Chris Mañon
Christopher J. Mañon, born on December 9, 2001, in New Milford, New Jersey, USA, is an American professional basketball player currently playing for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) on a two-way contract. He is also affiliated with the South Bay Lakers of the NBA G League. Mañon, at 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) and 95 kg (209 lb), plays the point guard position. Mañon attended Saint Joseph Regional High School in Montvale, New Jersey, and St. Thomas More in Oakdale, Connecticut, before embarking on his collegiate career. He began his collegiate journey at Cornell, playing for three seasons from 2021 to 2024. During his time at Cornell, he showed consistent improvement, averaging 11.0 points per game with a field goal percentage of 0.559 in 2022-23, and increasing to 12.5 points per game with a field goal percentage of 0.564 in 2023-24. His three-point percentage also saw a slight increase from 0.297 to 0.338 during these years, and his free throw percentages were 0.753 and 0.713, respectively. He participated in 28 games in 2022-23 and 29 in 2023-24. For his final collegiate season in 2024-25, Mañon transferred to Vanderbilt, where he played for the Commodores. At Vanderbilt, his role primarily shifted to defense, a role he embraced, stating his goal was “to guard the other team’s best players and make their lives miserable.” In his season with Vanderbilt, he averaged 6.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game in 33 games. His field goal percentage was 0.533, three-point percentage was 0.235, and free throw percentage was 0.783. Throughout his entire collegiate career, in 116 games, he averaged 9.9 points per game. In the 2025 NBA draft, Chris Mañon went undrafted. However, his professional career quickly commenced after the draft. He participated in the NBA Summer League, playing for the Golden State Warriors. Following his Summer League performance, the Los Angeles Lakers signed Mañon to a two-way contract. This contract allows him to play for both the Lakers in the NBA and their G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers. As of October 2025, news regarding Chris Mañon included reports of an ankle injury, making him “very unlikely” to play in the preseason. Despite this setback, his signing with the Lakers highlights his potential and the team’s belief in his defensive capabilities, which he prominently demonstrated during his time at Vanderbilt. His journey from undrafted player to securing an NBA two-way contract underscores his determination and growth as a basketball player. He is identified with jersey number 30 for the Los Angeles Lakers.
