Jeremy Sochan

Jeremy Juliusz Sochan Bio

Jeremy Juliusz Sochan is a Polish-American professional basketball player who currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born on May 20, 2003, in Guymon, Oklahoma, Sochan developed his basketball skills in England before returning to the United States for high school and college. He played one season of college basketball at Baylor University before entering the 2022 NBA Draft, where the San Antonio Spurs selected him with the ninth overall pick. Sochan also represents the Poland national basketball team internationally. Known for his versatility and unorthodox playing style, he has established himself as a promising young talent in professional basketball.

Early Life and Background

Sochan was born to Aneta Sochan, a former Polish professional basketball player who competed for Polonia Warsaw and played college basketball at Panhandle State, and Ryan Williams, who played men’s college basketball at Panhandle State. Sochan’s 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 an association football player for Warszawianka, making 94 appearances in the Ekstraklasa before World War II. During the Nazi German occupation, Zygmunt joined the Polish resistance and survived the Stutthof concentration camp. Ryan Williams died in a car accident in 2017.

Sochan spent his formative childhood years in England, where he took his first steps in basketball. He played youth basketball for the MK Trojans in Milton Keynes before moving to Southampton, where he joined the Solent Kestrels youth program and attended Itchen College. His early exposure to basketball in England’s development system helped shape his fundamental skills and love for the game.

Path to Professional Basketball

After his time in England, Sochan moved to the United States to attend La Lumiere School in Indiana, a well-regarded basketball preparatory program. As a power forward in the 2021 recruiting class, he attracted attention from college programs across the country. However, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted his high school career, leading him to leave the United States temporarily. Despite this interruption, his talent remained evident to scouts and coaches.

Sochan committed to playing college basketball for Baylor University in July 2020. The decision placed him at one of the premier programs in college basketball, setting the stage for his transition to professional basketball. Before beginning his collegiate career, he started his professional journey overseas, joining OrangeAcademy of the German ProB in 2020 to gain experience in professional basketball while completing his amateur eligibility.

Jeremy Sochan Career

Baylor Bears (2021–2022)

Sochan played one season for the Baylor Bears during the 2021-22 campaign. He made an immediate impact off the bench, showcasing his versatility on both ends of the floor. On January 8, 2022, he sprained his ankle during a game against TCU and missed several games, but he returned to form strong down the stretch of the season. Following the completion of the season, he earned the Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year award and earned a spot on the Big 12 All-Freshman Team, recognizing his contributions as a first-year player. As a freshman, he averaged 9.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game while helping his team earn a number one seed in the 2022 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. The Bears were upset in the second round of the tournament. On April 15, 2022, Sochan declared for the 2022 NBA Draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.

San Antonio Spurs (2022–Present)

The San Antonio Spurs selected Sochan with the ninth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, continuing their tradition of developing international talent. He joined the Spurs roster for the 2022 NBA Summer League but was later ruled out after entering the NBA’s Health and Safety Protocol. On July 8, 2022, Sochan signed his rookie-scale contract with the Spurs. He made his regular-season debut and quickly began demonstrating the skills that made him a top-10 pick.

On December 22, 2022, Sochan scored a then-career-high 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds in a 126-117 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. For the 2023-24 NBA season, the Spurs coaching staff made a notable decision to start Sochan as the team’s point guard, a position previously held by teammate Tre Jones. This experiment, as Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich described it, stemmed from Sochan displaying playmaking abilities during his rookie season. After playing 17 games in this unique point forward role, he resumed playing as power forward. On January 28, 2023, Sochan scored a then-career-high 30 points in a 128-118 loss to the Phoenix Suns. He continued his development throughout the 2023-24 season, recording a career high of 33 points in a 137-135 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on November 30, 2023.

Playing Style and Strengths

Sochan has gained attention for his unorthodox technique of shooting free throws with one hand, an approach he began using in December 2022 after Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich suggested it as an experiment to improve his free throw percentage. The unconventional technique proved effective, increasing his average free throw percentage by approximately 30 percent during the 2022-23 season. His versatility allows him to play multiple positions, and his basketball IQ and playmaking instincts have drawn praise from coaches and analysts. Sochan’s defensive versatility and rebounding ability round out his skill set as a modern NBA forward.

Notable Events and Milestones

Sochan earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors following the 2022-23 season, validating his selection as the ninth overall pick. In November 2024, he was scheduled to undergo surgery to repair a fractured left thumb after being forced to exit a game against the Los Angeles Clippers early. The injury cut his 2024-25 season short and required a significant rehabilitation period.

Jeremy Sochan Career Achievements

Sochan has accumulated notable achievements across his youth, collegiate, and professional career, demonstrating his consistent ability to perform at a high level at every stage.

College and Youth Highlights

Sochan’s most significant youth achievement came at the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship Division B in Montenegro, where he led the Poland under-16 national team to the title and earned tournament Most Valuable Player honors. His collegiate career was highlighted by his Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year award and Big 12 All-Freshman Team selection during his lone season at Baylor. Following his rookie NBA season, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2023, becoming the first Polish-born player to earn All-Rookie honors since the NBA began tracking birthplaces.

Professional Career Highlights

At the professional level, Sochan has shown consistent improvement since joining the NBA. His career-high 33-point performance against the Atlanta Hawks stands as one of his most impressive single-game displays. His unique one-handed free throw technique has become a signature element of his game, drawing national attention and statistical improvement.

Jeremy Sochan Family

Family Background and Basketball Lineage

Sochan comes from a distinguished basketball family with deep roots in the sport. His mother, Aneta Sochan, played professionally for Polonia Warsaw in Poland and competed at the collegiate level in the United States at Panhandle State. His father, Ryan Williams, was a college basketball player at Panhandle State, where he met Aneta. Sochan’s maternal grandfather, Juliusz Sochan, was a prominent figure in Polish basketball administration, serving as director of the basketball section of AZS AWF Warsaw. His great-grandfather, Zygmunt Sochan, had a professional football career in Poland’s top division before World War II, after which he joined the Polish resistance against Nazi German occupation and survived imprisonment at Stutthof concentration camp.

Personal Life

Sochan holds dual citizenship in Poland and the United States, representing Poland internationally. He has a younger half-brother and a stepfather. On August 24, 2024, Sochan was involved in a car accident in San Antonio. According to police reports, he lost control of his vehicle and struck a guardrail on a highway ramp. Sochan was uninjured in the incident.

2025 Season Performance

The 2024-25 NBA season represented a challenging year for Sochan as he worked to recover from the left thumb injury sustained in November 2024. The surgery and subsequent rehabilitation process kept him off the court for an extended period, interrupting the momentum he had built through his first two-plus seasons with the Spurs. When healthy, he continued to demonstrate the versatile skill set and high basketball IQ that characterized his early NBA career. The Spurs remained committed to his long-term development, viewing him as a core piece of their rebuilding efforts. His ability to play multiple positions and contribute in various facets of the game kept him valuable to the team’s future plans as they continued their transformation under the new coaching regime.