Anton Michael Watson is an American professional basketball player hailing from Spokane, Washington. He plays power/small forward for the New York Knicks, wearing jersey number 21 as of March 2025. Watson was born on February 23, 2001, in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, U.S., to his parents, Deon Watson Sr. and Anna Hegbloom. His father, Watson Sr., played college basketball for the Idaho Vandals men's basketball team, which represents the University of Idaho and overseas in Europe and South America. Watson has an elder brother named Deon Watson Jr., who played college football for the Idaho Vandals, and his sister, Haile Watson, played her college volleyball career at Fresno State, as per The Spokesman-Review.
Watson was selected by the Boston Celtics as the 54th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft and signed a two-way contract with him. He joined the Maine Celtics, the affiliated team of the Celtics in the NBA G-League, for the 2024-2025 season. In March 2025, Watson was signed by the Knicks.
Anton Watson's High School Career
Anton Watson attended Gonzaga Preparatory School in Spokane, Washington, in his hometown. He led the high school team to a pair of 4A state titles, where he scored 33 points in a 69-43 win over Mt. Si in the 2019 title game, as per his college roster. Over the course of years on the high school team, he earned a two-time state tournament MVP and two-time Greater Spokane League MVP. During his sophomore year, Watson averaged 19 points and led Gonzaga Prep to the GSL title and a third-place finish at the State 4A tournament. He was named the Greater Spokane League MVP. As a senior, Watson helped secure a second consecutive state championship for Gonzaga Prep by averaging an impressive 21.6 points per game, along with 7.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. He earned the USA Today All-USA Washington first team, the Associated Press 4A Player of the Year, and Washington Mr. Basketball.
Anton Watson's College Career
Anton Watson attended Gonzaga University and played for the Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team from 2019 to 2024. During his freshman season, he appeared in 15 games, and he missed the final 14 games of the season with a shoulder injury. Watson averaged 4.9 points and 3.1 rebounds in 14.7 minutes per game, as per his college roster. During his junior season, he finished fifth in the WCC for steals per game at 1.3 and totaled 40 steals. Watson ended his collegiate basketball career with a total of 1,464 points, 300 assists, and 787 rebounds in 152 games, as per his college profile. He earned the All-Conference first team in the 2023-24 season.
FAQs on Anton Watson
A. As of March 2025, Anton Watson is 24 years old.
A. Anton Watson is American.
A. Anton Watson started his professional playing career in 2024.
A. Deon Watson Sr. and Anna Hegbloom are Anton Watson's parents.
