Mike James (basketball, born 1975) facts for kids
James with the Wizards in 2009
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 23, 1975 Copiague, New York, U.S. |
| High school | Amityville (Amityville, New York) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 188 lb (85 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Duquesne (1994–1998) |
| NBA Draft | 1998 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 1998–2015 |
| Career history | |
| 1998 | Long Island Surf |
| 1998–1999 | UBC St. Pölten |
| 1999–2000 | ESPE Châlons-en-Champagne |
| 2000–2001 | SLUC Nancy Basket |
| 2001 | Rockford Lightning |
| 2001–2003 | Miami Heat |
| 2003–2004 | Boston Celtics |
| 2004 | Detroit Pistons |
| 2004–2005 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2005 | Houston Rockets |
| 2005–2006 | Toronto Raptors |
| 2006–2007 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2007–2008 | Houston Rockets |
| 2008 | New Orleans Hornets |
| 2008–2010 | Washington Wizards |
| 2010 | Zhejiang Golden Bulls |
| 2011 | Aliağa Petkim |
| 2011–2012 | Erie BayHawks |
| 2012 | Chicago Bulls |
| 2013 | Texas Legends |
| 2013 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2013–2014 | Chicago Bulls |
| 2014–2015 | Texas Legends |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career statistics | |
| Points | 5,863 (9.9 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 1,324 (2.2 rpg) |
| Assists | 2,075 (3.5 apg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
Michael Lamont James (born June 23, 1975) is a former American professional basketball player. He was a talented point guard who played college basketball at Duquesne University. Mike James spent 13 seasons in the NBA, playing for many different teams. He even won an NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004!
Contents
College Basketball Career
Mike James played college basketball at Duquesne University. He became one of Duquesne's best players. He holds the record for the most steals in the university's history (201). He was also fifth in assists (348) and tenth in points (1,411). In his final year, he was named to the All-Atlantic 10 Conference first team.
In February 2017, Duquesne University honored James by retiring his number 13 jersey. This means no other player at Duquesne will wear that number again.
Professional Basketball Journey
Starting in Europe
Mike James was not chosen by an NBA team in the 1998 draft. So, he started his professional basketball career in Europe. He played several successful seasons with teams in France and Austria. In 2011, after playing in the NBA, James returned to Europe and signed with Aliağa Petkim in Turkey.
NBA Career Highlights
James began his NBA journey when he joined the Miami Heat in the 2001–02 season. Over his career, he played for 11 different NBA teams. These included the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks, Houston Rockets, Toronto Raptors, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Hornets, Washington Wizards, Chicago Bulls, and Dallas Mavericks. He averaged 10.0 points per game throughout his NBA career.
Winning with the Detroit Pistons
Mike James was part of the amazing Detroit Pistons team that won the NBA championship in 2004. He was a key reserve player. He and fellow guard Lindsey Hunter were known for their tough defense. Their teammate Rasheed Wallace even nicknamed them the "Pit Bulls" because of how aggressive they were on defense!
Starring for the Toronto Raptors
During the 2005–06 season, James became a starter for the Toronto Raptors. This was his best season ever! He averaged 20.3 points, 5.8 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game. He also shot very well, making 47% of his shots overall and 44.2% from three-point range.
Even though he was a great shooter, some people questioned his playmaking and defense. However, he had some incredible games. On April 11, 2006, he became the first Raptors player to score 30 or more points in four games in a row. He also scored a career-high 39 points in a game against the Detroit Pistons that season.
Playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves
After his fantastic season with the Raptors, Mike James was a highly sought-after player. On July 11, 2006, he signed a four-year contract worth $23.5 million with the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, his time with the Timberwolves was not as successful. His playing time dropped, and his performance was not as strong as his previous year.
Later NBA Teams
Mike James continued to move between teams in the NBA. In 2007, he was traded to the Houston Rockets. Then, in 2008, he was traded again to the New Orleans Hornets. Later that year, he was part of a three-team trade that sent him to the Washington Wizards.
After leaving the Wizards in 2010, James played in the NBA Development League (now G-League). He had a few more short stints in the NBA. He played for the Chicago Bulls in 2012 and 2014, and the Dallas Mavericks in 2013.
Post-NBA Career
After his NBA career, Mike James returned to the Texas Legends of the D-League. In January 2015, he achieved a "triple-double" for the Legends. This means he had double-digit numbers in three categories: 21 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds in one game!
Mike James' NBA Statistics
Here are some of Mike James' statistics from his time in the NBA. These tables show how well he played in regular season games and playoff games.
Regular season
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001–02 | Miami | 15 | 0 | 7.9 | .349 | .381 | .571 | .9 | 1.3 | .4 | .1 | 2.8 |
| 2002–03 | Miami | 78 | 8 | 22.1 | .373 | .294 | .732 | 1.9 | 3.2 | .8 | .1 | 7.8 |
| 2003–04 | Boston | 55 | 55 | 30.6 | .418 | .381 | .800 | 3.2 | 4.4 | 1.3 | .0 | 10.7 |
| 2003–04† | Detroit | 26 | 0 | 19.7 | .401 | .364 | .844 | 2.2 | 3.7 | 1.0 | .0 | 6.3 |
| 2004–05 | Milwaukee | 47 | 0 | 24.8 | .446 | .382 | .744 | 2.6 | 3.9 | .9 | .1 | 11.4 |
| 2004–05 | Houston | 27 | 5 | 25.6 | .433 | .393 | .764 | 3.2 | 2.9 | .9 | .1 | 12.4 |
| 2005–06 | Toronto | 79 | 79 | 37.0 | .469 | .442 | .837 | 3.3 | 5.8 | .9 | .0 | 20.3 |
| 2006–07 | Minnesota | 82* | 65 | 25.2 | .422 | .372 | .837 | 2.0 | 3.6 | .7 | .1 | 10.1 |
| 2007–08 | Houston | 33 | 1 | 16.3 | .350 | .324 | .786 | 1.6 | 1.6 | .5 | .1 | 6.5 |
| 2007–08 | New Orleans | 21 | 0 | 8.7 | .344 | .304 | 1.000 | .8 | .3 | .2 | .0 | 2.7 |
| 2008–09 | New Orleans | 8 | 0 | 9.3 | .320 | .750 | .500 | .9 | 1.0 | .3 | .0 | 2.5 |
| 2008–09 | Washington | 53 | 50 | 29.7 | .387 | .367 | .838 | 2.4 | 3.6 | .8 | .1 | 9.6 |
| 2009–10 | Washington | 4 | 0 | 11.5 | .300 | .333 | .500 | .8 | 1.3 | .8 | .0 | 4.5 |
| 2011–12 | Chicago | 11 | 0 | 10.9 | .408 | .600 | .875 | .9 | 2.6 | .4 | .2 | 4.8 |
| 2012–13 | Dallas | 45 | 23 | 19.2 | .373 | .384 | .793 | 1.6 | 3.1 | .6 | .1 | 6.1 |
| 2013–14 | Chicago | 11 | 0 | 7.0 | .238 | .200 | .000 | .6 | 1.5 | .2 | .0 | 1.0 |
| Career | 595 | 286 | 24.1 | .417 | .379 | .802 | 2.2 | 3.5 | .8 | .1 | 9.9 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004† | Detroit | 22 | 0 | 8.9 | .396 | .429 | .563 | 1.2 | 1.1 | .2 | .0 | 2.6 |
| 2005 | Houston | 7 | 0 | 24.4 | .468 | .000 | .958 | 1.9 | 2.3 | .9 | .3 | 11.6 |
| 2008 | New Orleans | 4 | 0 | 7.0 | .333 | .400 | 1.000 | .3 | .3 | .5 | .0 | 3.0 |
| Career | 33 | 0 | 11.9 | .425 | .286 | .810 | 1.2 | 1.2 | .4 | .1 | 4.5 | |
See also
In Spanish: Mike James (baloncestista de 1975) para niños
- List of National Basketball Association undrafted players
Personal Life
Mike James is married to Angela, and they have four daughters: Jadon Miciah (born 2000), Amaya Noel (born 2003), Michal Mikayla (born 2007), and McKinley Joel (born 2008). His family even appeared on an episode of the TV show Supernanny in 2008.
