Jeremy Sochan Bio
Jeremy Juliusz Sochan is a Polish-American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Poland national team. Born in the United States to a Polish mother and an American father, he was raised in England and developed his game in European and American basketball systems. Standing 6 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 104 kilograms, Sochan plays as a forward and is widely recognized for his defensive versatility, energy, and unorthodox one-handed free throw technique. After one season of college basketball at Baylor, he entered the 2022 NBA draft and was selected ninth overall by the Spurs.
Early Life and Background
Jeremy Juliusz Sochan was born on May 20, 2003, in Guymon, Oklahoma. His mother, Aneta Sochan, is a former Polish basketball player who played for Polonia Warsaw and competed at the Division II college level for Panhandle State. While at Panhandle State, she met Sochan’s father, Ryan Williams, who also played for the men’s basketball team. Williams died in an automobile crash in 2017. Sochan has a younger half-brother and a stepfather.
Sochan’s basketball roots run deep on his mother’s side. His maternal grandfather, Juliusz Sochan, after whom he received his middle name, served as director of the basketball section of AZS AWF Warsaw and president of the Warsaw Regional Basketball Association. His great-grandfather, Zygmunt Sochan, was a football player for Warszawianka, making 94 appearances in the Polish top division before joining the Polish resistance during World War II and surviving the Stutthof concentration camp.
Sochan took his first steps in the sport while living in England. He began with the MK Trojans in Milton Keynes before moving to Southampton, where he played for the Solent Kestrels youth team and attended Itchen College. He later began his high school career at La Lumiere School in Indiana, but left the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. He committed to playing college basketball for Baylor in July 2020.
Path to Basketball
Rather than follow the traditional American path through four years of college basketball, Sochan opted to begin his professional career in Europe. In 2020, he joined OrangeAcademy, the development team of German club ratiopharm Ulm competing in the ProB, the third tier of German basketball. The move gave him valuable minutes against grown professionals at a young age and helped him develop the physical and mental toughness that has since defined his NBA profile.
During his time with OrangeAcademy, Sochan continued to represent Poland in age-group competition. As a member of Poland’s under-16 national team, he led the squad to the title at the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship Division B in Montenegro, where he was named tournament Most Valuable Player. That summer established him as one of Europe’s most promising teenage forwards and set the stage for his return to the United States and his commitment to Baylor.
Jeremy Sochan Career
Early Career (2020–2021)
Sochan’s first professional stint came with OrangeAcademy in the German ProB from 2020 to 2021. Playing against older competition, he demonstrated the kind of perimeter skills, ball-handling, and defensive instincts that are rarely found in a player his size. The experience was brief but important, providing a bridge between his English youth career and the next step in his development.
After the pandemic disrupted his time at La Lumiere, Sochan reclassified into the 2021 high school class and joined Baylor for the 2021–22 college season. On January 8, 2022, he sprained his ankle during a game against TCU and missed several games. Following the season, he earned the Big 12 Sixth Man Award and was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team. His team earned a number-one seed in the 2022 NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament but lost in the second round. As a freshman, he averaged 9.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game. On April 15, 2022, Sochan declared for the 2022 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.
San Antonio Spurs (2022–Present)
Sochan was selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the ninth overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft. He joined the Spurs’ roster for the 2022 NBA Summer League but was ruled out after being placed in the league’s Health and Safety Protocol following a positive coronavirus test. On July 8, 2022, he signed a rookie-scale contract with the Spurs. On December 22 of that year, Sochan scored a then-career-high 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds in a 126–117 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. On January 28, 2023, he set another career high with 30 points in a 128–118 loss to the Phoenix Suns.
For the 2023–24 NBA season, Sochan was named the Spurs’ starting point guard, a role previously held by teammate Tre Jones. Head coach Gregg Popovich and the staff moved him to point forward in an experiment designed to tap into the playmaking abilities he had displayed as a rookie. He resumed playing as power forward again after 17 games. On November 30, 2023, he recorded a career-high 33 points in a 137–135 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
Sochan has also gained attention for his unorthodox technique of shooting free throws with one hand. He began using the approach in December 2022 after Popovich suggested it as an experiment to raise his free throw percentage. The technique proved to increase his average free throw percentage by roughly 30 percent during the 2022–23 season, and he later confirmed he planned to stick with the one-handed free throw. On August 24, 2024, Sochan was involved in a car accident in San Antonio but was uninjured. In November 2024, he was scheduled to have surgery to repair a fractured left thumb suffered during a game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Driving Style and Strengths
Sochan’s game is built on defensive versatility, motor, and unselfish play. At 6 feet 8 inches, he can guard multiple positions, switch onto smaller guards, and protect the rim as a help defender. Offensively, his point-forward skill set allows him to initiate offense in transition, push the pace, and create for teammates. His willingness to experiment, whether at point guard or with his one-handed free throw, has become a defining part of his young career.
Notable Events and Milestones
Highlights of Sochan’s early career include being named the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship Division B MVP, earning Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year and Big 12 All-Freshman Team honors in 2022, being selected ninth overall in the 2022 NBA draft, and being named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2023. His one-handed free throw routine and his brief stint as a starting point guard have become signature storylines of his time in San Antonio.
Jeremy Sochan Career Wins
Jeremy Juliusz Sochan’s competitive résumé already includes a FIBA youth title, a top-ten selection in the NBA draft, and individual recognition during his rookie season, even though franchise-wide win totals have fluctuated during the Spurs’ recent rebuilding phase.
NBA Highlights
Sochan was selected ninth overall in the 2022 NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs and went on to earn a place on the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2023. He posted a then-career-high 23 points on December 22, 2022, against the New Orleans Pelicans, raised that mark to 30 points on January 28, 2023, against the Phoenix Suns, and set a new high of 33 points on November 30, 2023, against the Atlanta Hawks. He has also drawn league-wide attention for his unorthodox one-handed free throw technique, which lifted his free throw percentage by roughly 30 percent during the 2022–23 season.
Other Wins & Performances
Sochan led Poland to the title at the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship Division B in Montenegro, where he was named tournament MVP. As a freshman at Baylor in 2021–22, he helped the Bears claim a number-one seed in the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament and earned Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year and Big 12 All-Freshman Team honors.
Jeremy Sochan Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Basketball runs in Jeremy Juliusz Sochan’s family on his mother’s side. His mother, Aneta Sochan, played professionally for Polonia Warsaw and at the college level for Panhandle State. His maternal grandfather, Juliusz Sochan, was director of the basketball section of AZS AWF Warsaw and president of the Warsaw Regional Basketball Association. His great-grandfather, Zygmunt Sochan, played 94 matches in the Polish top football division for Warszawianka, joined the Polish resistance during World War II, and survived the Stutthof concentration camp.
Personal Life
Sochan was raised primarily in England after being born in the United States, and he holds both Polish and American citizenship. His father, Ryan Williams, died in an automobile crash in 2017. Sochan has a younger half-brother and a stepfather. He is represented professionally through his public profile and continues to split his basketball focus between the San Antonio Spurs and the Poland national team.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into the 2025 calendar year, Sochan’s focus is on returning to full strength after surgery to repair a fractured left thumb sustained in November 2024. The injury forced him out of the game against the Los Angeles Clippers and is expected to limit his availability at the start of the calendar year while he completes his rehabilitation. Once cleared, the Spurs are expected to deploy him primarily as a power forward, the position where his defensive versatility and rebounding have the greatest impact.
Sochan’s role within the San Antonio system remains centered on his two-way identity. The team has continued to lean on his ability to switch defensively across multiple positions, push the pace in transition, and serve as a connector on offense. His experience as a point forward during the 2023–24 season remains a useful part of his toolkit, even as he returns to his natural frontcourt role.
At the international level, Sochan is expected to remain a central figure for the Poland national team. After becoming the youngest player ever to suit up for Poland during EuroBasket 2022 qualification, he has continued to represent the country in senior competition. With a full offseason of recovery ahead, the 2025 season represents an opportunity for Sochan to reestablish himself as one of the most versatile young forwards in the NBA.