Background and career
Marreese Akeem "Mo" Speights (born August 4, 1987) is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Florida Gators, where he was a freshman member of their NCAA national championship team in 2007. The Philadelphia 76ers selected Speights in the first round of the 2008 NBA draft with the 16th overall pick. With the Golden State Warriors, he won an NBA championship in 2015.
Speights was born in St. Petersburg, Florida. He played basketball at St. Petersburg's Admiral Farragut Academy, which retired his jersey number after one year. He also played basketball at Hargrave Military Academy (senior year) and Gibbs High School. Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Speights was listed as the No. 13 power forward and the No. 51 player in the nation in 2006.
Speights began his career at the University of Florida in 2006–07, and averaged approximately four points and two rebounds in six minutes per game as a freshman for the national champion Gators. He saw few minutes behind big men Al Horford, Joakim Noah, and Chris Richard. Speights ended the 2007–08 season averaging 14.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game. After his sophomore season, he declared himself eligible for the 2008 NBA draft. Speights confirmed with Florida coach Billy Donovan on June 12, 2008, that he would not be returning to the Gators.
Speights was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 16th pick of the first round in the 2008 NBA draft. He signed with Philadelphia on July 18, 2008. As a rookie, Speights had a field-goal percentage of .502 from the field, playing 79 games, shooting .773 from the free throw line, and notching two starts.
Speights' second season with the 76ers started off on a high note, as he saw a slight increase in playing time and put up good numbers. Speights scored 15 or more points in five of his first 10 games and was a vital part of the team's frontcourt. During the fourth quarter of the November 14 game against the Chicago Bulls, Speights injured his left knee. An MRI revealed a partial tear of his medial collateral ligament (MCL). Speights missed 14 games and came back December 16, to play 22 minutes in a losing effort against the Cleveland Cavaliers. After returning from the injury, his playing time became limited, mostly because of the increased production from Elton Brand. Speights made 62 total appearances for the team, posting averages of 8.6 points and 4.1 rebounds. The 76ers hired Doug Collins as their new head coach for the 2010–11 season. Known for his defensive-minded coaching philosophy, this shift in team focus adversely affected Speights, who was known more for his offensive capabilities. Frequent clashes with the coaching staff led to a career-low 11.5 minutes per contest. However, Speights got one start against the New Orleans Hornets on January 3, 2011, and notched 12 points and six rebounds. For the season, Speights averaged 5.4 points and 3.3 rebounds, both career–lows.
On January 4, 2012, Speights was acquired by the Memphis Grizzlies as a part of a three-team trade that sent Xavier Henry to the New Orleans Hornets and two future second round picks to the Philadelphia 76ers. He made 60 appearances (including 54 starts) for the Grizzlies over the remainder of the year, averaging 8.8 points and 6.2 rebounds. On June 29, 2012, the Grizzlies extended a qualifying offer to Speights, making him a restricted free agent. However, on July 13, Speights re-signed with the Grizzlies to a two-year, $8 million contract. Speights logged 40 appearances (including two starts) for Memphis during the 2012–13 NBA season, averaging 6.6 points and 4.7 rebounds.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
