Javonte Cooke
Javonte Cooke was born on July 11, 1999, in Columbia, South Carolina, USA. He is 6’6″ tall and weighs 185 lbs. He is the son of Jermaine and Valerie Cooke. He graduated from Covenant Classical School in Columbia, SC, where, as a senior, he averaged 23 points, 9 rebounds, 4.5 steals, and 3.5 assists per game, earning him the SCISA A Player of the Year award and Most Outstanding Player in the Georgia vs. South Carolina All-Star Game. Cooke’s college career began at the University of South Carolina Aiken, where he spent one year as a redshirt freshman. He then transferred to Mars Hill University, playing there from 2018 to 2021. During his two seasons at Mars Hill, he played in 47 games, starting 27, and averaged 14 points and 5.7 rebounds. In the 2019-2020 season, he scored in double digits in 34 games, with nine games exceeding 20 points. His stats during his time at Mars Hill included 16.1 points per game, 5.3 rebounds per game, and 2.0 assists per game in the 2019-2020 season. After his time at Mars Hill, Cooke played for Winston-Salem State University from 2021 to 2022. During the 2021-22 season, he played in 23 games, helping the Rams secure the CIAA Southern Division title. He averaged 17.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. He finished fifth in the conference (CIAA) in scoring and sixth in field goal percentage. Cooke was recognized with numerous accolades, including HBCU Player of the Week, CIAA Player of the Week, BOXTOROW National Player of the Week, and was named to the All-CIAA Backcourt Team and CIAA All-Tournament Team. He scored a total of 1,220 points in his college career. In March 2022, he received an invitation to participate in the HBCU All-Star basketball game. In the 2023 NBA draft, Javonte Cooke was not selected. His professional career began on October 25, 2022, when he signed with the Iowa Wolves as a tryout prospect, playing with them from 2022 to 2024. He then had stints with the Brampton Honey Badgers in 2024 and the Oklahoma City Blue from 2024 to 2025. As of 2025, he is listed as a player for the Portland Trail Blazers and their G-League affiliate, the Rip City Remix, for the 2025-present season. Cooke primarily plays as a guard. His career highlights include being named First-Team All-CIAA in 2022.
