James Young (basketball) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
James Young

Young with the Boston Celtics in 2017
Free agent
Small forward / shooting guard
Personal information
Born	(1995-08-16) August 16, 1995 (age 30) Flint, Michigan, U.S.
High school	Troy (Troy, Michigan) Rochester (Rochester Hills, Michigan)
Listed height	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight	216 lb (98 kg)
Career information
College	Kentucky (2013–2014)
NBA Draft	2014 / Round: 1 / Pick: 17th overall
Selected by the Boston Celtics
Pro career	2014–present
Career history
2014–2017	Boston Celtics
2014–2016	→Maine Red Claws
2017–2018	Wisconsin Herd
2018	Philadelphia 76ers
2018	→Delaware 87ers
2018–2019	Wisconsin Herd
2019–2020	Maccabi Haifa
2021	Westchester Knicks
2021–2022	Hapoel Tel Aviv
2023	Kolossos Rodou
2023	Treviso Basket
2023–2024	Varese
2025	Ipswich Force
Career highlights and awards
Israeli Basketball Premier League Top Scorer (2020) Second-team All-SEC (2014) SEC All-Freshman Team (2014) McDonald's All-American (2013) First-team Parade All-American (2013)

James Calvin Young (born August 16, 1995) is an American professional basketball player. He recently played for the Ipswich Force in Australia. Before that, he played one season of college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats.

James was chosen by the Boston Celtics in the 2014 NBA draft. He was the 17th player picked overall. During his first year in the NBA, he often played for the Maine Red Claws. This team was connected to the Celtics in the NBA Development League. In the 2019–20 season, James was the top scorer in the Israeli Basketball Premier League. He averaged 20.5 points per game.

High School Basketball Journey

Young making a layup in the 2013 McDonald's All-American Boys Game.

James Young went to two different high schools in Michigan. He attended Troy High School and Rochester High School.

Playing for Troy High School

When James was a junior at Troy High in 2011–12, he was amazing on the court. He scored about 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds per game. He also made 4 assists and 2 steals per game. Because of his great play, he was named first-team All-State. This honor came from important sports news groups like the Associated Press.

Playing for Rochester High School

On October 11, 2012, James decided where he would play college basketball. He signed a letter to play for the University of Kentucky. In his senior year at Rochester High (2012–13), James continued to shine. He averaged 27 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 assists per game. He was even chosen as a McDonald's All-American player.

Experts at ESPN.com thought James was a top player. They called him a five-star recruit. In 2013, they ranked him as the 3rd best small forward. He was also the 8th best player in the entire nation.

College Basketball Career

As a freshman at Kentucky in the 2013–14 season, James was a key player. He made 82 three-pointers, which was the second-highest for a freshman at Kentucky.

Awards and Achievements

James earned several awards during his college year. He was named the SEC Freshman of the Week twice. He also made the second-team All-SEC. Plus, he was on the SEC All-Freshman team. He even made the Final Four NCAA All-Tournament team.

In 40 games, James started 39 of them. He played about 32 minutes per game. He averaged 14.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists. Early in the season, on November 19, he had his best game. He scored 26 points and made five three-pointers. This helped Kentucky win 105–76 against UT Arlington.

On April 17, 2014, James decided to enter the NBA draft. This meant he would not play his last three years of college basketball.

Professional Basketball Journey

Time with the Boston Celtics (2014–2017)

Young playing for the Celtics in 2014.

On June 26, 2014, the Boston Celtics picked James Young in the 2014 NBA draft. He was the 17th player chosen. A few weeks later, on July 10, he signed his first contract with the Celtics.

First Season (2014–15)

Injuries kept James from playing much at the start. He missed summer league and parts of training camp. Because of this, he spent a lot of time playing for the Maine Red Claws. This team was the Celtics' minor league team. Playing in the D-League (now G League) helped him get more playing time. He had 11 assignments to the Red Claws that season.

James finally got a chance to show his skills with the Celtics on January 5, 2015. He scored a season-high 13 points in a game against the Charlotte Hornets. After this, he played more often for the Celtics. He averaged 3.8 points in about 13 minutes per game. For the Red Claws, he averaged 20.7 points and 5.2 rebounds in 19 games.

Second Season (2015–16)

In July 2015, James played for the Celtics in the NBA Summer League. He averaged 9.4 points and 3.4 rebounds. His shooting was not great, but the Celtics still kept him. They extended his contract through the 2016–17 season.

He continued to split his time between the Celtics and the Red Claws. He played in 16 games for the Red Claws. There, he averaged 14.8 points and 5.6 rebounds. He also played in three playoff games for the Celtics.

Third Season (2016–17)

James played for the Celtics again in the 2016 NBA Summer League. On November 12, 2016, he scored a season-high 12 points. This helped the Celtics win against the Indiana Pacers. He played in 29 games for the Celtics that season.

After the Celtics (2017)

In July 2017, James became a free agent. He joined the New Orleans Pelicans for the 2017 NBA Summer League. Later, he signed a training camp contract with the Milwaukee Bucks. However, the Bucks let him go on October 5, 2017.

Playing for Wisconsin Herd (2017–2018)

On October 22, 2017, James joined the Wisconsin Herd. This team is part of the G League. He earned a spot on their main roster.

Time with the Philadelphia 76ers (2018)

On January 5, 2018, James signed a special contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. This "two-way contract" meant he would play for both the 76ers and their G League team, the Delaware 87ers. He was released by the 76ers on March 26, 2018.

Second Time with Wisconsin Herd (2018–2019)

In October 2018, James returned to the Wisconsin Herd. He played with them until January 18, 2019, when he was released.

Playing in Israel with Maccabi Haifa (2019–2020)

On August 8, 2019, James signed a one-year deal with Maccabi Haifa B.C. in Israel. He had some amazing games there. On November 14, 2019, he scored a career-high 32 points. He also had five rebounds and three assists. This helped Haifa win 95–83.

On December 22, 2019, he matched his career-high with another 32 points. He made 7 three-pointers in that game. He also grabbed eight rebounds and made three steals. Haifa won by a lot, 92–60. He averaged 20.3 points per game for the team. In the 2019–20 season, he was the top scorer in the Israeli Basketball Premier League.

Westchester Knicks (2020–2021)

On December 14, 2020, James signed with the New York Knicks. He was later sent to their G League team, the Westchester Knicks.

Hapoel Tel Aviv (2021–2022)

On March 8, 2021, James signed with Hapoel Tel Aviv B.C. in the Israeli Basketball Premier League.

Kolossos Rodou (2023)

On January 12, 2023, James signed with a Greek team called Kolossos Rodou B.C.. He played for them for the rest of the season. In 10 games, he averaged 9.1 points and 3.3 rebounds.

Universo Treviso Basket (2023–2024)

On July 22, 2023, he signed with Treviso Basket in Italy.

Ipswich Force (2025)

On April 14, 2025, it was announced that James Young would play for the Ipswich Force in Australia for the 2025 NBL1 North season.

Career Statistics

NBA Regular Season Stats

NBA Playoff Stats

College Stats

See also

In Spanish: James Young (baloncestista) para niños