P. J. Hairston facts for kids

Samuel Peterson "P. J." Hairston Jr. was born on December 24, 1992. He is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels. After his sophomore year in 2013, he was ready for the 2014 NBA draft. The Miami Heat chose him as the 26th overall pick. He was later traded to the Charlotte Hornets for another player, Shabazz Napier.

High School Basketball Journey

P. J. Hairston started his high school basketball career at Dudley High School in Greensboro. He played there for three years. In one game during his junior year, he scored an amazing 53 points! For his final year of high school, he moved to Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Virginia. There, he averaged 25.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. He also scored 15 points in the 2011 McDonald's All-American Boys Game, which features top high school players.

Experts at ESPN.com thought Hairston was a top player. They listed him as the third-best shooting guard and the 13th-best player in the nation in 2011.

College Basketball Career

In 2011, Hairston joined the North Carolina Tar Heels for his freshman year. He was the team's eighth-highest scorer, averaging 5.7 points per game. He also led the team in free-throw percentage.

Sophomore Season Highlights

During the 2012–13 season, Hairston started playing much more in the second half of the season. In the last five regular season games, he played about 32 minutes per game. This was a big jump from the 20 minutes he played in the first 29 games. Hairston led the team in scoring during these last five games, averaging 19.6 points. He was even named ACC Co-Player of the Week in February 2013 for his great play against Duke and Virginia. His coaches also praised his defense in the win against Virginia.

Hairston started his second college game against Duke in February 2013. He scored a career-high 23 points in that game. In his next start against Virginia, he scored an even higher 29 points. This happened just four games after he returned from missing a game due to a concussion. In a game during the ACC tournament on March 15, 2013, Hairston injured his non-shooting left hand. He needed eight stitches but still led his team with 21 points, making five of six three-point shots.

Even with stitches, Hairston played in the next two ACC tournament games. He played 36 minutes against Maryland and scored 13 points. The next day, he scored 28 points against Miami.

Hairston did not return to North Carolina for the 2013–14 season. The school announced in December 2013 that he would not be rejoining the team.

College Statistics Overview

Here's a look at P. J. Hairston's college statistics:

Professional Basketball Career

After his time in college, Hairston decided to join the NBA Development League.

Playing for the Texas Legends (2014)

On January 14, 2014, the Texas Legends team acquired him. He played 26 games for the Legends. During his time there, he averaged 21.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game.

Time with the Charlotte Hornets (2014–2016)

On June 26, 2014, the Miami Heat selected Hairston as the 26th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft. He was then traded to the Charlotte Hornets. This made him the first player from the NBA D-League to be drafted in the first round of an NBA draft. He officially signed with the Hornets on August 22, after playing well in seven Summer League games.

On December 22, Hairston achieved his first "double-double" (scoring double digits in two categories) with 10 points and 10 rebounds. This helped the Hornets beat the Denver Nuggets 110–82. On February 10, 2015, he scored a season-high 16 points in a game against the Detroit Pistons. He rejoined the Hornets for the 2015 NBA Summer League in June 2015. On January 23, 2016, he scored a career-high 20 points and tied his career-high with 10 rebounds in a 97–84 win over the New York Knicks.

Joining the Memphis Grizzlies (2016)

On February 16, 2016, the Hornets traded Hairston to the Memphis Grizzlies. This was part of a three-team trade that also involved the Miami Heat. He quickly made a good impression with the Grizzlies. He became the starting shooting guard and scored 17 points on February 24 against the Los Angeles Lakers. Just two days later, on February 26, he scored a new career-high of 21 points. This helped the Grizzlies defeat the Lakers again.

Playing for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2016–2017)

On September 30, 2016, Hairston signed with the Houston Rockets. However, he was waived by the team on October 24, 2016. Seven days later, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League acquired him. He played for them as a player connected to the Rockets.

P. J. Hairston announced his retirement from basketball in 2018. He had been out of the game for a season before making this decision.

See also

In Spanish: P. J. Hairston para niños