Christopher Theoret Duarte was born on the 13th of June, 1997 and is a professional basketball player who plays the shooting guard role for the Indiana Pacers.
He was a member of the Northwest Florida State Raiders and the Oregon Ducks in collegiate basketball.
In 2019, he was voted NABC NJCAA Player of the Year at Northwest Florida State.
He won the Jerry West Award as the nation’s best collegiate shooting guard in 2021 while at Oregon.
Early Life
Duarte lost his Canadian dad when he was 6 months old.
There have been controversies over his place of birth whether Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic or Montreal, Canada.
He played basketball with his older brother a lot as a child.
Career
He relocated from the Dominican Republic to Troy, New York, to finish his high school basketball career at Redemption Christian Academy.
He took part in the Jordan Brand Classic Regional Game in 2017.
He originally committed to play college basketball for Western Kentucky, but he began his career at Northwest Florida State College.
In his freshman season for Northwest Florida State College, he helped his team reach the Elite Eight round of the NJCAA Division I Championship.
Duarte led his team to the Elite Eight stage of the NJCAA Division I Tournament as a sophomore, averaging 19 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.
He would leave to join Oregon in continuation of his college Career.
He became the first Division I player since Niagara’s Alvin Young in 1999 to have at least 30 points, 11 rebounds, and eight steals in a single game at Matthew Knight Arena.
Duarte was selected Pac-12 Player of the Week for the second time, as well as National Player of the Week by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA).
On March 29, 2021, Oregon head coach Dana Altman indicated in a press conference that Duarte would enter the 2021 NBA draft.
NBA Draft
Duarte was selected with the 13th pick in the 2021 NBA draft by the Indiana Pacers. Thereafter he signed with the Pacers, they announced.
In a 123–122 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on October 20, Duarte made his NBA debut, scoring 27 points on 6–9 three-point shooting, five rebounds, and a steal to set the Pacers’ franchise record for most points in a rookie debut.
In a three-point loss to the Toronto Raptors on October 30, 2021, Duarte achieved a career high with six assists to go along with 12 points, six rebounds, and a steal.
Jersey
He wears the number 3 jersey as the shooting guard for the Indiana Pacers.
