Dazeran Jaquon Jones (born 25 December 1993), also known as Duke Skywalka, is an American actor and former professional basketball player who played as a centre for American Basketball Association teams Orlando Waves and Jacksonville Giants, where he won the ABA championship in 2016.[3][4] He played college basketball for Warner University, played in the Big3 league for the Killer 3s,[5] and was featured in the Hollywood movie White Men Can't Jump.[6]
| Free Agent | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard / shooting guard / centre |
| Personal information | |
| Born | December 25, 1993 |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 189 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College |
|
| NBA draft | 2016: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2015–present |
| Career history | |
| 2015 | Jacksonville Giants[1] |
| 2016 | Orlando Waves[2] |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Early life and education
editJones was born in Haines City, Florida.[7] He attended Ridge Community High School, Davenport, Florida for his secondary education, graduating in 2012.[8] He played basketball in high school and was Ridge Community High School's all time leading rebounder and averaged a double-double. He also led the district in rebounds and blocks, leading his team to the regional finals.[9][10]
Career
editCollege career
editJones attended Warner University on a basketball scholarship and played in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) for the Warner University basketball team, the Warner Royals.[11][12] He forfeited his scholarship due to a prolonged foot fracture injury that kept him sidelined.[13]
Professional career
editAfter recovering from his foot fracture, Jones was signed by basketball team Jacksonville Giants for the 2015-16 season where he won the ABA National championship.[14][15] He moved on to play for fellow ABA team, Orlando Waves, from 2016.[16][17] He played as a centre.[18][19] Former New York Knicks player and head coach, Charles Oakley, drafted him in 2024 to play in the Big3 league for the Killer 3s.[20][21][22]
Post professional basketball
editHe took part in the production NBA 2K23 and NBA 2K24 editions of NBA 2K as a motion-capture actor. He also participated in Ball Is Life's park takeovers as the leader of the Eastcoast squad.[23][24] Jones was featured in the season 3 of TV Series, The Crew League, alongside Chris Brown and G Herbo.[25] He was cast in the 20th Century Studios 2023 remake of the movie, White Men Can't Jump that was released on Hulu.[26][27]
Filmography
editFilm and television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | The Crew League | Duke Skywalka | Season 3 of reality television series (with Chris Brown, G Herbo and YK Osiris) |
| 2023 | White Men Can't Jump | Duke Skywalka | 2023 remake of White Men Can't Jump (released on Hulu). |
References
edit- ^ "Jacksonville Giants Official Roster". US Basket. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "Orlando Waves Official Roster". US Basket. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "Jacksonville-Giants basketball, News, Roster, Rumors, Stats, Awards, Transactions, Details-usbasket". Youth Basket. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ Eurobasket. "Orlando Waves Basketball Roster 2016-2017". Eurobasket LLC. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "Dazeran Jones". BIG3. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ Curtis-Jones, Stefan (2023-03-03). ""White Men Can't Jump": Duke Skywalka's Acting Debut!". Ball is Life. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "Dazeran Jones - Men's Basketball". Warner University Athletics. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "Dazeran Jones' Ridge Community High School Bio". Max Preps. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "Dazeran Jones - Men's Basketball". Warner University Athletics. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "Dazeran Jones' Ridge Community High School Career Home". Max Preps. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ Eurobasket. "Dazeran Jones, Basketball Player, News, Stats - Eurobasket". Eurobasket LLC. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "2012-2013 Men's Basketball Roster". Warner University Athletics. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "Daily Inspiration: Meet Dazeran Jones". Voyage LA Magazine. 2023-05-10. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "ABA Basketball, American Basketball Association players profiles and stats - usbasket". www.usbasket.com. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "Dazeran Jones". BIG3. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "American Basketball Association Stats". Pointstreak Sports Technologies. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "ABA Basketball, American Basketball Association players profiles and stats - usbasket". US Basket. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ https://www.jacksonvillegiants.com/2015-2016-season/
- ^ "Dazeran Jones Player Profile, Warner (FL) - RealGM". Basketball Real General Manager. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "2024 BIG3 Week 4 Game Previews". BIG3. 2024-07-06. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "Dazeran Jones". BIG3. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "Killer 3s". BIG3. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "Duke Skywalka Jones Blowing Up!". Ball is Life. 2022-03-25. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "Duke Skywalka: An Inspiration For Young Athletes". Daily Reuters. 2022-02-03. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "Daily Inspiration: Meet Dazeran Jones". Voyage LA Magazine. 2023-05-10. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "White Men Can't Jump: Duke Skywalka's Acting Debut!". Ball is Life. 2023-03-03. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "'The Outpost' Star Jessica Green Joins Ben Affleck's Nike Drama For Amazon; 'White Men Can't Jump' Adds 'Euphoria's Zak Steiner, Dazeran Jones". Deadline. 2022-07-18. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
