James Johnson (basketball, born 1987) facts for kids
![]() Johnson with the Brooklyn Nets in 2022
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Free agent | |
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Power forward / small forward | |
Personal information | |
Born | Cheyenne, Wyoming, U.S. |
February 20, 1987
High school | Cheyenne East (Cheyenne, Wyoming) |
Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
Listed weight | 240 lb (109 kg) |
Career information | |
College | Wake Forest (2007–2009) |
NBA Draft | 2009 / Round: 1 / Pick: 16th overall |
Selected by the Chicago Bulls | |
Pro career | 2009–present |
Career history | |
2009–2011 | Chicago Bulls |
2011 | →Iowa Energy |
2011–2012 | Toronto Raptors |
2012–2013 | Sacramento Kings |
2013 | Rio Grande Valley Vipers |
2013–2014 | Memphis Grizzlies |
2014–2016 | Toronto Raptors |
2016–2020 | Miami Heat |
2020 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
2020–2021 | Dallas Mavericks |
2021 | New Orleans Pelicans |
2021–2022 | Brooklyn Nets |
2022–2025 | Indiana Pacers |
Career highlights and awards | |
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James Patrick Johnson (born February 20, 1987) is an American professional basketball player. He last played for the Indiana Pacers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). James was a starting player for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons college team from 2007 to 2009. The Chicago Bulls picked him 16th overall in the 2009 NBA draft.
Contents
- High School Basketball Days
- College Career Highlights
- Professional Basketball Journey
- Playing for the Chicago Bulls (2009–2011)
- Joining the Toronto Raptors (2011–2012)
- Time with the Sacramento Kings (2012–2013)
- Playing in the NBA D-League (2013)
- With the Memphis Grizzlies (2013–2014)
- Second Time with the Toronto Raptors (2014–2016)
- Years with the Miami Heat (2016–2020)
- Moving to Minnesota (2020)
- Short Stints with Dallas and New Orleans (2020–2021)
- Playing for the Brooklyn Nets (2021–2022)
- Time with the Indiana Pacers (2022–2025)
- Career Statistics
- About James Johnson
- See also
High School Basketball Days
James Johnson went to Cheyenne East High School in Cheyenne, Wyoming. In his final year, he scored about 28 points and grabbed nine rebounds per game. James and his brother, Scott, also played wide receiver on the school's football team. Experts thought James was a top player in 2007.
College Career Highlights
Starting Strong at Wake Forest
James joined Wake Forest as a freshman in 2007–08. He quickly made a big impact. He earned third-team All-ACC honors in his first year. He also finished second for the 2008 ACC Rookie of the Year award. James led his team in scoring and rebounding that season.
Leading the Demon Deacons
As a sophomore, James again led the team in rebounding. He helped Wake Forest achieve a great 24–5 record. The team even reached the #1 ranking during the 2008–09 season. He was named third team All-ACC once more. After this successful season, James decided to enter the 2009 NBA draft.
Professional Basketball Journey
Playing for the Chicago Bulls (2009–2011)
The Chicago Bulls chose James Johnson as the 16th pick in the 2009 NBA draft. He signed his first professional contract with the Bulls on July 8, 2009. During his time with the Bulls, he also played briefly for the Iowa Energy in the NBA D-League.
Joining the Toronto Raptors (2011–2012)
On February 22, 2011, James was traded to the Toronto Raptors. He played for them for about a year.
Time with the Sacramento Kings (2012–2013)
James moved to the Sacramento Kings on July 16, 2012. A memorable moment happened on December 28, 2012. James made a game-winning three-pointer right at the end of the game. This shot gave the Kings a 106–105 victory over the New York Knicks.
Playing in the NBA D-League (2013)
After a short time with the Atlanta Hawks, James joined the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in November 2013. In 10 games, he played very well. He averaged 18.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game.
With the Memphis Grizzlies (2013–2014)
On December 16, 2013, James signed with the Memphis Grizzlies. He played for them for the rest of that season.
Second Time with the Toronto Raptors (2014–2016)
James returned to the Toronto Raptors on July 17, 2014. During a game in December 2014, he made an exciting dunk over an opponent. After the play, James famously said, "That was nasty, right? I cocked that joint back and banged on him!" This quote became very popular with Raptors fans. On February 21, 2015, James scored a career-high 27 points in a game against the Houston Rockets.
Years with the Miami Heat (2016–2020)
On July 10, 2016, James signed with the Miami Heat. He quickly became an important player for them. On February 10, 2017, he scored 26 points, helping the Heat win their 13th game in a row. He had another great game on April 5, 2017, scoring 26 points with excellent three-point shooting. James re-signed with the Heat in July 2017. He scored a career-high 31 points in a double-overtime win on March 19, 2018.
Moving to Minnesota (2020)
On February 6, 2020, James was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of a three-team trade.
Short Stints with Dallas and New Orleans (2020–2021)
James was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in November 2020. He then moved to the New Orleans Pelicans in March 2021.
Playing for the Brooklyn Nets (2021–2022)
On August 6, 2021, James signed a one-year contract with the Brooklyn Nets. He scored a season-high 19 points in a game on March 1, 2022. The Nets later waived him on April 7, 2022.
Time with the Indiana Pacers (2022–2025)
James Johnson signed with the Indiana Pacers on September 16, 2022. He rejoined his former coach, Rick Carlisle. He was waived by the Pacers in February 2023 but re-signed with them a few days later. On December 15, 2023, James re-signed with the Pacers again. He was waived in January 2024 as part of a trade for Pascal Siakam. However, he signed two 10-day contracts and then signed for the rest of the season. James re-signed with the Pacers on July 25, 2024.
Career Statistics
NBA Regular Season
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2009–10 | Chicago | 65 | 11 | 11.6 | .452 | .326 | .729 | 2.0 | .7 | .3 | .7 | 3.9 |
2010–11 | Chicago | 13 | 0 | 9.4 | .415 | .222 | .462 | 1.8 | 1.1 | .6 | .7 | 3.2 |
Toronto | 25 | 25 | 27.9 | .464 | .240 | .707 | 4.7 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 9.2 | |
2011–12 | Toronto | 62 | 40 | 25.2 | .450 | .317 | .704 | 4.7 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 9.1 |
2012–13 | Sacramento | 54 | 11 | 16.3 | .413 | .095 | .597 | 2.7 | 1.1 | .8 | .9 | 5.1 |
2013–14 | Memphis | 52 | 4 | 18.4 | .464 | .253 | .844 | 3.2 | 2.1 | .8 | 1.1 | 7.4 |
2014–15 | Toronto | 70 | 17 | 19.6 | .589 | .216 | .657 | 3.7 | 1.4 | .8 | 1.0 | 7.9 |
2015–16 | Toronto | 57 | 32 | 16.2 | .475 | .303 | .574 | 2.2 | 1.2 | .5 | .6 | 5.0 |
2016–17 | Miami | 76 | 5 | 27.4 | .479 | .341 | .707 | 4.9 | 3.6 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 12.8 |
2017–18 | Miami | 73 | 41 | 26.6 | .503 | .308 | .698 | 4.9 | 3.8 | 1.0 | .7 | 10.8 |
2018–19 | Miami | 55 | 33 | 21.2 | .433 | .336 | .714 | 3.2 | 2.5 | .6 | .5 | 7.8 |
2019–20 | Miami | 18 | 0 | 15.6 | .448 | .356 | .571 | 2.9 | 1.2 | .3 | .7 | 5.7 |
Minnesota | 14 | 1 | 24.2 | .500 | .370 | .676 | 4.7 | 3.8 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 12.0 | |
2020–21 | Dallas | 29 | 1 | 17.4 | .462 | .250 | .586 | 3.0 | 1.7 | .8 | .8 | 5.7 |
New Orleans | 22 | 11 | 24.5 | .434 | .267 | .596 | 4.1 | 2.2 | .8 | .9 | 9.2 | |
2021–22 | Brooklyn | 62 | 10 | 19.2 | .469 | .271 | .527 | 3.5 | 2.1 | .5 | .5 | 5.5 |
2022–23 | Indiana | 18 | 1 | 9.0 | .449 | .200 | .500 | 1.7 | .8 | .4 | .3 | 2.8 |
2023–24 | Indiana | 9 | 0 | 5.2 | .300 | .000 | 1.000 | .4 | .9 | .6 | .1 | .9 |
2024–25 | Indiana | 12 | 0 | 3.1 | .364 | .000 | .000 | .5 | .3 | .0 | .2 | .7 |
Career | 786 | 243 | 19.8 | .473 | .300 | .678 | 3.5 | 2.0 | .7 | .8 | 7.4 |
NBA Playoffs
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | Chicago | 4 | 0 | 5.0 | .000 | .000 | — | .3 | .3 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
2014 | Memphis | 3 | 0 | 9.3 | .333 | .400 | .700 | 2.0 | .0 | .3 | .0 | 6.3 |
2015 | Toronto | 2 | 0 | 6.0 | .333 | — | .000 | 1.0 | .5 | .0 | .0 | 2.0 |
2016 | Toronto | 10 | 0 | 9.8 | .480 | .444 | .667 | 1.5 | .6 | .3 | .0 | 3.0 |
2018 | Miami | 5 | 5 | 32.1 | .548 | .538 | .643 | 6.0 | 4.8 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 12.4 |
2024 | Indiana | 1 | 0 | 1.0 | — | — | .500 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 1.0 |
2025 | Indiana | 5 | 0 | 3.6 | .600 | .000 | .500 | .2 | .4 | .4 | .4 | 1.4 |
Career | 30 | 5 | 11.3 | .474 | .448 | .541 | 1.8 | 1.1 | .4 | .3 | 4.1 |
College Statistics
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2007–08 | Wake Forest | 30 | 28 | 29.2 | .487 | .280 | .689 | 8.1 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 14.6 |
2008–09 | Wake Forest | 31 | 31 | 30.5 | .542 | .319 | .697 | 8.5 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 15.0 |
Career | 61 | 59 | 29.9 | .515 | .296 | .693 | 8.3 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 14.8 |
About James Johnson
James Johnson has both African-American and Samoan family roots. He is also a black belt in karate. He has mentioned that he has a record of 20–0 in kickboxing and has also competed in MMA. However, these claims have not been officially confirmed. James has a tattoo of his son's name, "Naymin," on his neck.
See also
In Spanish: James Johnson para niños