Keita Bates-Diop is an NBA player currently playing for San Antonio Spurs since 2020.
Bates-Diop was drafted by Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2018 NBA Draft on June 21, 2018, and played for two seasons before the Nuggets acquired him in a trade.
The Spurs signed him as a waiver claim from Denver Nuggets in 2020 and later offered him a two-year deal worth $3.61 million.
With the end of his two-year contract with the Spurs, the small forward becomes an unrestricted free agent after the 2022-23 season.
The Ohio State alumnus had fractured his leg after playing only nine games during his junior year at college and received a medical redshirt year.
Bates-Diop then made a remarkable comeback; on January 9, 2018, he was named Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week after an impressive performance against the Iowa Hawkeyes men’s basketball team.
On February 26, 2018, Bates-Diop was named the Big Ten Player of the Year, averaging 19.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.
His professional achievement is an open book to all, but what about his personal life, especially his family & relationship? Get all the details in this article.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Keita Bates-Diop |
| Birth Date | January 23, 1996 |
| Birth Place | Sacramento, California |
| Nick Name | Bates |
| Nationality | Afro-American |
| Ethnicity | African |
| Education | University (Normal, Illinois), Ohio State (2014–2018) |
| Teams |
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| Horoscope | Aquarius |
| Father’s Name | Richard Bates |
| Mother’s Name | Wilma Bates |
| Siblings | Kai Bates-Diop |
| Age | 28 Years Old |
| Height | 6’8”/2.03 m/203 cm |
| Weight | 29 lb./104 kg |
| NBA Draft | 2018, Round: 2 & Pick: 48th Overall |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Awards | Big Ten Player Of The Year Award (2018) |
| Build | Athlete |
| Marital Status | Single |
| Girlfriend | Not Known |
| Position | Small Forward / Power Forward |
| Profession | NBA Player |
| Net Worth | Between $1-$3 Million |
| Salary | $1,803,969 |
| Current Team | San Antonio Spurs |
| League | NBA |
| Active Since | 2018- Present |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
| Merch | Card |
| Last Update | September 2024 |
Early Life
Keita Bates-Diop was born on January 23, 1996, to Richard and Wilma Bates in Sacramento, California. He grew up alongside his brother, Kai Bates-Diop.
He attended University High School in Normal, Illinois, where he scored 18.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks in his junior year.
The Chicago Tribune, the most-read daily newspaper in Chicago, rated him as one of the top 5 candidates for Illinois Mr. Basketball, and Rivals.com ranked him no. 24 nationally in his class.
Keeping sports aside, Keita was a studious child. According to The Athletic, he was asked to read a story and brief it to his parents each Saturday as a kid.
It helped him with his personal development through thought curation and verbal articulation.
Keita’s favorite player is Luol Deng, and he got to play alongside him during his rookie season (2018-19) with the Timberwolves.
Family & Charity Works
Talking about his father, Richard used to play basketball at Creighton University from 1979 to 1983. He is a law degree holder and used to work as a legal practitioner in Bloomington, III.
His brother, Kai, also played basketball at high school. He was a top-tier athlete but collapsed on the court one day during basketball practice.
His coach, Maddie Biehl, and Emily Martz soon went to get an AED, which was used to save his life.
After six days of hospitalization, the attack resulted in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy that ended his dream of a professional basketball career.
As a result, Kai can now play basketball to a certain extent; however, he has to take medications to monitor his adrenaline.
And since that mishap, the family has started a charity event called Kai13, where they raise money to help manage AEDs for eight schools.
College Career
Keita was benched out for the freshman year of college at OSU in the 2014-15 season. In his sophomore year, he averaged 11.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
As a junior, he appeared for the first nine games, scoring 9.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, but then he had to stay out because of his fractured leg.
Keita was provided with a medical redshirt and later popped up as one of the best options for the coach, Chris Holtmann. Furthermore, he received his first Big Ten player of the week honor on December 11, 2017.
The United States Basketball Writers Association honored him as the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week on January 9, 2018, after his strong performance against Iowa Hawkeyes men’s basketball and Michigan State.
A week later, Keita was named the Big Ten player of the week for the second time.
His biggest strike occurred when he was awarded the Big Ten Player of the Year on February 26, 2018, scoring 19.8 points and 8.7 rebounds on average.
He led his team OSU to a second-round loss in the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
After that, Keita dropped his last college year and was announced for the 2018 NBA Draft.
Professional Career
Minnesota Timberwolves (2018–2020)
Bates-Diop became the 48th overall pick of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft on June 21, 2018.
During his two seasons with the Timberwolves, he played in the NBA Summer League in 2018 and 2019.
Denver Nuggets (2020)
On February 5, 2020, the Timberwolves traded him to the Nuggets in a four-team trade (between Atlanta Hawks, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, and Minnesota Timberwolves).
After a month, he was placed on the Nuggets’ G-league team Windy City Bulls but was waived on November 22, 2020.
His 2020-21 season was a split between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets, appearing in 44 games and averaging 6.5 points and 2.9 rebounds in 16.9 minutes.
San Antonio Spurs (2020-Present)
Keita signed a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs on November 29, 2020, followed by a standard NBA deal on September 7, 2021.
With the Spurs in the 2021-22 season, Bates-Diop scored a career-high 30 points on eleven-of-eleven shooting with seven rebounds and a steal against a victory over Los Angeles Lakers (138–110).
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MIN | FG% | 3P% | FT% | FGA | FGM | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Career | 214 | 46 | 3,534.1 | .470 | .314 | .741 | 1,039 | 488 | 1,287 | |
Personal Life
Keita is among the finest young eligible bachelors; he is young, talented, and intelligent. However, there are no such exclusive rumors about his relationship.
Maybe Keita has been prioritizing his career over anything else for now. Keita graduated OSU-College with an economics degree.
He is super good when it comes to numbers and graphs. It catches his interest. Keita did not just want to embrace and explore athletics but also prioritized intelligence and academics.
Keita looks up to his former roommate, D’Angelo Russell, talks to him once a week, and has imparted this saying from him,
“People say that everyone is more talented and skilled, but what will separate the good from the great is the mentality and work ethic.” Which then and again gives him the courage to improve.
Age, Body Measurement & Horoscope
Keita is 28 years old, and his sun sign is Aquarius.
He syncs with the traits of being an Aquarius and believes in loving what he does.
Regarding his body measurement, Keita is 2.03 m tall and weighs around 229 lbs. His height and weight go entirely along with an athlete’s standard physique.
Net Worth
A prolific career in the NBA is undoubtedly in the making, but Keita has been working daily to hitch the success.
While joining Minnesota Timberwolves legally on July 6, 2018, he signed a 3-year contract worth $3.9 million.
Keita was paid $1,306,392 as an annual salary in 2018 and $848,510 in 2019.
Moreover, it is configured that Keita remained the 16th best-paid player of the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2018.
On September 7, 2021, Diop re-signed a 2-year/ $3,607,937 contract for the San Antonio Spurs after his 2020 signing of 1 year/$1,474,611.
Keita has an estimated net worth between $1-$3 million as of 2024.
He also has a car gifted by GMC after he cracked a rookie deal.
Net Worth Of Keita Bates In Different Currencies
Here is the net worth of Keita Bates ($1-$3 million) in different currencies, including the Indian Rupee and Bitcoin.
| Currency | Net Worth |
| Euro | €938,840 – €2,816,520 |
| Pound Sterling | £838,960 – £2,516,880 |
| Australian Dollar | A$1,520,880– A$4,562,640 |
| Canadian Dollar | C$1,384,515– C$4,153,545 |
| Indian Rupee | ₹82168550– ₹246,505,650 |
| BitCoin | ฿49.77- ฿149.32 |
Social Media Presence
- Instagram– 38.5k followers
- Twitter– 10.9k followers.
Keita Bates has a noticeable online presence that reaches thousands of followers.
He doesn’t upload much, as he has only 14 posts on his Instagram handle, although the much he does comprises his workout videos and teammates.
He has 2,117 Tweets on Twitter, although the last was in 2021, which indicates he doesn’t engage much in his social media platforms.
Search Graph
Keita Bates-Diop’s search graph has increased from Nov. 2022.
The search rate is showcased from the month of March to Nov.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
What is the reason behind his name?
“Keita” was inspired by Sondjata Keita Mandingo of medieval West Africa and the founder of Mali's Empire. “Diop” was inspired by Cheikh Anta Diop, a history, politics, and anthropology researcher. His father, Richard, decided on the name to pay tribute to two African personalities, Sondjata Keita and Sheikh Anto Diop.
What is Keita Bates Diop's college career statistic like?
Well, Keita played 109 games in college, among which he saved 70 of them. During those, he maintained a .472 field goal percentage. Likewise, he has a three-point percentage of .352 and a free throw percentage of .776.
