BIOGRAPHY
Eric Bledsoe was born on December 9, 1989, in Birmingham, Alabama. He is a point guard in the NBA.
Bledsoe attended Parker High School in Birmingham, Alabama. As a senior in 2008–09, he averaged 20.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and 11.5 assists per game, and helped lead Parker to a 5A state championship runner-up finish. Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, Bledsoe was listed as the No. 3 point guard and the No. 23 player in the nation in 2009.
Eric Bledsoe was born in Birmingham in 1989. The son of Eric Bledsoe Sr. and Maureen Reddick, Bledsoe graduated from Parker High School in Birmingham, where he averaged 20.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and 11.5 assists per game during his senior season in 2009 and led his team to a 5A state championship runner-up finish. At Kentucky, Bledsoe averaged 11.3 points and 2.9 assists per game, sharing the floor with the likes of John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins. After averaging 15.3 points in four NCAA Tournament contests, Bledsoe was named to the Sporting News SEC All-Freshman Team. Bledsoe helps run the Eric Bledsoe Foundation, which works in conjunction with The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham to "continually improve the community by focusing on the needs of the youth". To that end, he hosts an annual charity basketball game, which has included NBA stars such as Devin Booker, John Wall, Alex Len, Archie Goodwin, and Brandon Knight.
On April 7, 2010, Bledsoe declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his final three seasons of collegiate eligibility.
During pre-draft workout, Bledsoe was touted for his quickness, ball-handling ability, and ability to hit the long ball. He was subsequently selected with the 18th overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder, but was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. In his first season, he averaged 6.7 points and 3.6 assists and started 25 games. As a result, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. In his second season, due to the Clippers' acquisition of Chris Paul, he played only an average of 11 minutes per game, with only one start, and his stats dropped. In fact, during that season, he ended up being assigned to the Clippers' NBA Development League affiliate team, the Bakersfield Jam. However, during his third season, his statistics ended up rising in spite of still being behind Chris Paul for most of the games that he played. Bledsoe also participated in the 2013 All-Star Game's Slam Dunk Contest.
On July 10, 2013, Bledsoe was traded to the Phoenix Suns alongside teammate Caron Butler in a three-way trade with the L.A. Clippers and the Milwaukee Bucks that sent the Suns' Jared Dudley and the Bucks' J. J. Redick to the Clippers with two different second-round picks going to the Bucks. On his opening night debut with the Suns, Bledsoe helped the team by getting 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists in a 104-91 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. In his second game with the Suns, Bledsoe hit his first ever game-winning shot in an 87-84 home victory over the Utah Jazz.
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, recording 13 points and seven assists in a 94–87 win over the San Antonio Spurs. On November 22, in his return to Phoenix, Bledsoe scored 30 points in a 113–107 overtime win over the Suns. On March 30, 2018, he scored 39 points in a 124–122 overtime win over the Los Angeles Lakers. On April 9, 2018, he had 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 recorded 26 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds in a 141–140 overtime win over the Sacramento Kings. On March 1, he scored 31 points in a 131–120 win over the Lakers. Three days later, he signed a four-year, $70 million contract extension with the Bucks.
