James Blackmon Jr. facts for kids
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Blackmon with Aquila Basket Trento in 2020
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| [[Leuven Bears|Leuven Bears]] | |
|---|---|
| Shooting guard | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | April 25, 1995 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| High school |
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| Listed height | 1.93 m (6 ft 3.98 in) |
| Listed weight | 91 kg (201 lb) |
| Career information | |
| College | Indiana (2014–2017) |
| NBA Draft | 2017 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 2017–present |
| Career history | |
| 2017–2018 | Delaware 87ers |
| 2018 | Wisconsin Herd |
| 2018–2019 | VL Pesaro |
| 2019–2020 | Aquila Basket Trento |
| 2020–2021 | Beşiktaş |
| 2021–2022 | Pınar Karşıyaka |
| 2025–2026 | Stella Artois Leuven Bears |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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James Kumar Blackmon Jr. is an American basketball player. He was born on April 25, 1995. He currently plays for the Stella Artois Leuven Bears team in the BNXT League. Before becoming a professional, he played college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers.
Contents
High School Basketball Career
James Blackmon Jr. played basketball for three years at Bishop Luers High School. For his final year, he played at Marion High School. During his senior year, he was amazing! He scored an average of 33.4 points per game. He also made 4.2 three-pointers per game, hitting 47% of them.
He even broke his father's school record by scoring 54 points in one game! James is ranked #9 on Indiana's all-time scoring list for high school players. Top colleges like Indiana, Michigan, and Kentucky wanted him to play for them.
James first decided to play for Indiana before his freshman year. But then he thought about it again before his senior year. Finally, he announced his decision to play for Indiana live on ESPNU. He showed off his skills in big games like the McDonald's All-American Game, where he scored 13 points and won the three-point contest. He also scored 23 points in the Jordan Brand Classic.
College Basketball Career
James Blackmon Jr. played college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers.
Freshman Year: A Strong Start
Before his first official season, James played well during Indiana's trip to Canada. He led the team in scoring, averaging 18.8 points. As a freshman, he earned a starting spot on the team. He averaged 15.7 points per game, which was one of the best averages for any freshman in the country.
He was also great at shooting three-pointers. He broke a record for Indiana freshmen by making 77 three-point shots! Because of his great performance, he was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team.
Sophomore Year: Dealing with Injuries
James started his sophomore year very strong. He was shooting better than ever, with a field goal percentage of .480 and a three-point percentage of .463. However, his season ended early because of a right knee injury.
He had surgery in January 2016. This was actually his second knee surgery in just six months, as he had surgery on his other knee before the season started. He still averaged 15.8 points in the thirteen games he played. Even without him, Indiana's team did very well, winning the Big Ten league title.
Junior Year: Leading the Team
On November 14, 2016, James Blackmon Jr. was named National Player of the Week by NBCSports.com. He also became Big Ten Co-Player of the Week. He averaged 17.3 points per game during his junior year. After this season, he decided to enter the 2017 NBA draft to try and become a professional player.
College Statistics Overview
Here's a quick look at James Blackmon Jr.'s college stats:
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 | Indiana | 33 | 33 | 30.0 | .420 | .387 | .806 | 5.3 | 1.5 | 0.6 | .1 | 15.7 |
| 2015–16 | Indiana | 13 | 12 | 24.5 | .480 | .463 | .852 | 4.2 | 1.7 | 1.2 | .4 | 15.8 |
| 2016–17 | Indiana | 30 | 30 | 30.5 | .477 | .423 | .837 | 4.8 | 1.9 | .7 | .0 | 17.0 |
| Career | 76 | 75 | 29.3 | .452 | .415 | .824 | 4.9 | 1.7 | 0.8 | .1 | 16.3 | |
Professional Basketball Career
After college, James Blackmon Jr. signed with the Philadelphia 76ers on June 23, 2017. He played well for them during the 2017 NBA Summer League. He then signed a training camp contract but was later waived before the regular season started.
On January 26, 2018, James was traded from the Delaware 87ers to the Wisconsin Herd.
He then moved to play basketball in Europe. On August 6, 2018, he signed with VL Pesaro in Italy. The next year, on July 19, 2019, he signed with another Italian team, Aquila Basket Trento.
In October 2020, James signed a one-year contract with Beşiktaş in Turkey. He continued playing in Turkey, signing with Pınar Karşıyaka on July 8, 2021.
Most recently, on July 2, 2025, James signed a one-year deal with the Leuven Bears in Belgium. He continues his basketball journey there.
Family Life
James Blackmon Jr. comes from a family of basketball players! His father, James Blackmon Sr., was also a talented basketball player. He was drafted into the NBA after a great career at Kentucky. James Blackmon Sr. now coaches basketball at Marion.
James's father is of African-American descent, and his mother, Sailaja, is of Telugu descent. James has two brothers. His brother Vijay played basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team and now plays for Lindenwood University. His other brother, Jalen, plays for Stetson University.
See also
In Spanish: James Blackmon para niños
