Mason Plumlee Bio
Mason Alexander Plumlee, born on March 5, 1990, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is best known for his time with the Duke Blue Devils and a professional career that has spanned more than a decade. He currently plays center for the San Antonio Spurs.
Plumlee won an NCAA championship with Duke in 2010 as a freshman and was later selected 22nd overall in the 2013 NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets. He also represented the United States national team and earned a gold medal at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Early Life and Background
Mason Plumlee was born on March 5, 1990, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to Perky Plumlee and Leslie Plumlee. Both of his parents were college basketball players, with his father playing at Tennessee Tech and his mother playing at Purdue. The two met at a basketball camp during the summer of 1979, which helped shape a household deeply rooted in the sport.
Growing up in a basketball family, Mason followed in the footsteps of his older brother Miles, who also went on to play at Duke and in the NBA. His younger brother Marshall and his sister Madeleine were also athletes, with Marshall playing for Duke and Madeleine playing volleyball at the University of Notre Dame. The Plumlee family’s ties to the game created a strong foundation for Mason’s development as a player.
Plumlee’s family basketball lineage extends beyond his immediate family. His grandfather Albert “Bud” Schultz played at Michigan Tech, his uncle William Schultz played at Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and his uncle Chad Schultz played at Wisconsin-Oshkosh. This multi-generational connection to the sport helped guide Mason’s early interest and training in basketball.
Path to Basketball
Mason Plumlee first attended Warsaw Community High School in Warsaw, Indiana, before transferring to Christ School in Arden, North Carolina, after his freshman year. At Christ School, he helped lead the team to three North Carolina High School Athletic Association state championships and a record of 99–8 over his final three seasons. His high school success established him as one of the top prep prospects in the country.
As a senior at Christ School, Plumlee averaged 15.3 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.5 blocks per game, earning him recognition as a 2009 McDonald’s All-American, a Jordan Brand All-American, and a third-team Parade All-American and Slam All-American. He was also named 2009 North Carolina Mr. Basketball by the Charlotte Observer and was a two-time All-State pick. Beyond basketball, he competed in the high jump in track and field, with a personal best of 6 feet 8 inches.
Plumlee also gained early international experience, earning a silver medal with the 2008 USA U18 National Team at the FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship in Argentina. These accomplishments helped him secure a scholarship to Duke University, where he joined his older brother Miles on the Blue Devils roster.
Mason Plumlee Career
Early Career at Duke (2009–2013)
Mason Plumlee arrived at Duke University in 2009 and joined a program that featured his older brother Miles on the roster. As a freshman during the 2009–10 season, he missed the first six games with a broken left wrist but returned to serve as a key back-up forward. He and Miles typically rotated into games together, often being the first two players off the bench behind Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas. Through April 4, 2010, Mason was tied for the team lead in blocks with 30 and was second on the team with 21 dunks.
Plumlee’s freshman season ended with a national championship, as Duke won the 2010 NCAA title. He averaged 3.1 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in about 14.1 minutes per game. Coach Mike Krzyzewski praised Plumlee’s combination of guard-like skills and a big man’s frame. In his senior year of 2012–13, Plumlee earned first-team All-ACC honors, consensus second-team All-American recognition, the Pete Newell Big Man Award, and was a first-team Academic All-American. He also became a Senior CLASS Award finalist.
Brooklyn Nets Breakthrough (2013–2015)
Mason Plumlee was selected with the 22nd overall pick by the Brooklyn Nets in the 2013 NBA Draft and signed his rookie-scale contract on July 3, 2013. He made an early impression by recording 7 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists in his first game against his brother Miles and the Phoenix Suns on November 15, 2013. The very next night, he posted career highs of 19 points and 6 rebounds against the Los Angeles Clippers while playing extended minutes due to injuries to Brook Lopez and Kevin Garnett.
On February 9, 2014, Plumlee recorded his second NBA double-double with 22 points and 13 rebounds in a Nets victory. He was selected for the 2014 BBVA Rising Stars Challenge, with his brother Miles on the opposing team. A defining moment came on April 8, 2014, when Plumlee blocked a potential game-winning dunk by LeBron James in the closing seconds against the Miami Heat, securing an 88–87 win. The play was later confirmed as a clean block by the NBA. Plumlee finished his rookie year averaging 7.4 points and 4.4 rebounds in 70 games, earning NBA All-Rookie First Team honors, the first Net since Brook Lopez in 2008–09 to do so.
During the 2014–15 season, Plumlee continued to develop, recording a season-high 19 points and a career-high 13 rebounds on December 23, 2014, against the Denver Nuggets. He topped that with a career-high 24 points on January 12, 2015, against the Houston Rockets.
Portland Trail Blazers Era (2015–2017)
On June 25, 2015, Plumlee was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers along with the draft rights to Pat Connaughton, in exchange for Steve Blake and the draft rights to Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. In Portland, he quickly became a versatile contributor, recording 15 points, 13 rebounds, and a then career-high six assists against the New Orleans Pelicans on December 14, 2015. He went on to set a career high with 19 points against the Los Angeles Clippers on January 6, and posted his 12th double-double of the season against the Washington Wizards on January 18, 2016.
Plumlee’s playoff performance stood out during the 2016 first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers. In Game 3, he recorded 21 rebounds and nine assists in a 96–88 win, becoming the first player with 19 or more rebounds and 8 or more assists in a playoff game since LeBron James in 2010. In Game 4, he added 14 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 points in a 98–84 win that tied the series at 2–2. On December 7, 2016, he became the fastest Portland player to reach 150 rebounds and 100 assists since Scottie Pippen in 1999–2000.
Denver Nuggets Era (2017–2020)
On February 13, 2017, Plumlee was traded to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Jusuf Nurkić and a 2017 protected first-round pick. He re-signed with the Nuggets on September 20, 2017, on a three-year, $41 million contract. During the 2020 NBA bubble, Plumlee served as a back-up to MVP center Nikola Jokić and helped Denver reach the Western Conference Finals, where the Nuggets lost to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in five games. Denver made history as the first team to overcome multiple 3–1 series deficits in a single postseason, doing so against the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers.
Detroit Pistons Era (2020–2021)
On December 1, 2020, Plumlee signed a three-year, $24.7 million contract with the Detroit Pistons. On February 14, 2021, he recorded his first career triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 123–112 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. At 30 years and 346 days old, he became the oldest player to record his first triple-double since Patrick Ewing at age 33 in 1996.
Charlotte Hornets Era (2021–2023)
On August 6, 2021, Plumlee was traded to the Charlotte Hornets, where he became the team’s starting center for two seasons. He made his Hornets debut on October 20, 2021, recording 8 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists in a 123–122 win over the Indiana Pacers. On December 27, 2021, he scored a season-high 15 points with 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks in a win over the Houston Rockets. During the 2022–23 season, Plumlee averaged career highs of 12.2 points and 9.7 rebounds per game and scored a season-high 25 points on January 21, 2023, against the Atlanta Hawks.
Los Angeles Clippers Era (2023–2024)
On February 9, 2023, Plumlee was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Reggie Jackson and a future second-round pick. He made his Clippers debut on February 14, 2023, recording 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists in a 134–124 win over the Golden State Warriors. He later re-signed with the Clippers on a one-year, $5 million contract on July 7, 2023.
Phoenix Suns Era (2024–2025)
On July 5, 2024, Plumlee signed a minimum contract with the Phoenix Suns. With the Suns struggling at 15–18 to begin 2025, Plumlee was moved into the starting lineup in place of Jusuf Nurkić beginning with the January 6, 2025, game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
San Antonio Spurs Era (2026–Present)
On February 17, 2026, Plumlee signed a 10-day contract with the San Antonio Spurs, which was converted into a rest-of-season contract on February 28, 2026. He now serves as a center for the Spurs organization.
Notable Events and Milestones
Plumlee’s most famous moment came on April 8, 2014, when he blocked LeBron James’s potential game-winning dunk in the final seconds of a one-point win over the Miami Heat. He was the first Net since Brook Lopez in 2008–09 to earn NBA All-Rookie First Team honors, and he became the oldest player to record his first career triple-double since Patrick Ewing in 1996. All three Plumlee brothers won NCAA championships at Duke, with Marshall’s title coming in 2015.
Mason Plumlee National Team Career
Plumlee represented the United States in international competition at a young age, winning a silver medal with the 2008 USA U18 National Team at the FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship in Argentina. He later joined the senior United States national team and won a gold medal at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain.
Mason Plumlee Family
Family Background and Basketball Lineage
Mason Plumlee comes from a deeply athletic family with a long basketball tradition. His parents, Perky Plumlee and Leslie Plumlee, both played college basketball, with Perky at Tennessee Tech and Leslie at Purdue. His brothers Miles and Marshall both played at Duke and in the NBA, and his sister Madeleine played volleyball at Notre Dame. The family also includes several others with college basketball backgrounds, including his grandfather Albert “Bud” Schultz and his uncles William Schultz and Chad Schultz.
Personal Life
Mason Plumlee is a Christian and has spoken publicly about the role faith plays in his life and career. He and his brother Miles became the sixth pair of brothers to play at Duke at the same time, and with Marshall’s NCAA championship in 2015, all three Plumlee brothers earned NCAA titles at Duke.
