Jeremy Sochan Bio
Jeremy Juliusz Sochan is a Polish-American professional basketball player who most recently played for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born in the United States to a Polish mother and an American father, he was raised in England and developed his game in European youth systems before moving to the United States for high school and college. A versatile forward, Sochan entered the NBA in 2022 with the San Antonio Spurs and helped the Knicks win an NBA championship in 2026.
Standing 6 feet 8 inches tall and listed at 230 pounds, Sochan is known for his energy on both ends of the floor, his willingness to defend multiple positions, and an unorthodox one-handed free throw technique. He also represents the Poland national basketball team in international competition.
Early Life and Background
Sochan was born on May 20, 2003, in Guymon, Oklahoma. His mother, Aneta Sochan, is a Polish former basketball player who played for Polonia Warsaw and competed at the Division II level for Panhandle State. While at Panhandle State, she met Sochan’s father, Ryan Williams, who played for the men’s basketball team. Williams died in a car accident in 2017, and Sochan has a younger half-brother and stepfather.
Sochan’s maternal grandfather, Juliusz Sochan, was a director of the basketball section of AZS AWF Warsaw and served as president of the Warsaw Regional Basketball Association. His great-grandfather, Zygmunt Sochan, was an association football player for Warszawianka, making 94 appearances in the Polish top flight before World War II, when he joined the resistance and survived the Stutthof concentration camp.
Sochan took his first steps in basketball while living in England, first playing for the MK Trojans in Milton Keynes before his family moved to Southampton, where he played for the Solent Kestrels youth team and Itchen College. He began his American high school career at La Lumiere School in Indiana, but later left the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic and committed to play college basketball for Baylor in July 2020.
Path to Professional Basketball
In 2020, Sochan began his professional career in Germany with OrangeAcademy of the ProB, Germany’s third-tier professional league. The move allowed him to gain meaningful senior experience at a young age while continuing his development away from the spotlight of American college basketball.
After one season in Germany, Sochan returned to the United States and enrolled at Baylor University for the 2021–22 college season. He earned the Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year award and was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team, averaging 9.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game. Following a January 2022 ankle sprain against TCU and a second-round NCAA tournament exit, he declared for the 2022 NBA draft on April 15, 2022, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.
Sochan was selected ninth overall by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2022 NBA draft and signed a rookie-scale contract on July 8, 2022. He was also a standout for Poland’s junior national teams, leading the under-16 squad to the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship Division B title in Montenegro and earning tournament MVP honors.
Jeremy Sochan Career
Early Career (2020–2022)
Sochan’s earliest senior experience came with OrangeAcademy in Germany’s ProB league during the 2020–21 season. Playing against older professionals gave him a foundation in physical play, defensive versatility, and team-oriented basketball. He later joined Baylor, where he provided a steady presence off the bench as a freshman and helped the Bears earn a No. 1 seed in the 2022 NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament.
San Antonio Spurs Era (2022–2026)
Sochan debuted for the San Antonio Spurs after being selected ninth overall in the 2022 NBA draft. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2023, capping a first season that included a then-career-high 23 points against the New Orleans Pelicans on December 22, 2022, and a career-high 30 points in a loss to the Phoenix Suns on January 28, 2023.
For the 2023–24 season, head coach Gregg Popovich experimented with Sochan as a starting point guard, leveraging his playmaking vision. The experiment lasted 17 games before he returned to power forward. On November 30, 2023, he set a new career high of 33 points in a 137–135 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. In November 2024, he was scheduled to undergo surgery to repair a fractured left thumb. On February 11, 2026, the Spurs and Sochan mutually agreed to part ways, allowing him to become a free agent.
New York Knicks Era (2026–Present)
After clearing waivers, Sochan signed with the New York Knicks on February 13, 2026. He made his Knicks debut on February 19 against the Detroit Pistons, playing ten minutes with two points, one rebound, one assist, and a block. He later appeared in the NBA Finals, where in Game 5 he helped the Knicks close out a 4–1 series win over his former Spurs team, scoring key contributions in a 94–90 clincher that delivered the Knicks their first NBA championship in 53 years.
Driving Style and Strengths
Sochan is a high-energy forward whose strengths include point-forward playmaking, perimeter defense, and offensive rebounding. He has also drawn attention for his one-handed free throw technique, an experiment suggested by Gregg Popovich in December 2022 that raised his free throw percentage by roughly 30% during the 2022–23 season.
Notable Events and Milestones
Sochan’s signature early milestones include his 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship Division B MVP award, his 2023 NBA All-Rookie Second Team selection, and his 2026 NBA championship with the Knicks. He also became the youngest player ever to play for Poland’s senior national team during a EuroBasket 2022 qualifier against Romania.
Jeremy Sochan Career Wins
Sochan’s verified career wins include an NBA championship with the New York Knicks in 2026, an NBA All-Rookie Second Team selection in 2023, a Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year award in 2022, a Big 12 All-Freshman Team selection in 2022, and a FIBA U16 European Championship Division B MVP honor in 2019. He also helped Poland win the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship Division B title in Podgorica.
NBA Highlights
Sochan’s NBA résumé features a 2026 NBA championship with the Knicks, an All-Rookie Second Team nod in 2023, and a 33-point career high set on November 30, 2023. He became known league-wide for his unorthodox one-handed free throw, which produced a roughly 30% jump in his conversion rate during his rookie season.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond the NBA, Sochan earned Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year and Big 12 All-Freshman Team recognition in 2022, and he was named MVP of the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship Division B. He also led Poland’s senior team to a memorable 88–81 win over Romania in a EuroBasket 2022 qualifier, scoring 18 points with a four-point play and a game-deciding block.
Jeremy Sochan Family
Family Background and Basketball Lineage
Sochan comes from a deeply athletic family. His mother, Aneta Sochan, played basketball in Poland and at Panhandle State, where she met his father, Ryan Williams, a member of the Panhandle State men’s basketball team. His maternal grandfather, Juliusz Sochan, ran basketball operations for AZS AWF Warsaw and led the Warsaw Regional Basketball Association, and his great-grandfather Zygmunt Sochan was a noted pre-war Polish football player and Holocaust survivor.
Personal Life
Sochan was born in Guymon, Oklahoma, and grew up in England before moving to the United States for high school. On August 24, 2024, he was involved in a car accident in San Antonio when he lost control of his vehicle and struck a guardrail, though he was uninjured in the crash.
2025 Season Performance
Sochan entered the 2024–25 NBA season coming off a year in which he had logged time at point guard before returning to power forward. Early in the season, a fractured left thumb suffered in November 2024 forced him into surgery and limited his availability for an extended stretch.
Following his recovery, Sochan worked his way back into the Spurs’ rotation, contributing defensive versatility, playmaking, and rebounding in a developing young San Antonio lineup. His one-handed free throw remained a recognizable part of his offensive identity, and he continued to draw praise for his energy and willingness to defend multiple positions.
In February 2026, the Spurs and Sochan reached a mutual agreement to waive him, paving the way for his next chapter with the New York Knicks and ultimately an NBA championship. The 2024–25 campaign set the stage for his late-season move and his role on a contending roster.
