2017-18 season
On October 22, 2017, after just three games into the season, Bledsoe posted the phrase "I Dont wanna be here" on Twitter. Suns general manager Ryan McDonough interpreted this as a criticism of the organization and consequently dismissed Bledsoe from playing with the team. Bledsoe later claimed that the tweet was referring to being in a hair salon at the time. This explanation was not accepted by the Suns' management, leading to his suspension. On November 5, 2017, the NBA fined Bledsoe 10.00 K USD for his tweet. On the same day, it was reported that Bledsoe would return to the Suns' team facilities to work out with staff members.
2.3. Milwaukee Bucks (2017-2020)
On November 7, 2017, Bledsoe was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Greg Monroe and a protected first and second-round draft pick. He made his debut for the Bucks three days later, contributing 13 points and seven assists in a 94-87 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. On November 22, in his return to Phoenix, Bledsoe scored 30 points in a 113-107 overtime win against the Suns, playing in front of a heavily booing home crowd at the Talking Stick Resort Arena. On March 30, 2018, he scored 39 points in a 124-122 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. On April 9, 2018, he recorded his fourth career triple-double with 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 102-86 win over the Orlando Magic.
On January 19, 2019, Bledsoe scored 30 points in a 118-108 win over the Magic. On February 27, he registered 26 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds in a 141-140 overtime win against the Sacramento Kings. On March 1, he scored 31 points in a 131-120 victory over the Lakers. On March 4, he signed a four-year, 70.00 M USD contract extension with the Bucks, securing his presence with the team until 2023. At the end of the season, he was recognized for his defensive prowess by being named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. He was also named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2020. On December 14, 2019, the Milwaukee Bucks announced that Bledsoe had suffered a right fibula avulsion fracture during a 127-114 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, and he was expected to be sidelined for approximately two weeks. Bledsoe helped the Bucks achieve the best regular season record in the league for two consecutive seasons. However, Milwaukee once again failed to reach the NBA Finals, losing to the eventual Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat in five games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Bledsoe missed Game 1 of that series due to a hamstring injury.
2.4. New Orleans Pelicans (2020-2021)
On November 24, 2020, Bledsoe was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans as part of a four-team trade that also involved the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets. In this deal, Bledsoe, along with two future first-round draft picks and two pick swap rights, was exchanged for Jrue Holiday. In his debut with the Pelicans, Bledsoe recorded 18 points, two rebounds, and six assists in a 113-99 victory over the Toronto Raptors.
2.5. Return to Los Angeles and Portland (2021-2022)
On August 7, 2021, Bledsoe was initially traded to the Memphis Grizzlies along with Steven Adams, the draft rights to Ziaire Williams and Jared Butler, and a 2022 protected first-round pick. This was part of a three-team trade that also included the Charlotte Hornets, with the Pelicans receiving Jonas Valančiūnas and the draft rights to Trey Murphy III and Brandon Boston Jr. from Memphis.
Subsequently, on August 16, Bledsoe was traded again, this time back to the Los Angeles Clippers, in exchange for Patrick Beverley, Rajon Rondo, and Daniel Oturu. On October 21, 2021, Bledsoe played his first game as a Clipper since 2013, scoring 22 points and adding 3 steals in a 115-113 loss to the Golden State Warriors.
On February 4, 2022, Bledsoe was traded, along with Keon Johnson, Justise Winslow, and a 2025 second-round pick, to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Norman Powell and Robert Covington. In Portland, he reunited with Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, who had been his teammate during the 2011-12 NBA season with the Clippers. However, Bledsoe was ruled out for the remainder of the season on March 28 due to pain in his left Achilles tendon. He was ultimately waived by the Trail Blazers on July 6, having not played a single game for the team.
2.6. Shanghai Sharks (2022-present)
On November 19, 2022, Eric Bledsoe signed with the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), marking his move to play professionally outside of the NBA.
3. Player profile
Eric Bledsoe is known for his remarkable athleticism, particularly his ability to perform numerous dunks despite standing 73 in (185 cm) tall and weighing 214 lb (97 kg). He possesses a wingspan of 80 in (202 cm), which allows him to be highly effective defensively and finish at the rim. Throughout his career, he has played both point guard and shooting guard positions. He earned the nickname "Mini LeBron" early in his career due to his powerful drives to the basket and versatile offensive game, reminiscent of LeBron James. While often a strong performer in the regular season, he has historically put up lower numbers in the NBA playoffs.
4. Personal life
4.1. Family and background
Eric Bledsoe was raised in Birmingham, Alabama, by his mother, Maureen Reddick, who worked multiple jobs to support him and his two siblings. Bledsoe is a father to five children: his sons Ethan and Emory, and his daughters Eriauna, Norah, and Noor.
4.2. Domestic violence incident
On October 27, 2022, Bledsoe was arrested in Lost Hills, California, on misdemeanor charges related to domestic violence.
5. Career statistics
The following tables detail Eric Bledsoe's professional and college basketball 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 |
5.1. NBA
5.1.1. Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-11 | L.A. Clippers | 81 | 25 | 22.7 | .424 | .276 | .744 | 2.8 | 3.6 | 1.1 | .3 | 6.7 |
| 2011-12 | L.A. Clippers | 40 | 1 | 11.6 | .389 | .200 | .636 | 1.6 | 1.7 | .8 | .4 | 3.3 |
| 2012-13 | L.A. Clippers | 76 | 12 | 20.4 | .445 | .397 | .791 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 1.4 | .7 | 8.5 |
| 2013-14 | Phoenix | 43 | 40 | 32.9 | .477 | .357 | .772 | 4.7 | 5.5 | 1.6 | .3 | 17.7 |
| 2014-15 | Phoenix | 81 | 81 | 34.6 | .447 | .324 | .800 | 5.2 | 6.1 | 1.6 | .6 | 17.0 |
| 2015-16 | Phoenix | 31 | 31 | 34.2 | .453 | .372 | .802 | 4.0 | 6.1 | 2.0 | .6 | 20.4 |
| 2016-17 | Phoenix | 66 | 66 | 33.0 | .434 | .335 | .847 | 4.8 | 6.3 | 1.4 | .5 | 21.1 |
| 2017-18 | Phoenix | 3 | 3 | 27.7 | .400 | .308 | .786 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 1.3 | .7 | 15.7 |
| 2017-18 | Milwaukee | 71 | 71 | 31.5 | .476 | .349 | .795 | 3.9 | 5.1 | 2.0 | .6 | 17.8 |
| 2017-18 total | 74 | 74 | 31.4 | .473 | .347 | .795 | 3.8 | 5.0 | 2.0 | .6 | 17.7 | |
| 2018-19 | Milwaukee | 78 | 78 | 29.1 | .484 | .329 | .750 | 4.6 | 5.5 | 1.5 | .4 | 15.9 |
| 2019-20 | Milwaukee | 61 | 61 | 27.0 | .475 | .344 | .790 | 4.6 | 5.4 | .9 | .4 | 14.9 |
| 2020-21 | New Orleans | 71 | 70 | 29.7 | .421 | .341 | .687 | 3.4 | 3.8 | .8 | .3 | 12.2 |
| 2021-22 | L.A. Clippers | 54 | 29 | 25.2 | .421 | .313 | .761 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 1.3 | .4 | 9.9 |
| Career | 756 | 568 | 27.8 | .452 | .336 | .784 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 13.7 | |
5.1.2. Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | L.A. Clippers | 11 | 0 | 17.2 | .587 | .429 | .625 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 1.2 | .4 | 7.9 |
| 2013 | L.A. Clippers | 6 | 0 | 16.2 | .500 | .111 | .667 | 2.5 | 3.0 | .3 | .5 | 6.5 |
| 2018 | Milwaukee | 7 | 7 | 32.1 | .440 | .318 | .700 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 1.0 | .9 | 13.6 |
| 2019 | Milwaukee | 15 | 15 | 28.2 | .411 | .236 | .706 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 1.1 | .4 | 13.7 |
| 2020 | Milwaukee | 9 | 9 | 29.7 | .388 | .250 | .808 | 4.6 | 5.9 | 1.2 | .7 | 11.7 |
| Career | 48 | 31 | 25.0 | .441 | .254 | .712 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 1.0 | .5 | 11.1 | |
5.2. College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-10 | Kentucky | 37 | 35 | 30.3 | .462 | .383 | .667 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 1.4 | .3 | 11.3 |