# Rob Dillingham

Robert Deon Potasi Dillingham (born January 4, 2005) is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats. He was a five-star recruit who previously played professionally for the Cold Hearts and Blue Checks with Karter Knox in Overtime Elite during what would have been his senior year in high school. Dillingham became a guard for Kentucky during the 2023–24 season.

## Early life and high school career

Dillingham was born and raised in Hickory, North Carolina. His father Donald is African American and mother Valaaulia "Lia" Tailele is originally from Samoa. Rob played basketball for Combine Academy in Lincolnton, North Carolina. Dillingham emerged as one of the top players in his class by his sophomore season. As a sophomore, he averaged 21.2 points, 4.9 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game, leading his team to a 29–3 record and a non-association state title. He was named Charlotte Observer Player of the Year. For his junior year, he transferred to Donda Academy, Kanye West's school in Simi Valley, California. For his senior year, he transferred to Overtime Elite in Atlanta, Georgia.

### Recruiting

Dillingham was considered a five-star recruit by ESPN and Rivals, and a four-star recruit by 247Sports. On December 1, 2021, he committed to playing college basketball for NC State over offers from Memphis, LSU, Kansas and Kentucky. He became the second-highest-ranked recruit in program history, behind Dennis Smith Jr. On March 19, 2022, Dillingham announced his decommitment from NC State and reopened his recruitment. On June 24, 2022, Dillingham committed to Kentucky over offers from Louisville, Auburn, and USC. He became Kentucky's second commit in the 2023 recruiting class. and went on to average 15.2 points per game.
College recruiting information :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Rob Dillingham PG | Hickory, NC | Donda Academy (CA) | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Jun 24, 2022 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 91 ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 15 247Sports: 21 ESPN: 15 ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Kentucky 2023 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 28, 2023. "2023 Kentucky Wildcats Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 28, 2023. "2023 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 28, 2023. ||||||

## Professional career
### Cold Hearts (2021–2023)

On November 3, 2022, Dillingham left Donda Academy after multiple controversies surrounding its founder, Kanye West, and signed with Overtime Elite, a professional basketball league for late-high-school- and early-college-level players. He joined the Overtime Cold Hearts, one of the six teams in the league. Dillingham made his OTE debut for the Cold Hearts on November 11, recording six points, three rebounds and three steals in a 92–84 loss to the YNG Dreamerz.

### NBA

After spending one season with the University of Kentucky, Dillingham declared his entry into the 2024 NBA draft and received a green room invite.

#### Minnesota Timberwolves / Iowa Wolves (2024–present)

On June 26, 2024, Dillingham was selected with the eighth overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2024 NBA draft; however, immediately on draft night, he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for a 2030 protected first-round pick swap and an unprotected first-round pick in 2031. On July 8, he signed with the Timberwolves. On January 12, 2025, he was assigned to the Iowa Wolves.

## National team career

Dillingham led the United States to a gold medal at the 2021 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Mexico. He was named most valuable player after averaging 15.7 points, 6.2 assists and 3.2 steals per game. He posted a team-record 31 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals in a 90–75 win against Argentina in the final.

## Personal life

Dillingham is the son of Valaaulia Tailele and Donald Dillingham. He has two siblings, Pai Tailele and Denzel Dillingham.

## Career statistics
### College

| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
| 2023–24 | Kentucky | 32 | 1 | 23.3 | .475 | .444 | .796 | 2.9 | 3.9 | 1.0 | .1 | 15.2 |