0 Rob Dillingham

Rob Dillingham was born Robert Deon Potasi Dillingham on January 4, 2005, in Hickory, North Carolina, to Valaaulia Tailele and Donald Dillingham. A creative scorer and playmaker from an early age, he earned Charlotte Observer High School Basketball Player of the Year honors in 2020-21 and was named MVP of the 2021 FIBA Americas U16 Championship. After averaging 21.2 points for a 29-3 Combine Academy team that won a non-association state championship, he completed his prep career with Overtime Elite and chose Kentucky over North Carolina, UCLA, Southern Cal, Memphis and Louisville.

Dillingham became one of college basketball’s most electrifying reserves during his lone season at Kentucky. His quickness, ball handling and fearless shot-making could change the momentum of a game within minutes, earning him SEC Sixth Man of the Year, All-SEC Second Team and All-SEC Freshman Team honors. He averaged 15.2 points and 3.9 assists while shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from three-point range, reaching double figures 27 times despite starting only once.

His defining Kentucky performance came against fifth-ranked Tennessee at Rupp Arena, where he erupted for a career-high 35 points and earned SEC Freshman of the Week and Associated Press National Player of the Week honors. He later scored a team-high 27 points with seven assists in the SEC Tournament, closing a brief but memorable college career built on instant offense and crowd-pleasing creativity. Dillingham entered the 2024 NBA Draft and was selected eighth overall by San Antonio before his draft rights were traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves; in February 2026, Minnesota traded him to the Chicago Bulls.