C. J. Watson facts for kids
Watson with the Bulls
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| Point guard | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 17, 1984 Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Nationality | American |
| High school | Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nevada) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Tennessee (2002–2006) |
| NBA Draft | 2006 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 2006–2019 |
| Career history | |
| 2006–2007 | Pallacanestro Reggiana |
| 2007 | PAOK Thessaloniki |
| 2007–2008 | Rio Grande Valley Vipers |
| 2008–2010 | Golden State Warriors |
| 2010–2012 | Chicago Bulls |
| 2012–2013 | Brooklyn Nets |
| 2013–2015 | Indiana Pacers |
| 2015–2017 | Orlando Magic |
| 2018–2019 | Uşak Sportif |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Stats at NBA.com | |
C. J. Watson is a former American professional basketball player. He was born on April 17, 1984. C. J. played college basketball at the University of Tennessee. He later played for several teams in the NBA.
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C. J. Watson's College Basketball Journey
C. J. Watson played college basketball for the Tennessee Volunteers for four seasons. In his first year, he was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. This means he was one of the best new players in the conference.
His best college season was in 2005-06, during his senior year. He and another great player, Chris Lofton, helped the Volunteers get a strong record of 22 wins and 8 losses. C. J. averaged about 15 points, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds per game. He was also named to the second-team All-SEC.
C. J. finished his college career as one of Tennessee's top players. He was second in assists (577) and steals (198) in the school's history. He also scored 1,424 points, which put him 15th all-time for the Volunteers.
C. J. Watson's Professional Basketball Career
Playing in Europe (2006–2007)
Even though C. J. had a great college career, no NBA team picked him in the 2006 NBA draft. He then played a short time with the San Antonio Spurs in a summer league. After that, he went to play basketball in Europe.
He joined an Italian team called Bipop Carire Reggio Emilia. He played 17 games there, averaging 8.5 points per game. Then, he moved to a Greek team, PAOK B.C., where he played five games.
Playing in the D-League (2007–2008)
C. J. came back to the United States to try and join an NBA team. He played in the 2007 NBA summer league again with the Spurs. He also tried out for the Charlotte Bobcats, but he didn't make their team.
On November 1, 2007, he joined the NBA D-League. This league is like a stepping stone to the NBA. He was picked 5th overall by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. C. J. played very well for the Vipers, averaging 26.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game.
His strong performance led to him being signed by the Golden State Warriors on January 8, 2008. At that time, C. J. was the third-highest scorer in the D-League. He also became the 100th player in D-League history to be called up to an NBA team.
Golden State Warriors (2008–2010)
When C. J. joined the Golden State Warriors, he signed a 10-day contract. He was meant to be a backup point guard for Baron Davis. He impressed the Warriors coach, Don Nelson, and earned a second 10-day contract.
After playing 8 games and showing his skills, the Warriors signed him for the rest of the season. On February 17, 2010, C. J. had an amazing game against the Sacramento Kings. He scored a career-high 40 points, shooting very well from the field.
Chicago Bulls (2010–2012)
On July 21, 2010, C. J. Watson joined the Chicago Bulls. He signed a 3-year contract worth $10.2 million. On November 26, 2010, the Bulls' main point guard, Derrick Rose, was out with a neck injury. C. J. started the game against the Denver Nuggets. He scored a season-high 33 points in that game.
In December 2011, C. J. changed his jersey number from 32 to 7. This was because Richard "Rip" Hamilton joined the Bulls and wanted number 32. On April 28, 2012, in the first playoff game, Derrick Rose got a serious knee injury. C. J. stepped up and started the rest of the playoff games for the Bulls. The Bulls lost in the first round to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Brooklyn Nets (2012–2013)
On July 23, 2012, C. J. signed with the Brooklyn Nets. On February 13, 2013, he scored a season-high 25 points in a win against the Denver Nuggets. He also made five three-pointers, which was a new personal best for him.
C. J. averaged 6.8 points in 80 regular season games for the Nets. He was a backup point guard for Deron Williams. In the Nets' seven playoff games, he averaged 8.6 points per game.
Indiana Pacers (2013–2015)
On July 10, 2013, C. J. Watson signed with the Indiana Pacers. On April 13, 2014, he scored a season-high 20 points in a win against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In his first season with Indiana, C. J. averaged 6.6 points in 63 regular season games. He played as a backup point guard to George Hill. In 18 playoff games, C. J. averaged 5.8 points per game.
Orlando Magic (2015–2017)
On July 9, 2015, C. J. signed with the Orlando Magic. He had a calf injury that kept him from playing for a while. On February 19, 2016, he played his first game for the Magic since November 9, 2015. On July 10, 2017, the Magic decided to release C. J. from their team.
Playing in Turkey (2018–2019)
In February 2018, C. J. Watson signed with Uşak Sportif. This team plays in the Turkish Super League, which is a top basketball league in Turkey.
C. J. Watson's Personal Life
C. J. Watson studied psychology at the University of Tennessee. He kept working on his degree every summer, even after he started playing professional basketball. He finished his college coursework in 2012. C. J. has a brother named Kashif, who also played college basketball. He also has a sister named Vonyetta.
Images for kids
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C. J. Watson playing for the Bulls
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C. J. Watson in a game with the Bulls in 2011
