It doesn’t get much more unexpected than this.
Cleanthony Early, a former forward for the New York Knicks, found himself as the focus of a category on Thursday’s episode of “Jeopardy!”
Yes, you read that right.
The category, intriguingly titled “International Hoops Terms with Cleanthony Early,” highlighted Early’s diverse career in international basketball leagues following his NBA days.
One of the questions, valued at $800, was, “With Al Arabi club Doha, Cleanthony could execute hat wo kod, this two-part play also used in soccer: Pass, move, get the ball back.”
The correct response? “Give-and-go.”
“Sure, Mr. Early went off for 56 points in a 2022 game with the TaiwanBeer HeroBears, but Cle also dished out seven zhugong, or these,” asked the $200 question.
That answer was “assists.”
Contestant Harrison Whitaker, who was appearing on his eighth episode, answered four of the five questions correctly.
Early, who was born in the Bronx, was part of the 2014 Wichita State team that won its first 35 games.
The Knicks drafted Early later that year, and he played two seasons with the team, averaging 4.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 14.3 minutes per game over 56 appearances, including nine starts.
Those proved to be his only NBA appearances, but since 2017, Early has played professionally in countries including Greece, France, the Dominican Republic, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Lebanon and, currently, Qatar.
Early reacted to his out-of-the-blue inclusion on “Jeopardy!” by sharing a screen shot of the game show’s board on his Instagram story.
