Khem Birch
Canadian center for Aris Thessaloniki and national team member.
Last updated
via Wikipedia: Khem Birch · see source
Khem Xavier Birch is a Canadian professional basketball player who plays for Aris Thessaloniki of the Greek Basketball League and the EuroCup. He played college basketball for the Pittsburgh Panthers and the UNLV Runnin' Rebels before entering the NBA draft.
College career
Birch played for the Pittsburgh Panthers in 2011–12, then transferred to UNLV in 2012. As a junior in 2013–14, he averaged 10.2 rebounds per game (third in the Mountain West Conference) and 3.8 blocks per game (second in the conference). Over 69 college games, he averaged 8.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 25.4 minutes per game. He entered the 2014 NBA draft, forgoing his final year of eligibility.
Professional career
After going undrafted in 2014, Birch played in the NBA Summer League for the Washington Wizards. He signed with the Miami Heat in September 2014 but was waived in October. He then joined the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA D-League, where he was named to the Futures All-Star team in 2015 and averaged 11.1 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, and 0.7 steals per game over 52 games. In 2015, he signed with Uşak Sportif of the Turkish Super League, averaging 10.5 points and 9.1 rebounds in 32 games.
In 2016, he signed a two-year contract with Olympiacos in Greece, averaging 5.7 points and 5.0 rebounds in the Greek Basket League and 7.3 points and 5.6 rebounds in the EuroLeague, helping the team reach the 2017 EuroLeague Final Four. He opted out of his contract in July 2017 to sign with the Orlando Magic. In March 2019, he recorded a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He re-signed with the Magic in July 2019.
In March 2021, he set career highs with 14 points, 15 rebounds, and four steals against the Portland Trail Blazers. He was waived by the Magic in April 2021.
Canadian national team
Birch played for Canada's junior national teams, winning a bronze medal at the 2010 FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship. He also played for the senior national team at the 2016 Manila FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament and the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup. He was named to Canada's roster for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Career statistics and honours
EuroLeague
| * | Led the league |
| † | Won the league |
Domestic leagues
| Year | Team | League | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 | Uşak Sportif | TBSL | 32 | 27.2 | .577 | .000 | .651 | 9.1 | .5 | .5 | 1.3 | 10.5 |
| 2016–17 | Olympiacos | GBL | 25 | 17.0 | .710 | .000 | .622 | 5.2 | .5 | .6 | 1.0 | 6.4 |
| 2023–24 | Girona | ACB | 12 | 23.3 | .519 | .000 | .719 | 5.7 | .8 | .6 | .8 | 8.8 |
| 2024–25 † | Fenerbahçe | TBSL | 28 | 14.1 | .585 | .000 | .725 | 3.7 | .6 | .4 | .4 | 3.5 |
| 2025–26 † | Fenerbahçe | TBSL | 16 | 16.1 | .543 | .000 | .583 | 3.6 | .9 | .8 | .4 | 3.3 |
Tables copied from the source article, totals included as the source gives them: Wikipedia: Khem Birch (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wide tables scroll sideways.
Did You Know?
- Birch played high school basketball at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic High School in Russell, Ontario, and later at The Winchendon School and Notre Dame Prep.
- He grew up a fan of the Toronto Raptors and once drove five hours with his father to watch a game at the Air Canada Centre.
- Birch has been married since 2018 and has a daughter born in 2019, as well as two unnamed children from past relationships.
More in Basketball Players at the 2024 Summer Olympics
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Khem Birch (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Statistics, medals and awards: the tables of the source article.
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