The high school career of Andre Drummond started at Capital Preparatory Magnet School in Hartford, Connecticut. Drummond spent his first two years of high school there, before transferring to St. Thomas More in Oakdale, Connecticut for the final two years of his high school career. He helped St. Thomas More win a national prep title in 2011, looking every bit like an NBA player already at that age, with ESPN ranking him as the top player in the 2011 recruiting class.

After high school, Drummond chose to play his college ball at the University of Connecticut. UConn was something of a disappointment that season, failing to get out of the first round of the NCAA Tournament. But Drummond had a strong season, putting up solid stats in his lone collegiate regular season. He averaged 10 points per game and 7.6 rebounds, as arguably the MVP of UConn basketball in his one year there.

Where Drummond made the biggest impact was in the blocked shots department for the Huskies. He averaged 2.7 blocked shots per game in his freshman season, protecting the paint and making the job of his teammates that much easier on the defensive side of the floor. His ability to guard the rim made him an attractive target for NBA teams in the 2012 NBA Draft.

The Detroit Pistons drafted Andre Drummond with the ninth overall pick in the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft. In his rookie season, he averaged 7.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, which earned him fourth place in rookie of the year voting that season. He also made the all NBA rookie second team, justifying Detroit’s decision to use a first-round draft pick on him.

Since his rookie season, Drummond has averaged at least 13 rebounds per game in every year since, racking up over 8,000 career rebounds in eight years in the league and helping the Pistons get to the playoffs twice in his eight seasons. Fueled largely by rebounds and dunks, Drummond has represented the Eastern Conference in the NBA All-Star Game twice in his career. Given his tendency to score in the paint, the NBA All-Star Game was made for Drummond, who has shot 83% during his two All-Star appearances.

Drummond has become known for putting together what is known as 20-20 games, where he scores 20 points and grabs 20 rebounds in a contest. In recent seasons, he has done this against the New York Knicks and Miami Heat. In February of 2020, the Pistons made a trade to send Drummond to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who were reeling after the recent losses of LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.

As a member of the United States national team, Drummond helped America win the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. While his playing time was limited given the star power on the roster, Drummond’s contributions did help the team secure the gold medal in the tournament.