Sam Dekker

Quick Facts

Full Name Samuel Thomas Dekker
Birth Date May 6, 1994
Birth Place Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA
Nick Name Sam “The Pickup” Dekker
Nationality American
High-School Sheboygan South High School
University University of Wisconsin – Madison
Horoscope Taurus
Father’s Name Todd Dekker
Mother’s Name Carol Dekker
Siblings John Dekker
Age 28 years old
Weight 219 lbs (99 kg)
Height 6’8″ (203 cm)
Build Athletic
Marital Status Married
Wife Olivia Harlan
Profession Professional Basketball Player
Position Small Forward / Power Forward
League Turkish Basketball Super League
Team Bachcosehir Koleji
Jersey Number 17
NBA Draft 2015 / Round: 1st / Pick: 18th overall
Salary $350,000
Net Worth  $4 million 
Active Status 2015- present
Social Media InstagramTwitterFacebook
Merch Jersey Patch Basketball Card
Last Update September, 2022

He grew up with basketballs in the crib, and as soon as he could walk, he was at the gym, according to Sam Dekker’s father, who mentioned this in an interview.

Thus, we might assume that he has been drawn to basketball since he was a little child.

Sam Thomas Dekker is an American basketball player who competes in Turkey’s ING Basketball Super Liga as a small forward for the Bachesehir Koleji.

He has already established quite a reputation in the Turkish Super League, where he is currently playing for the second time.

Sam continued to play for Russian league teams like Lokomotiv Kuban Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, proving that he was not limited to the NBA and Turkey.

Dekker participated in the 2012 FIBA Americas U18 Championship in addition to the NBA. In the finals, the US defeated Brazil to win gold.

How did Sam Dekker Start His Career?

In 2012, Dekker assisted Saboygan Lutheran, his high school, in capturing its first-ever WIAA (Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association) State Championship.

Dekker put three points past the hoop in the final two seconds of the game, claiming they were the team’s winning points.

He received the Wisconsin Basketball Association’s Mr. Basketball Award, AP first-team all-state honors, and the 2012 Parade All-American distinction for his outstanding playmaking that season.

Not to mention that he also included Wisconsin’s Gatorade Player of the Year on his list.

Sophomore & Freshman Year at College

2013 saw Dekker start at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Of the 35 games Decker played for the Wisconsin Badgers, he started three.

In addition, he won a number of accolades during his first year (2012–2013), including the Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice.

He scored 19 points twice against Arkansas and Nebraska to tie his season high.

Sam was included to the Wooden Award and Naismith Trophy watch lists prior to the start of his sophomore year.

Kaminsky and Dekker for Wisconsin Badgers (Credit: OnMilwaukee).

Junior Year at College

Dekker began each of the 38 games he participated in as a junior (2013-14).

His exceptional playmaking prowess went beyond bounds in the NCAA Tournament.

He led the number one seed Wisconsin to a 79-72 victory over the number four seeded North Carolina in the sweet 16 with a career-high 23 points and ten rebounds.

The “Dekker Dagger” shot made by the Badgers in the Elite 8 match against the Arizona Wildcats gave them a last-second victory. He set a new career best for points in that game with 27.

After his game-winning shot against North Carolina, he was commonly referred to as “Slam Dekker.”

Dekker led Wisconsin with 16 points in the final four games against the unbeaten Kentucky Wildcats, which was another game to remember.

Up until the Duke-led championship game, the NCAA tournament was going well, which caused Wisconsin to finish in second place.

With a strong season and having to miss his last year of eligibility due to the 2015 NBA draft, he was presented with a wonderful opportunity.

NBA Draft 2015

Body Measurements

Body Fat (%) 7.5
Hand Length 8.5″
Hand Width 9.25″
Height w/o Shoes 6’7.75″
Height w/ Shoes 6’9″
Standing Reach 8’10”
Weight 218.6
Wingspan 6’11.5″

Physical Tests

Lane Agility 10.64
Shuttle Run 2.96
Three-Quarter Court Sprint 3.28
Standing Vertical Leap 25.5″
Max Vertical Leap 34.5″

Professional Career

Dekker has excelled ever since he began working as a Wisconsin University graduate in 2015.

Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets selected Drekker with the 18th overall choice in the 2015 NBA Draft on June 15, 2015. He took part in every one of the Rocket’s eight preseason games.

Dekker was out for the most of the 2015-Summer League games due to a back injury and surgery.

Only three of the Rockets’ first 11 regular-season games saw Dekker get any playing time. The Rockets P-League affiliate’s Rio Grande Valley Viper, where he received two additional assignments for February 2016, welcomed him.

On December 14, 2016, he beat the Sacramento Kings 132-98 with 19 points.

Memphis Grizzlies scored 30 points in a 119-95 victory, which was another major shot in their career.

He signed a season-long contract with the LA Clippers after playing for the Houston Rockets for two seasons. After that, spend one season with the Washington Wizard before joining the Cleveland Cavaliers.

International League Teams

In 2019, he agreed to a one-year contract with Russian team PBC Locomotive Kuban in the VTB United League & Euro Cup.

Then, in 2020, Dekker player joined Turk Telekom in the Turkish Super League.

After moving back to the US, he spent two months playing for the Toronto Raptors before being released in 2021.

Bahcesehir Koleji

Dekker signed a contract with Bahcesehir Koleji of the Turkish Basketball Super League on December 4, 2021, for the season 2021–2022.

Dekker’s impressive zone in his first night allowed him to score 21 points in just 22 minutes.

He was the team’s top scorer at the end of the month, averaging 173 points, 5.3 rebounds, and three assists in 26 minutes per game.

He was the Koleji’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) for this season on February 6, 2022, tallying 22 points, six rebounds, three assists, and three steals.

Career Highlights & Awards

  • Two times second-team All-Big Ten (2014, 2015)
  • Big Ten All-Freshman Team (2013)
  • First-Team Parade All-American (2012)
  • Wisconsin Mr. Basketball (2012)
  • FIBA Americas U18 Championship (2012)

What is the Physical Measurement of Sam Dekker?

Dekker is a quintessential Sheboygan man. During the course of his NBA career, he never ventured outside of his hometown.

Todd Dekker and Carol Dekker were Dekker’s parents when he was born. John and Hannah, Sam’s sister and brother, are his siblings.

Hannah also posts family photos to her Instagram account, @hedekker.

Above all, Sam’s high school’s head coach was Todd Dekker.

Sam was coached by him for four years, and he noted that not many fathers get the chance. I’m honored to have served as his mentor for so many years.

Todd Dekker is quite pleased with what his son has accomplished.

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Dating & Marriage

Around 2017, the fire zodiac sign pair began dating. On July 14, 2019, the small forward Sam Dekker wed his stunning fiancée Olivia Harlan after a two-year engagement.

She is the granddaughter of NFL Green Bay Packers Chairman Executive Bob Harlan and the daughter of NBA announcer Kevin Harlan.

Since 2015, Olivia has worked for ESPN as a sideline reporter. In 2019, she reported on the World Team Tennis for CBS Sports.

In 2014, she received her degree from the University of Georgia. She was raised in Mission Hills, Kansas.
Olivia’s primary title was Miss Kansas Teen USA 2010.

Kaminsky and Dekker for Wisconsin Badgers (Credit: OnMilwaukee).

Sam paid $289000 in November 2016 for a condo with 1568 square feet on the Sheboygan River.

Body Facts

Sam is exceptionally tall at 203 cm, and he has a wingspan of 212 cm.

He has black hair, a healthy 219 lbs., and beautiful brown eyes.

How was the Networth Value of Sam Dekker?

Sam “The Pickup” Dekker has played for league teams in Turkey and Russia as well as NBA teams.

Thus, with a few calculations, we can determine that his net worth is roughly $4 million, with a salary of $350,000 for 2021–2022.

His career pay, endorsements, NBA contracts, international teams, and other sales are the main sources of his net worth.

Controversy

Any well-known figure will almost always find themselves in the middle of some sort of controversy.

Racial tweets

Around August of last year, Dekker made some contentious claims about white pride and allegedly having Donald Trump’s support on his Twitter account, which led to discussion among his followers.

In response to a piece, Dekker tweeted his former Wisconsin teammate Bronson Koenig, “White People have no culture.”

Don’t make me feel like being a white guy is something I should be embarrassed of, he continued, since -deleted.

“You should be as proud of who you are as I am. But BK, you’re both white and Native American. This essay contains a lot of untruths regarding the majority of our purportedly nonexistent “culture.”

Since it was incorrect and ethically wrong, he received a lot of anger and had to delete the tweet as a result.

Podcast

In October 2020, the podcast “All Things Covered” became widely popular. The Raptors player, who was Dekker’s former teammate, continued by making a critical comment about him.

He made a suggestion that due of Dekker’s discussions on “Trump” and his support of him, they had never gotten along.

It is a poor blow for a reputable organization like the Toronto Raptors to subject the former member to such anger.

It happened when the company allegedly made an effort to be socially conscious but fell short in their commitment.

After the show, nothing was revealed despite San Harlan’s wife Olivia Harlan’s defense of her husband, “he is neither a racist nor a Trump supporter.”

The reason he said it is still important to understand.

Social Media

With more than 184k followers and 1.4k posts, we can infer that he is a very outgoing individual who enjoys posting stunning images of his wife and himself.

Additionally, he certainly understands how to win over Instagram followers by posting endearing images of his husky-heeler mix dog with emerald eyes.

Kaminsky and Dekker for Wisconsin Badgers (Credit: OnMilwaukee).

In his Sheboygan home, Dekker seemed to be content with his life as a professional basketball player and a husband.

@SamDekker has 184k followers on Instagram (Feb 2022)
@dekker has 268.6k followers on Twitter (Feb 2022)
Sam Dekker has 40k Facebook fans.

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