Garrison Mathews once lit up the scoreboard in a December 2024 game that showed exactly why teams value his shooting. Coming off the bench for the Atlanta Hawks, he dropped 25 points while going 7-of-8 from three-point range in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. With that stretch, he tied a career high in triples made, and one of those threes, hit with about 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, gave Atlanta a lead they never gave back.

Earlier in his career, Mathews established himself as one of the premier scorers in the program’s history. In his senior season, he averaged around 20.8 points per game, set records for three-pointers made, and led Lipscomb to deep runs in postseason tournaments, raising his profile and showing NBA teams he could score in bunches.

In 2021, Mathews joined the Houston Rockets and also spent time with their G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He was waived by Houston on February 9, 2023, before landing with the Atlanta Hawks. Across his NBA journey, which has also included a stint in Washington, Mathews has played 267 games as of October 2024, recording 1,684 points, 466 rebounds, and 163 assists. 

The most intriguing storyline for Mathews right now is his reported training camp deal with the New York Knicks. According to NBA reporter Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA), the Knicks have agreed to bring him in ahead of the 2025-26 season, a move confirmed by his agent David Bauman. The contract is non-guaranteed, meaning Mathews will have to earn his spot on the final roster, and he’ll be competing directly with Landry Shamet, who signed a similar camp deal with New York. Mathews has also been suiting up for Washington and Houston, carving out a role as a floor-spacer at every stop. 

His shooting numbers are the main reason he remains on NBA radars, he has hit 38.2 percent of his career three-point attempts, with nearly 85 percent of his total shots coming from beyond the arc. Last season with Atlanta, he averaged 7.5 points in 17.7 minutes per game while connecting on about 39 percent from deep. For the Knicks, who are now led by head coach Mike Brown and are placing greater emphasis on spacing, depth shooting has become a clear priority. With the franchise tight on roster spots and salary cap flexibility, bringing in specialists like Mathews on non-guaranteed deals offers a low-risk way to evaluate potential contributors. Now, let’s take a closer look at his life and background to understand the path that brought him here.

Where is Garrison Mathews from? What’s his nationality?

Mathews was born on October 24, 1996, in Franklin, Tennessee, a town just outside of Nashville. He grew up there before attending Lipscomb University, where he became one of the school’s most decorated basketball players. His college career put him on the map, and it wasn’t long before his long-range shooting helped him land an NBA contract. Today, he continues to train and work in the U.S., carrying the pride of his Tennessee roots. As for nationality, Mathews is American, with his identity and career strongly tied to his Southern upbringing. His hometown has often been referenced in interviews as a grounding place that shaped his discipline and blue-collar work ethic.

What is Garrison Mathews’s Ethnicity?

Garrison Mathews comes from a White American background. While detailed accounts of his family heritage aren’t widely discussed in public, his parents raised him in a close-knit, faith-oriented household in Franklin. Much of his identity reflects small-town American values, and his pathway to the NBA highlights both his family’s support and his relentless commitment to the sport.

What is Garrison Mathews’s Religion?

Mathews has not publicly disclosed much about his religious beliefs, though he was raised in a Christian household. His alma mater, Lipscomb University, is a private Christian college in Nashville, and that environment likely had some influence on his upbringing. Still, he has chosen to keep his faith and spiritual life private, focusing more on his performance and consistency on the court.

Mathews’ shooting has kept him in demand, but his next chapter depends on more than just percentages. With the Knicks placing a premium on depth and floor spacing, training camp offers him the chance to prove he can contribute beyond being a specialist and potentially secure a meaningful role in New York’s rotation.