C. J. Watson facts for kids
Watson with the Bulls
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 17, 1984 Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| 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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Charles "C. J." Akeem Watson Jr., born on April 17, 1984, is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Tennessee Volunteers. Watson spent many years playing as a point guard in the NBA.
College Basketball Journey
Watson played 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 season was in 2005–06, during his senior year. He and another great player, Chris Lofton, helped the Volunteers achieve a strong record. They won 22 games and lost 8 overall. In their conference, they won 12 games and lost 4.
During this season, Watson scored about 15.3 points per game. He also made 3.9 assists and grabbed 3.1 rebounds per game. Because of his great play, he earned second-team All-SEC honors. This award came from both the Associated Press and the league coaches.
Watson finished his college career as one of Tennessee's top players. He was second all-time in assists with 577. He was also second in steals with 198. He ranked sixth in three-point shooting percentage. He was tied for eighth in three-point shots made. Overall, he scored 1,424 points, placing him 15th in school history.
Professional Basketball Career
Playing in Europe (2006–2007)
Even though C. J. Watson had a great college career, no NBA team picked him in the 2006 NBA draft. After that, he played a little with the San Antonio Spurs in a summer league. Then, he went to Italy to play for a team called Bipop Carire Reggio Emilia. He played 17 games there, averaging 8.5 points. Later, he moved to Greece and played for PAOK B.C. for five games.
NBA D-League Experience (2007–2008)
Watson came back to the United States to try and join the NBA. He played in another summer league with the Spurs. He also joined the Charlotte Bobcats' training camp. But he still didn't make an NBA team.
On November 1, 2007, he joined the NBA D-League. He was picked fifth overall by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He played very well for the Vipers. He averaged 26.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game.
His strong performance led to a big chance. On January 8, 2008, the Golden State Warriors signed him. At that time, Watson was the third-highest scorer in the D-League. He also became the 100th player from the D-League to be called up to an NBA team.
Golden State Warriors (2008–2010)
When C. J. Watson joined the Golden State Warriors, he signed a 10-day contract. He was meant to be a backup point guard for Baron Davis. Watson played well and impressed the Warriors' coach, Don Nelson. Because of this, he earned a second 10-day contract.
After these two short contracts, he played in 8 games. He averaged 5.4 points and 1.8 assists in about 16.6 minutes per game. The Warriors then signed him for the rest of the season. On February 17, 2010, Watson had an amazing game against the Sacramento Kings. He scored a career-high 40 points, making 16 of his 23 shots.
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 stiff neck. Watson started the game against the Denver Nuggets. He scored a season-high 33 points, even though the Bulls lost.
On December 14, 2011, Watson 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 that year, Derrick Rose got a serious knee injury. Watson stepped up and started the rest of the Bulls' playoff games. The Bulls lost in the first round to the Philadelphia 76ers. Watson averaged 7.3 points in that series.
Brooklyn Nets (2012–2013)
On July 23, 2012, Watson signed with the Brooklyn Nets. On February 13, 2013, he had a season-high game. He scored 25 points in a 119–108 win against the Denver Nuggets. His 25 points were the most he had scored since November 2010. He also made five three-pointers, which was a new career high for him.
Watson played in 80 regular season games for the Nets. He was a backup point guard to Deron Williams. He averaged 6.8 points per game. In the Nets' seven playoff games, he averaged 8.6 points per game.
Indiana Pacers (2013–2015)
On July 10, 2013, Watson signed with the Indiana Pacers. On April 13, 2014, he scored a season-high 20 points. This helped the Pacers win 102–97 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. In his first season with Indiana, Watson played in 63 regular season games. He was a backup point guard for George Hill. He averaged 6.6 points per game. In 18 playoff games, Watson averaged 5.8 points per game.
Orlando Magic (2015–2017)
On July 9, 2015, Watson signed with the Orlando Magic. On February 19, 2016, he played in his first game for the Magic since November 9, 2015. He had been out due to an injury to his left calf. On July 10, 2017, the Magic decided to release Watson from their team.
Playing in Turkey (2018–2019)
On February 17, 2018, C. J. Watson signed with Uşak Sportif. This team plays in the Turkish Super League, which is a top basketball league in Turkey. He played there until 2019.
Personal Life
C. J. Watson studied psychology while he was at Tennessee. He kept working on his degree every summer after he started playing professional basketball. He finished all his schoolwork in 2012. C. J. has a brother named Kashif. Kashif also played college basketball for the University of Idaho. C. J. also has a sister named Vonyetta.
See also
In Spanish: C. J. Watson para niños
