14 Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was born Michael Anthony Edward Gilchrist on September 26, 1993, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Cynthia and Michael Gilchrist.  Michael changed his name to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in 2011 to honor his father, Michael Gilchrist Sr., and his uncle, Darrin Kidd.  His father was murdered in the streets of Camden, New Jersey when Michael was just three years old.  His uncle died of a heart attack the day he was ready to sign his letter of intent to play for Kentucky.  Michael chose to wear the number 14 is because it means a lot to him, his dad’s birthday is April 14.

In high school, Kidd-Gilchrist averaged 20.2 points and 11 rebounds for a St. Patrick High School team that had an undefeated record until losing in the New Jersey State championship.  He was one of four finalists for the Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year Award and one of five finalists for the Naismith Award for the national high school player of the year.  He was ranked third by ESPNU’s Top 100, fifth overall by Scout.com, and third by Rivals.com.  He was named to the 2011 McDonald’s All-American team and scored 16 points with 12 rebounds and four assists in the McDonald’s All-American Game.  Kidd-Gilchrist  was the 2009 New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year and a three-time New Jersey All-State Selection.  An HBO documentary entitled “Prayer for a Perfect Season,” a gripping account of the 2010-11 boys’ basketball season at St. Patrick High School with Kidd-Gilchrist, was made and released on DVD in March of 2012.

Kidd-Gilchrist signed to play for Kentucky on April 4, 2010.  He chose Kentucky over Connecticut, Florida State, Indiana, Memphis, Rutgers, and Villanova. He joined the nation’s top recruiting class which included Anthony Davis, Marquis Teague and Kyle Wiltjer.

As a freshman at Kentucky, Kidd-Gilchrist started 39 of 40 contests and averaged 11.9 points and 7.4 rebounds.  He tallied 15 points and seven rebounds while netting a perfect 5-5 at the charity stripe in his collegiate debut vs. Marist.  Michael notched his first career double-double with 17 points and a career-high 11 rebounds to lead UK to a win over North Carolina and tallied a career-high 18 points and added a squad-best nine rebounds in a loss at Indiana.  He scored in double-figures for the sixth straight game with a career-high matching 18 points to go along with six rebounds and a team-high four assists in a win over Lamar.  He was named the Bluegrass Sports Commission Most Valuable Player for tallying career-highs in points (24) and rebounds (19) in a win over Louisville, and was later tabbed the SEC Player of the Week for his efforts as well.  Dick Vitale name Kidd-Gilchrist his Diaper Dandy of the week on January 2, 2012.  Kidd-Gilchrist claimed a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds while leading UK with three steals in a win at Tennessee.  At the end of the regular season he was named to the All-SEC Freshman team, All-SEC team and was a consensus 2nd team All-American.  In the 2012 NCAA Tournament South Regional final against Baylor, he finished with 19 points and five rebounds and was named the South Regional Most Outstanding Player.  He was named to the All-NCAA Final Four team and helped Kentucky capture the program’s eighth national championship at the 2012 NCAA tournament, beating Kansas 67-59 in the title game.

In April 2012, Kidd-Gilchrist declared for the 2012 NBA draft. On June 28, he was drafted second overall by the Charlotte Bobcats.

On November 10, 2012, in just his fifth NBA game, Kidd-Gilchrist had 25 points and 12 rebounds in a 101–97 win over the Dallas Mavericks, marking Charlotte’s first ever win over Dallas in the franchise’s nine-year history, ending a 16-game losing streak against the Mavericks.  He had a second 25-point, 12-rebound effort on December 19, 2012 against the Phoenix Suns.  He became only the second player in NBA history to post two games with at least 25 points and at least 12 rebounds before his 20th birthday and became just the fourth player in 20 years to record two such games in the first 25 games of his career.  On April 5, 2013, he had a season-high 14 rebounds against the Miami Heat.  On May 14, 2013, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.

Kidd-Gilchrist founded Change and Impact, in 2021.  Change and Impact is a stuttering initiative with a mission to improve access to health care and expand services and resources for those who stutter. Change & Impact is focused on raising awareness for stuttering, bringing together key stakeholders to improve the quality of life for those who stutter, and working on behalf of the stuttering community to improve insurance coverage for speech therapy.

Follow Michael Kidd-Gilchrist on Twitter | Follow Michael Kidd-Gilchrist on Instagram