Zach Edey Bio
Zachry Cheyne Edey is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing 7 feet 4 inches tall, Edey developed into one of the most dominant centers in college basketball during his time at Purdue University, where he led the Boilermakers to the NCAA Division I men’s basketball championship game in his senior year. He was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies with the ninth overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft and earned All-Rookie First Team honors in his first professional season.
Born and raised in Toronto, Edey grew up playing ice hockey and baseball before discovering basketball late in his high school years. His unusual combination of size, footwork, and touch around the rim has made him one of the most talked-about young big men in the league.
Early Life and Background
Zachry Cheyne Edey was born on May 14, 2002, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to Julia and Glen Edey. His mother, who stands 6 feet 3 inches tall, was born to Chinese immigrants in Toronto and played basketball growing up. His father is White and also played baseball in his younger years, a sport Edey himself took up as a child. The athletic background on both sides of his family helped shape Edey’s early interest in sports.
As a youth, Edey played both ice hockey and baseball, following in the footsteps of his father. It was not until he was a tenth-grade student at Leaside High School in Toronto that he began playing organized basketball, joining the Northern Kings Amateur Athletic Union program. The late introduction to the sport did not prevent him from developing rapidly, and his height and coordination quickly drew attention from coaches and scouts.
Seeking a higher level of competition, Edey moved to the United States to attend IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. He played for IMG’s second-tier team in his first year, training daily with former NBA player Daniel Santiago, before being promoted to the academy’s national team the following year. Rated as a consensus three-star recruit, he reclassified to the 2020 class and committed to Purdue over offers from Baylor and Santa Clara.
Path to Basketball
Edey’s path to elite basketball was unconventional. Unlike many top prospects who specialize in the sport from a young age, he only began playing competitively in tenth grade. His rapid growth and the training he received at IMG Academy accelerated his development, and by the time he finished high school, he had offers from multiple NCAA programs.
His commitment to Purdue was seen as a strong cultural fit, pairing a developing big man with a program known for developing post players. Edey also represented Canada at the 2021 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup in Latvia, where he averaged 15.1 points, a tournament-high 14.1 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game, leading his team to a bronze medal and earning all-tournament team honors.
Zach Edey Career
Freshman and Sophomore Seasons (2020-2022)
Listed at 7 feet 4 inches in his freshman season at Purdue, Edey became the tallest player in Big Ten history. Sharing playing time with fellow center Trevion Williams, he averaged 8.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 14 minutes per game and was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. He recorded a season-high 21 points and seven rebounds off the bench in a 73-69 win over Wisconsin on March 2, 2021.
As a sophomore, Edey moved into a starting role and posted career highs across nearly every major category. He recorded a then-career-high 24 points and 10 rebounds in just 20 minutes against Wisconsin on January 3, 2022, and later set a career high with 25 points in a loss to Michigan State. He averaged 14.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.2 blocks in only 19 minutes per game, earning Second Team All-Big Ten honors.
Junior Season Breakthrough (2022-2023)
Edey’s junior season established him as one of the best players in college basketball. He received Big Ten Player of the Week six times, tying the Purdue single-season record held by Caleb Swanigan. On December 17, 2022, he became both the 55th player in Purdue history to reach 1,000 career points and the 11th to reach 100 career blocks.
At season’s end, Edey was named Big Ten Player of the Year and Sporting News National Player of the Year, and he was a consensus first-team All-American. He was also named Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year across all men’s sports, sharing the honor with Caitlin Clark. He led Purdue to the NCAA championship game and was named the Big Ten tournament MVP.
Senior Season at Purdue (2023-2024)
Edey returned to Purdue for his senior year after opting out of the 2023 NBA draft. On January 5, 2024, he became the second player in Purdue history to reach 1,000 career rebounds, and on January 28, 2024, he surpassed 2,000 career points in a win against Rutgers, becoming just the sixth Big Ten player ever with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. On February 4, 2024, in a win against Wisconsin, he set school records for consecutive double-figure scoring games and career double-doubles, and he also reached 200 career blocks.
Edey finished his Purdue career as the school’s all-time leader in rebounds with 1,321 and points with 2,516. On April 7, 2024, he was named Naismith College Player of the Year for the second straight year, the first to repeat since Ralph Sampson in 1982 and 1983. He repeated as Big Ten Player of the Year, consensus first-team All-American, and Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year.
Memphis Grizzlies Era (2024-Present)
Edey was selected with the ninth overall pick by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2024 NBA draft and signed with the team on July 6, 2024. He made his NBA debut on October 23, 2024, posting five points and five rebounds in 15 minutes before fouling out in a 126-124 win over the Utah Jazz, becoming the first rookie in NBA history to foul out in 15 minutes or less in a debut game. On April 5, 2025, he grabbed 21 rebounds against the Detroit Pistons, setting a franchise rookie record and personal career high.
Edey finished his rookie season averaging 9.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game, earning All-Rookie First Team honors. In Game 4 of the Grizzlies’ first-round playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, he recorded 7 blocks, the most by a rookie in a playoff game in 15 years. On June 10, 2025, he underwent surgery to address excessive ligamentous laxity in his left ankle, with a four-month recovery timeline.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Edey’s most significant records are Purdue’s all-time marks for career points (2,516) and rebounds (1,321), a Big Ten record 12 career Big Ten Player of the Week awards, and back-to-back Naismith College Player of the Year honors. At the international level, he helped Canada win a bronze medal at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, the country’s first World Cup medal ever and first major global tournament medal since the 1936 Summer Olympics.
Zach Edey Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Zach Edey is the son of Julia and Glen Edey. His mother, a Chinese-Canadian who played basketball growing up in Toronto, and his father, who played baseball, both contributed to the athletic environment of his childhood. Edey grew up in Toronto before moving to the United States for his final years of high school at IMG Academy.
2025 Season Performance
Edey’s 2025 season was shaped by recovery from left ankle surgery in June 2025. After missing the start of the campaign, he returned to the floor and quickly reasserted himself as a presence in the paint. On November 30, 2025, he posted a career-high 32 points with 17 rebounds and 5 blocks on 16-for-20 shooting from the field, leading the Grizzlies to a 113-107 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
As the season continues, Edey is working to build on his All-Rookie First Team foundation while establishing himself as a long-term building block for Memphis. His combination of size, rebounding, and rim protection gives the Grizzlies a traditional interior anchor around which they can grow their young core.