On Tuesday, December 23, basketball fans watching on NBC and Peacock saw the Dallas Mavericks outlast the Denver Nuggets 131-130, thanks in large part to a heroic 33-point, 9-rebound, 9-assist effort from young rookie Cooper Flagg.

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It was a performance that has become more and more common for the consensus Rookie of the Year favorite as the 2025-2026 NBA season rolls on (including NBA on NBC games all season long), but Flagg’s impressive game wasn’t the only highlight from that particular matchup. Flagg’s teammate — and fellow rookie — Ryan Nembhard put in an outstanding performance of his own, making fans everywhere stand up and take notice.

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The 22-year-old point guard contributed 11 points on 5-11 shooting to go along with 3 rebounds and 7 assists. But perhaps most importantly, the Mavericks were 24 points better than the Nuggets when Nembhard was on the court, showing just how impactful the rookie was in his 33 minutes of playing time.

After such an outstanding prime time performance, here’s what you need to know about Mavs rookie Ryan Nembhard.

Who is Ryan Nembhard?

The Canadian-born guard played college ball at Creighton and Gonzaga University, averaging 10.5 points and 9.8 assists per game in his senior season at Gonzaga, the latter of which led all of NCAA Division 1. In doing so, Nembhard joined a prestigious list of players who led the nation in assists, such as Lonzo Ball, Trae Young, and Ja Morant. Yet somehow, he was not selected by any team in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Nembhard is currently on a two-way contract with the Mavericks and the Texas Legends of the NBA G League. Under the terms of the deal, his pay differs depending on which team he suits up for on any given night.

On December 5, NBA beat writer Marc Stein reported that the Mavericks were planning to convert Nembhard’s two-way contract to a standard NBA deal, citing that the team’s offense “looks a lot better” when the rising star has the ball in his hands, particularly with All-Star guard Kyrie Irving being injured at the moment.

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Does Ryan Nembhard have any brothers?

Yes, Nembhard does have an older brother — and they share much of the same basketball DNA.

Ryan’s older brother, 25-year-old Andrew Nembhard, currently plays for the Indiana Pacers, the team that drafted him with the first pick of the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft. Andrew currently averages over 17 points per game for the Pacers.

How tall is Ryan Nembhard?

Nembhard is officially listed at 5’11” — making him a full five inches shorter than his older brother.

As of December 2025, the two brothers have not yet met on the court playing for their respective teams. Thankfully, they’ll have their first opportunity to face off as opponents on February 22, 2026, when the Mavs travel to play the Pacers.

When can you next watch Ryan Nembhard and the Dallas Mavericks on NBA on NBC?

The Portland Trail Blazers host the Dallas Mavericks in a Western Conference NBA on NBC showdown on Monday, December 29. Tipoff time is set for 10:30 p.m. ET from the Moda Center in Portland, with the game broadcast live on NBC and streaming on Peacock.