James Posey facts for kids
![]() Posey with the New Orleans Hornets
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Phoenix Suns | ||||||||||||||
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Assistant coach | ||||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||||
Born | Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
January 13, 1977 |||||||||||||
High school | R. B. Chamberlain (Twinsburg, Ohio) |
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Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | |||||||||||||
Listed weight | 217 lb (98 kg) | |||||||||||||
Career information | ||||||||||||||
College | Xavier (1996–1999) | |||||||||||||
NBA Draft | 1999 / Round: 1 / Pick: 18th overall | |||||||||||||
Selected by the Denver Nuggets | ||||||||||||||
Pro career | 1999–2011 | |||||||||||||
Coaching career | 2013–present | |||||||||||||
League | NBA | |||||||||||||
Career history | ||||||||||||||
As player: | ||||||||||||||
1999–2002 | Denver Nuggets | |||||||||||||
2002–2003 | Houston Rockets | |||||||||||||
2003–2005 | Memphis Grizzlies | |||||||||||||
2005–2007 | Miami Heat | |||||||||||||
2007–2008 | Boston Celtics | |||||||||||||
2008–2010 | New Orleans Hornets | |||||||||||||
2010–2011 | Indiana Pacers | |||||||||||||
As coach: | ||||||||||||||
2013–2014 | Canton Charge (assistant) | |||||||||||||
2014–2019 | Cleveland Cavaliers (assistant) | |||||||||||||
2022–2024 | Washington Wizards (assistant) | |||||||||||||
2024–present | Phoenix Suns (assistant) | |||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
As player:
As assistant coach:
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Career NBA statistics | ||||||||||||||
Points | 4,214 (8.6 ppg) | |||||||||||||
Rebounds | 4,532 (4.7 rpg) | |||||||||||||
Assists | 903 (1.6 apg) | |||||||||||||
Medals
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James Mikely Mantell Posey Jr. (born January 13, 1977) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He used to play as a small forward for several NBA teams, including the Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, New Orleans Hornets, and Indiana Pacers. Posey won two NBA championships as a player. He helped the Miami Heat win in 2006 and the Boston Celtics win in 2008. He also won an NBA championship as an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.
Contents
- College Basketball Career
- Professional Basketball Career
- Playing for the Denver Nuggets (1999–2002)
- Playing for the Houston Rockets (2002–2003)
- Playing for the Memphis Grizzlies (2003–2005)
- Playing for the Miami Heat (2005–2007)
- Playing for the Boston Celtics (2007–2008)
- Playing for the New Orleans Hornets (2008–2010)
- Playing for the Indiana Pacers (2010–2011)
- Coaching Career
- Media Career
- Personal Life
- See also
College Basketball Career
James Posey went to Xavier University in 1995. He couldn't play his first year because of college rules. Even so, he became a star player.
He is 16th on Xavier's all-time scoring list with 1,455 points. He is also 10th in rebounds with 801. Posey was the top rebounder for Xavier in all three of his playing seasons.
Posey won many awards at Xavier. In 1998, he was named the "Most Outstanding Player" when Xavier won its first-ever Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship. He also won the "Sixth Man Award" twice. In 1999, he was named to the Atlantic 10 First Team and was the Defensive Player of the Year. He achieved all this while often coming off the bench instead of starting games.
Professional Basketball Career
Playing for the Denver Nuggets (1999–2002)
The Denver Nuggets picked James Posey 18th in the 1999 NBA draft. This was after he left Xavier University. In his first year, he scored 8.2 points and grabbed 3.9 rebounds per game. He was named to the All-Rookie Second Team.
On December 22, 2001, Posey scored a career-high 33 points. This happened in a game against the Golden State Warriors. He played for the Nuggets for just over three seasons.
Playing for the Houston Rockets (2002–2003)
On December 18, 2002, Posey was traded to the Houston Rockets. This trade involved three different teams.
Playing for the Memphis Grizzlies (2003–2005)
After playing for the Rockets, Posey joined the Memphis Grizzlies. He signed with them as a free agent in 2003.
On March 29, 2004, Posey scored a new career-high of 38 points. He even made a three-point shot to force a second overtime. The Grizzlies won that game against the Atlanta Hawks.
Playing for the Miami Heat (2005–2007)
On August 2, 2005, James Posey was part of a huge trade in NBA history. This trade involved 13 players and five different teams. Posey joined the Miami Heat through this big trade.
In the 2005–06 season, Posey averaged 7.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. He played much better in the playoffs than in the regular season. Coach Pat Riley decided to have Posey come off the bench for the playoffs.
As the Heat's "sixth man" (a key player who comes off the bench), Posey averaged 11.8 points per game. He also shot very well against the Chicago Bulls in the first round. In the second round against the New Jersey Nets, Posey focused on defense. He guarded star players like Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson. His strong defense helped the Heat move forward.
Posey continued his great defense against the Detroit Pistons in the third round. He guarded their top scorers, taking pressure off Miami's own scorers. This allowed players like Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal to focus on offense.
In the 2006 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, Posey was very important. On defense, he and Udonis Haslem made it tough for the Mavericks' star, Dirk Nowitzki. On offense, Posey made important shots when Wade and O'Neal were double-teamed. In Game 4 of the Finals, he scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. In Game 6, he made a huge shot that helped Miami win the game and the championship. Posey averaged 7.3 points and 6 rebounds in the Finals.
In 2006, Posey decided to stay with the Heat for another year. The Heat were eliminated early in the 2006–07 playoffs.
Playing for the Boston Celtics (2007–2008)

On August 25, 2007, Posey signed with the Boston Celtics. He joined new teammates like Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. The deal was for about $6.67 million over two years.
In the 2008 NBA Finals, Posey won his second NBA championship. He again helped his team with strong defense and key shots. On June 30, 2008, Posey chose to leave his contract with the Celtics. He became a free agent, but he said he wanted to return to the team.
Playing for the New Orleans Hornets (2008–2010)
On July 16, 2008, Posey signed a four-year deal with the New Orleans Hornets. The contract was worth about $25 million.
Playing for the Indiana Pacers (2010–2011)
On August 11, 2010, Posey was traded to the Indiana Pacers. This was a four-team trade involving the New Jersey Nets and Houston Rockets. On December 12, 2011, the Pacers released Posey.
Coaching Career
In September 2013, James Posey became an assistant coach for the Canton Charge.
On August 19, 2014, he was hired as an assistant coach by the Cleveland Cavaliers. In his second season with the Cavaliers, the team won the 2016 NBA Finals Championship. They beat the Golden State Warriors, who had won 73 games that season.
On July 26, 2022, Posey became an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards.
On August 6, 2023, Posey was hired by the Phoenix Suns. He joined a new coaching staff led by Mike Budenholzer.
Media Career
James Posey now hosts a weekly podcast called "The Posecast." It is part of the Basketballnews.com Podcast Network. On his show, he talks with former teammates and other people from the NBA. He also writes weekly articles about the NBA for the website.
Personal Life
James Posey has a son named Jace Posey. Jace plays basketball as a guard/small forward at Strake Jesuit High School in Houston, Texas. He is a highly-rated player and plans to play college basketball at TCU.
In March 2008, Posey's girlfriend gave birth to their daughter, Sai Aleke.
See also
In Spanish: James Posey para niños