“I had a strange young person’s life,” Thunder forward Joffrey Lauvergne said, a half-grin shining through his beard. He was recounting his family’s frequent moves as a child, but for the 24-year old, his adult life hasn’t been much different.
Lauvergne’s father, Stéphane Lauvergne, played professionally throughout France for 15 years and competed for the French National Team from 1989 to 1995. The 6-foot-6 forward was playing in Mulhouse when his son Joffrey, now a 6-foot-11 forward, was born. Stéphane then played in Paris, Levallois, Toulouse and Villeurbanne, bouncing his young family around France every few years until his career ended in 2000, when his son was eight.
Nine years later, Joffrey’s professional career began with Élan Chalon, a club based in Chalon-sur-Saône, just two-and-a-half hours away from his hometown. From there, however, Lauvergne’s frequent travels began again. In 2012 he played for Valencia in Spain for five games before signing with Partizan Belgrade in Serbia, where had a breakthrough season and caught the eye of NBA scouts. The then-20-year old was drafted 55th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2013 NBA Draft who then traded his rights to the Denver Nuggets.
His European days weren’t done, however, as he elected to stay with Partizan through 2014. He was named team captain – the first non-Serb to earn such honors in team history. There was one final stop was on the travel itinerary for Lauvergne before coming over to the United States. A one-year stint with the Russian club Khimki was the final step before signing with the Nuggets in February of 2015. All of his travels, his encounters and places he’s lived and worked have accumulated into a wealth of knowledge and diversity of experience that serve him well to this day.
“In Europe, every country has a different culture of basketball,” Lauvergne described. “That’s something that helped me develop. Especially when I was in Serbia, which was the two years that I improved the most and became the player that I am today. It was a great experience.”
Lauvergne’s first game in Denver was on February 19, 2015 against, ironically, the Thunder. He scored eight points and grabbed three rebounds in his debut and played in 24 games over the final two months of his rookie season. Last year his role increased and his production was steady. In 59 games, including 15 starts, Lauvergne averaged 7.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in 17.6 minutes of action a night. Per-36 minutes, those numbers are 16.1 points and 10.0 rebounds, on 51.3 percent shooting.
This offseason, the Thunder traded for Lauvergne with the anticipation that he could possibly contribute on both ends of the floor, particularly on offense and on the glass due to his skill set. It’s clear from his time in Denver and his various experiences overseas that Lauvergne can be productive even when his minutes are limited or sporadic. Perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of being an NBA role player seems to come naturally to the 24-year-old Frenchman.
“You just have to stay ready and keep practicing to stay in good shape because 16 minutes every two days is not a lot,” Lauvergne said. “You have to practice by yourself to stay in good shape. Every time you step on the court you have to fight and give your best and try to help your team win.”
Where he fits in with the Thunder rotation is still to be determined, and all of that will get ironed out in training camp and throughout the season as Head Coach Billy Donovan prepares his squad for each contest. In the meantime, all Lauvergne can do is try to continue his upward trajectory by putting in his work, both on his own and with the Thunder coaching staff. In particular, the aggressive forward has tried to fine-tune his range and the touch on his jumper since the offseason began.
“I worked a lot in the weight room so my physical ability got better. I worked a lot on my shot. The shot depends on how much time you have to work,” Lauvergne explained. “When you play, you get better in every aspect of the game, only if you go strong. I’m going to go strong and see how far I can go.”
Before he was traded to Oklahoma City, Lauvergne competed for France in the Olympics, following once again in his father’s footsteps. In five games in Rio de Janeiro, Lauvergne averaged 9.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, but what was even more valuable was the chance to play alongside the likes of NBA Champions Tony Parker and Boris Diaw and veterans like Nicolas Batum and Rudy Gobert. That time together with players with pedigree in the league was a great precursor to a full season alongside his talented Thunder teammates.
“You can learn from them just from being around them, just like I want to learn from (Russell) Westbrook, just by seeing what he does every day, the way he acts and the way he competes every time he steps on the court,” Lauvergne gushed.
Taking notes on the Thunder’s point guard and leader is a great place to start as training camp begins in two weeks. In the meantime he’ll be getting to know his teammates, getting up to speed on life as a Thunder player and what the coaches expect from him. Lauvergne hasn’t had a ton of time to get to know Oklahoma City quite yet, but just like his teammate Westbrook’s passion on the court, some things just stand out right away.
“When I arrived at the airport, the first thing I saw was the flag,” Lauvergne recalled. “It’s crazy how people love basketball here.”