An integral factor in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ resurgence this season is a player whose journey to NBA stardom is as remarkable as his on-court prowess. Max Strus, the 28-year-old shooting guard, has emerged as a vital cog in the Cavs’ machine this season.

As Cleveland prepares to face the Orlando Magic in the playoffs tomorrow, let’s take a look into the life, stats, contracts, and more details of this rising star.

Max Strus’ personal life

Max Strus was born on March 28, 1996, in Hickory Hills, Illinois, and is of Slovenian and German descent. The shooting guard’s basketball journey began during his high school days at Amos Alonzo Stagg High School, where his abilities captivated the attention of numerous; having the local newspaper, The Reporter name him ‘Area Player of The Year’. Despite not receiving many Division I scholarship offers, Strus didn’t give up on his dreams. Instead, he opted to attend Lewis University, a Division II school, where he continued to hone his skills, only to end with DePaul, accumulating 1,226 points (29th in school history) and beginning his professional journey.

Strus hails from a family deeply rooted in athletics. His father, John, was a college baseball pitcher at Eastern Illinois University, while his mother, Debra, played basketball and volleyball at DePaul University. Max’s older brother, Marty played basketball during his time at Lewis University, and his older sister, Maggie, played college volleyball at the University of Illinois. Considering as much, suffice it to say, Strus’ climb up the basketball ladder to the NBA was destined in part.

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The guard finds light with Cavaliers

Though the 2019 drafting journey wasn’t as smooth for Max Strus, going undrafted, he grabbed an opportunity to showcase his skills with the Boston Celtics during the NBA Summer League, ultimately earning a two-way contract. This marked the beginning of his professional basketball journey.

Strus then hopped onto the Chicago wagon with a two-way contract in October 2019, fetching a window to stay closer to home. During his debut a month later, Strus showcased his skills during the final five minutes of a closely contested game, contributing five points along with a rebound in a 116-108 loss against the Heat. Strus ended his rookie season having scored five points in two NBA games and with an average of 18.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 13 G League games.

Though his contract with the Heat came next, the shooting guard only found light with the Cavaliers in 2023, emerging key contributor off the bench. In a game against the Dallas Mavericks in February, with just over a minute left in the fourth quarter, Strus delivered an extraordinary performance, sinking five consecutive three-pointers, culminating in a buzzer-beating, game-winning shot from an impressive 59 feet. This remarkable feat marked the second-longest game-winning buzzer-beater since 1979. Furthermore, Strus’s accomplishment made him only the fourth player in the last 25 years to connect on five three-pointers within the final four minutes of a game. He ended his first regular season in Cleveland averaging 12.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists over 32.0 minutes per game.