P. J. Hairston facts for kids

Samuel Peterson "P. J." Hairston Jr. (born December 24, 1992) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels. He was chosen in the 2014 NBA draft by the Miami Heat. Later, he was traded to the Charlotte Hornets.

High School Basketball Journey

P. J. Hairston started his high school basketball career at James B. Dudley High School in Greensboro. During his junior year, he scored an amazing 53 points in a single game!

For his final year of high school, he played at 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 special 2011 McDonald's All-American Boys Game. Experts like ESPN.com thought he was one of the best players in the nation.

College Basketball Career

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

During his second year (2012–13 season), Hairston played much more, especially in the second half of the season. In the last five regular season games, he played 60% more minutes than before. He led the team in scoring during these games, with 19.6 points per game.

Hairston was named ACC Co-Player of the Week in February 2013 for his great play against Duke and Virginia. His coaches also picked him as the best defensive player in the game against Virginia.

Big Games and an Injury

In February 2013, Hairston started a game against Duke for only the second time in his college career. He scored a career-high 23 points. In his next starting game against Virginia, he set a new record for himself with 29 points!

During a game in the ACC tournament on March 15, 2013, Hairston injured his non-shooting hand. A player from Florida State hit his hand, causing a split between his fingers. He had to leave the game and get eight stitches. Even with the injury, he still led his team with 21 points, making five out of six three-point shots.

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

P. J. Hairston left North Carolina before his junior year to pursue a professional basketball career.

College Statistics

Professional Basketball Journey

Playing for the Texas Legends (2014)

After leaving college, Hairston decided to join the NBA Development League, which is now called the G League. On January 14, 2014, he joined the Texas Legends. He played 26 games for the Legends, averaging 21.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game.

Time with the Charlotte Hornets (2014–2016)

On June 26, 2014, P. J. Hairston was picked 26th overall in the 2014 NBA draft by the Miami Heat. He was then traded to the Charlotte Hornets. This made him the first player from the NBA D-League to be picked in the first round of an NBA draft!

He signed with the Hornets on August 22, after playing well in seven Summer League games. On December 22, he achieved his first "double-double" (scoring 10 points and getting 10 rebounds) to help the Hornets beat the Denver Nuggets. On February 10, 2015, he scored a season-high 16 points.

Hairston played for the Hornets again in the 2015 NBA Summer League. On January 23, 2016, he scored a new career-high of 20 points and tied his career-high with 10 rebounds in a win against the New York Knicks.

Moving to the Memphis Grizzlies (2016)

On February 16, 2016, the Hornets traded Hairston to the Memphis Grizzlies as part of a three-team deal. He quickly made an impact with the Grizzlies, becoming their starting shooting guard. On February 24, he scored 17 points in just his third game for the team. Two days later, he scored a career-high 21 points, helping the Grizzlies win again.

Final Stop with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2016–2017)

On September 30, 2016, Hairston signed with the Houston Rockets, but they later let him go. Seven days later, he joined the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the NBA Development League. He played there as a player connected to the Rockets.

In 2018, P. J. Hairston announced that he was retiring from basketball.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

See also

In Spanish: P. J. Hairston para niños