JJ Hickson facts for kids
Hickson with the Cavaliers in 2009
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 4, 1988 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| High school | Joseph Wheeler (Marietta, Georgia) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 242 lb (110 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | NC State (2007–2008) |
| NBA Draft | 2008 / Round: 1 / Pick: 19th overall |
| Selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers | |
| Pro career | 2008–2019 |
| Career history | |
| 2008–2011 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2011 | Bnei HaSharon |
| 2011–2012 | Sacramento Kings |
| 2012–2013 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2013–2016 | Denver Nuggets |
| 2016 | Washington Wizards |
| 2016–2017 | Fujian Sturgeons |
| 2017 | Jiangsu Tongxi |
| 2018 | Champville SC |
| 2019 | Leones de Ponce |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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James Edward "JJ" Hickson Jr. (born September 4, 1988) is an American former professional basketball player. He played as a power forward and center. JJ Hickson played one season of college basketball for North Carolina State University. After that, he was chosen by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2008 NBA draft. He played for several teams in the NBA, including the Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings, and Portland Trail Blazers. He also played basketball in other countries like Israel, China, Puerto Rico, and Lebanon.
Contents
- High School Basketball Journey
- College Basketball Experience
- Professional Basketball Career
- Playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers (2008–2011)
- Time with the Sacramento Kings (2011–2012)
- Joining the Portland Trail Blazers (2012–2013)
- Playing for the Denver Nuggets (2013–2016)
- Short Time with the Washington Wizards (2016)
- Playing in China (2016–2017)
- Playing in Lebanon and Puerto Rico (2018–2019)
- See also
High School Basketball Journey
JJ Hickson went to Joseph Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia. He was a top player in the class of 2007. Experts like Rivals.com and Scout.com ranked him as one of the best players in the country.
In the 2005–06 season, Hickson helped his high school team reach the 5A Final Four. During his senior year (2006–07), he was amazing! He scored about 25.9 points and grabbed 13.8 rebounds per game. He also blocked 3 shots per game. Because of his great skills, he was named a McDonald's All-American. This means he was one of the best high school players in the nation.
College Basketball Experience
Hickson played college basketball for NC State for one season, in 2007–08. In his very first college game, he scored 31 points! He made all 12 of his shots against William & Mary. This set a new record for college players in their first game.
JJ was named the ACC Rookie of the Week three times. He scored 20 or more points in seven games. He also had 10 "double-doubles," which means he got double digits in two stats (like points and rebounds). In one game against Clemson, he grabbed 23 rebounds. This was a record for a freshman in the ACC! He also scored 13 points and blocked 4 shots in that game.
He scored a career-high 33 points against Western Carolina University. He also got 13 rebounds in that game. In the ACC tournament, he scored 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds against Miami. For the whole season, he averaged 14.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. He was chosen for the All-Freshman team in the ACC.
College Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–08 | NC State | 31 | 31 | 28.7 | .591 | .000 | .677 | 8.5 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 14.8 |
Professional Basketball Career
Playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers (2008–2011)
The Cleveland Cavaliers picked JJ Hickson as the 19th overall player in the 2008 NBA draft. He signed his first NBA contract on July 10, 2008. In his first NBA game, he scored four points against the Charlotte Bobcats.
On November 26, 2008, he had a great game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He scored 14 points, grabbed six rebounds, and blocked four shots. He kept getting better, setting new career-highs in rebounds in later games.
In 2010, Hickson continued to improve. On January 27, he scored a new career-high of 23 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Later that year, on November 2, he scored an even higher career-best of 31 points against the Atlanta Hawks. On January 22, he grabbed a career-high 20 rebounds against the Chicago Bulls. He also set a career-high with five blocks on February 25 against the New York Knicks.
Time with the Sacramento Kings (2011–2012)
On June 30, 2011, JJ Hickson was traded to the Sacramento Kings. This happened in exchange for another player, Omri Casspi.
During an NBA player lockout in 2011, Hickson played for a team in Israel called Bnei HaSharon. He played one game for them before the lockout ended. In December 2011, he joined the Sacramento Kings. He played 35 games for the Kings during the 2011–12 season.
Joining the Portland Trail Blazers (2012–2013)
On March 21, 2012, the Portland Trail Blazers picked up Hickson. He then re-signed with the Trail Blazers for another year on July 13, 2012.
During the 2012–13 season, he had his best year for rebounds. He averaged 10.4 rebounds per game, which was a career-high for him. He also averaged 12.7 points per game that season.
Playing for the Denver Nuggets (2013–2016)
JJ Hickson signed with the Denver Nuggets on July 11, 2013. On February 25, 2014, he had an amazing game against his former team, the Portland Trail Blazers. He scored 16 points and grabbed a career-high 25 rebounds!
Unfortunately, on March 22, 2014, it was announced that Hickson would miss the rest of the season. He had injured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during a game.
On February 19, 2016, the Nuggets decided to release Hickson from their team.
Short Time with the Washington Wizards (2016)
On February 25, 2016, Hickson signed with the Washington Wizards. Just three days later, he played his first game with the Wizards. They won against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he scored two points and grabbed two rebounds.
Playing in China (2016–2017)
On August 20, 2016, Hickson signed with the Fujian Sturgeons in the Chinese Basketball Association. He played for them for a season. On August 11, 2017, he signed with another Chinese team, Jiangsu Tongxi.
Playing in Lebanon and Puerto Rico (2018–2019)
On April 2, 2018, Hickson signed with Champville SC in the Lebanese Basketball Federation. Later, on May 8, 2019, Leones de Ponce announced that they had signed Hickson to play for their team in Puerto Rico.
See also
In Spanish: J. J. Hickson para niños
- List of North Carolina State University people
