Aaron Nesmith

BIOGRAPHY

Aaron Nesmith was born on October 16, 1999, in Charleston, South Carolina. He is a guard/forward in the NBA.

Nesmith attended Porter-Gaud School in Charleston, South Carolina beginning in the fifth grade and was first called up to the varsity basketball team as an eighth-grader. As a sophomore, he won the South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA) Class 3A state title as his team's leading scorer. Nesmith led Porter-Gaud to two more Class 3A state championships in his final two seasons. As a senior, he averaged 21 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game and was named South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year for his success in basketball and academics. He left high school as a three-time SCISA Class 3A player of the year.

Nesmith did not receive offers from any high major NCAA Division I programs until he was a senior, but he began drawing more attention after an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was rated a four-star recruit by ESPN and 247Sports and committed to Vanderbilt over offers from Florida, South Carolina, Harvard, Virginia Tech, and Columbia.

In his freshman season for Vanderbilt, Nesmith assumed an important role after Darius Garland suffered a season-ending injury and Simisola Shittu underachieved. Nesmith was named Southeastern Conference (SEC) Freshman of the Week following two career games. Nesmith was the fifth-leading scorer in the NCAA Division I and averaged the most points by a Vanderbilt player since Tom Hagan in the 1968–1969 season.

Nesmith was selected with the 14th pick in the first round of the 2020 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics. On November 24, 2020, the Boston Celtics signed Nesmith to a four-year, $16.5 million rookie contract including team options in the third and fourth year. On April 28, 2021, Nesmith put on a show with multiple career highs including 15 points, 9 rebounds, three steals, and three blocks in a winning effort against the Charlotte Hornets.