P. J. Washington facts for kids
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Washington at the 2017 McDonald's All-American Game
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| No. 25 – Dallas Mavericks | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Power forward | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | August 23, 1998 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
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| High school |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 230 lb (104 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||
| College | Kentucky (2017–2019) | |||||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2019 / Round: 1 / Pick: 12th overall | |||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Charlotte Hornets | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2019–present | |||||||||||||||||||
| League | NBA | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2024 | Charlotte Hornets | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2024–present | Dallas Mavericks | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Paul Jamaine Washington Jr. (born August 23, 1998) is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the Dallas Mavericks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the NBA, he played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats.
P. J. Washington was chosen by the Charlotte Hornets in the first round of the 2019 NBA draft. He was the 12th player picked overall. In 2020, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. In February 2024, Washington was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. He helped the Mavericks reach the 2024 NBA Finals.
Contents
Early Life and High School Basketball
P. J. Washington was born in Louisville, Kentucky. His family moved around, living in St. Louis and Chicago. They eventually settled in Frisco, Texas.
Washington attended several high schools to play basketball. He went to Prime Prep Academy in Dallas and Lone Star High School in Frisco. Later, he transferred to Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nevada. At Findlay Prep, he played with other top young players.
During his junior year, he averaged 16.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game. In his senior year, he improved to 19.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game. P. J. Washington was chosen to play in two big high school games: the 2017 Jordan Brand Classic and the McDonald's All-American Game. These games feature the best high school players in the country.
Choosing a College Team
P. J. Washington was considered one of the top high school basketball players. Many experts rated him as a five-star recruit. This means he was one of the best players in his high school class. On November 10, 2016, he decided to play college basketball for the University of Kentucky.
College Career at Kentucky
During his first year at Kentucky, P. J. Washington played through a pinkie injury. He later had surgery for it in the summer. In a big NCAA Tournament game, he led Kentucky with 18 points and 15 rebounds. As a freshman, he averaged 10.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
After his freshman season, he thought about entering the NBA draft. However, he decided to return to Kentucky for his second year. After his sophomore season, Washington announced he would enter the 2019 NBA draft. He was expected to be a top pick.
Professional Basketball Career
Playing for the Charlotte Hornets (2019–2024)
The Charlotte Hornets picked P. J. Washington as the 12th overall player in the 2019 NBA draft. He officially signed with the Hornets on July 3, 2019.
On October 23, he played his first NBA game. He scored 27 points, had 4 rebounds, and made 7 three-pointers. This was the most three-pointers ever made in an NBA debut! In September 2020, he was named to the 2019–20 NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
Washington continued to improve with the Hornets. On February 28, 2021, he scored a career-high 42 points. On March 28, 2023, he set a new career high with 43 points in a win against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He tied this career high again on January 27, 2024.
Joining the Dallas Mavericks (2024–Present)
On February 8, 2024, P. J. Washington was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. He joined the Mavericks along with two future draft picks. In return, the Hornets received Seth Curry, Grant Williams, and a future draft pick.
Washington played his first game for the Mavericks on February 10. He scored 14 points in a big win. On April 5, he scored 32 points and made a game-winning shot against the Golden State Warriors.
During the 2024 NBA playoffs, Washington played a key role for the Mavericks. In the first round, he was involved in a small disagreement with another player. In the Western Conference Semifinals, he led the Mavericks with 27 points in a crucial game. He also made important free throws in Game 6 to help the Mavericks win and advance to the Western Conference Finals. Washington helped the Mavericks reach the 2024 NBA Finals, where they played against the Boston Celtics. The Mavericks lost the series in five games.
On December 27, 2024, Washington was involved in an on-court incident. He was suspended for one game the next day.
Career Statistics
| 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 |
NBA
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | Charlotte | 58 | 57 | 30.3 | .455 | .374 | .647 | 5.4 | 2.1 | .9 | .8 | 12.2 |
| 2020–21 | Charlotte | 64 | 61 | 30.5 | .440 | .386 | .745 | 6.5 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 12.9 |
| 2021–22 | Charlotte | 65 | 28 | 27.2 | .470 | .365 | .716 | 5.2 | 2.3 | .9 | .9 | 10.3 |
| 2022–23 | Charlotte | 73 | 73 | 32.6 | .444 | .348 | .730 | 4.9 | 2.4 | .9 | 1.1 | 15.7 |
| 2023–24 | Charlotte | 44 | 17 | 29.2 | .446 | .324 | .713 | 5.3 | 2.2 | .9 | .7 | 13.6 |
| Dallas | 29 | 28 | 32.2 | .421 | .314 | .627 | 6.2 | 1.5 | 1.2 | .9 | 11.7 | |
| 2024–25 | Dallas | 57 | 56 | 32.2 | .453 | .381 | .722 | 7.8 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 14.7 |
| Career | 390 | 320 | 30.6 | .448 | .358 | .709 | 5.9 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 13.1 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Dallas | 22* | 22* | 35.7 | .427 | .348 | .709 | 6.6 | 1.4 | .7 | .8 | 13.0 |
| Career | 22 | 22 | 35.7 | .427 | .348 | .709 | 6.6 | 1.4 | .7 | .8 | 13.0 | |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Kentucky | 37 | 30 | 27.4 | .519 | .238 | .606 | 5.7 | 1.5 | .8 | .8 | 10.8 |
| 2018–19 | Kentucky | 35 | 33 | 29.3 | .522 | .423 | .663 | 7.5 | 1.8 | .8 | 1.2 | 15.2 |
| Career | 72 | 63 | 28.3 | .521 | .384 | .632 | 6.6 | 1.7 | .8 | 1.0 | 12.9 | |
Personal Life and Family
P. J. Washington's parents both played basketball at Middle Tennessee State. His father became a General Manager at a car sales company. He also coached P. J.'s middle school team. His mother became a teacher at the same middle school. P. J. has a brother named Spencer and a sister named Alexandria.
Washington married Alisah Chanel in October 2023. They have a son named Preston. He also has another son.
See also
In Spanish: P. J. Washington para niños
