Background
Early was born and raised in The Bronx. After Early"s cousin was murdered, his mother decided to leave the city and relocate to suburban Middletown, New York when he was 14.
Early was born and raised in The Bronx. After Early"s cousin was murdered, his mother decided to leave the city and relocate to suburban Middletown, New York when he was 14.
Early attended Pine Bush High School in Pine Bush, New York before attending Mount Zion Christian Academy in Durham, North Carolina.
He was an All-American college player at Wichita State University after a stint at Sullivan County Community College. The school is noted for its prep basketball program which produced players such as Tracy McGrady and Amar"e Stoudemire. This led to Early wanting to be closer to his family and attending Sullivan County Community College.
Considered a two-star recruit by Entertainment and Sports Programming Network.com, Early was listed as the Number.
102 small forward in the nation in 2010. After considering offers from major conference schools, he signed with Wichita State and coach Gregg Marshall.
Early made an immediate impact for the Shockers, averaging 13.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He was named first team All-Missouri Valley Conference and the MVC Newcomer of the Year.
In the post-season, Early led the team to the 2013 Final Four in Atlanta.
He was named to the All-Final Four team for his efforts. Going into his senior season, Early gained widespread national attention. Early helped lead the 2013-2014 team to an undefeated 34–0 record entering the National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament, becoming the first team in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men"s basketball to do so in over two decades.
Cleanthony put up an impressive effort in an attempt to help the Shockers advance to the sweet sixteen, with 31 points and 7 rebounds on 12/17 shooting.
The Shockers ended up losing to Kentucky 78-76, ending their hopes of a final four repeat. On June 26, 2014, Early was selected with the 34th overall pick in the 2014 National Basketball Association draft by the New York Knicks.
On August 1, 2014, he signed with the Knicks. During his rookie season, he had multiple assignments with the Westchester Knicks of the National Basketball Association Development League.
In three games for Westchester during the 2014-2015 season, he averaged 20.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per game.
On March 25, 2015, Early had a season-best game for New York with 18 points and 4 rebounds against the Los Angeles Clippers. During the 2015-2016 season, Early has received multiple assignments to Westchester. In the early hours of December 30, 2015, Early was held up at gunpoint and shot in the right knee while traveling in an Uber car.
The attack took place after Early and his girlfriend left a strip club in Maspeth, Queens.
He was taken to Elmhurst Hospital after the shooting where he was listed in stable condition.