Semaj Christon facts for kids
| No. 00 – Pistoia Basket 2000 | |
|---|---|
| Point guard | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | November 1, 1992 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
| High school |
|
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Xavier (2012–2014) |
| NBA Draft | 2014 / Round: 2 / Pick: 55th overall |
| Selected by the Miami Heat | |
| Pro career | 2014–present |
| League | Lega Basket Serie A |
| Career history | |
| 2014–2015 | Oklahoma City Blue |
| 2015–2016 | Consultinvest Pesaro |
| 2016–2017 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2017 | →Oklahoma City Blue |
| 2017–2018 | Guangzhou Long-Lions |
| 2018 | Santeros de Aguada |
| 2018–2019 | Hapoel Be'er Sheva |
| 2019–2020 | Limoges CSP |
| 2020 | Baskonia |
| 2020–2021 | Tofaş |
| 2021–2022 | ratiopharm Ulm |
| 2022–2023 | Derthona Basket |
| 2023–2024 | Pallacanestro Brescia |
| 2024–present | Pistoia Basket 2000 |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
Semaj Rakim Christon, born on November 1, 1992, is an American professional basketball player. He currently plays for Pistoia Basket 2000 in Italy's top basketball league, the Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). Before turning pro, he played college basketball for Xavier University.
Contents
Early Basketball Years
High School Achievements
Semaj Christon grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. He went to Winton Woods High School. In his senior year, he was the top scorer in his conference, averaging 21 points per game. He also made 5.2 assists per game.
His strong performance earned him several awards. He was named District 16 Player of the Year and Fort Ancient Valley Conference West Division Player of the Year. He was also recognized as an All-Star by the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Prep School Experience
In July 2011, Christon decided to play for Xavier University. However, he first spent a year at Brewster Academy, a prep school. At Brewster, he played alongside future NBA stars like JaKarr Sampson and T. J. Warren.
Christon was the team's main playmaker, helping them achieve an amazing 32–1 record. They even won a National Prep School Championship. He also played AAU basketball for Club Ohio and the Cincinnati Knights.
College Basketball Journey
Freshman Season (2012–13)
Semaj joined Xavier for the 2012–13 season. He quickly became a key player, leading his team in points, assists, and steals. He averaged 15.2 points and 4.6 assists per game.
His great first year earned him several honors. He was named Rookie of the Year in the Atlantic 10 conference. He also made the All-Rookie team and the All-Conference Second Team.
Sophomore Season (2013–14)
In his second year, Xavier moved to the Big East Conference. Semaj continued to shine, improving his scoring average to 17 points per game. He also averaged 4.1 assists and 1.4 steals.
He was unanimously chosen for the All-Big East First Team. During the Big East tournament, he scored enough points to reach 1,000 career points. This made him only the second Xavier player to achieve this milestone as a sophomore. After the season, Semaj decided to enter the NBA draft early, ending his college career.
Professional Basketball Career
Starting in the D-League (2014–2015)
Semaj Christon was picked by the Miami Heat in the 2014 NBA draft. He was the 55th overall pick. His draft rights were then traded to the Charlotte Hornets and later to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
He joined the Thunder for the 2014 NBA Summer League. After that, he played for their development team, the Oklahoma City Blue, in the NBA Development League. In his first professional game, he scored 32 points. He had a strong season, averaging 18.6 points and 5.7 assists. He was even chosen for the D-League All-Star Game in 2015.
Playing in Italy (2015–2016)
In the summer of 2015, Semaj moved to Italy. He signed with Consultinvest Pesaro in the Lega Basket Serie A. He played 30 games, averaging 14.3 points and 3.7 assists.
Time with the Oklahoma City Thunder (2016–2017)
In July 2016, Christon rejoined the Oklahoma City Thunder for the 2016 NBA Summer League. He officially signed with the Thunder in August 2016. On October 26, 2016, he made his NBA debut. He scored four points and had four assists in a win against the Philadelphia 76ers.
During his time with the Thunder, he also played for their D-League team, the Oklahoma City Blue, several times. He was waived by the Thunder in October 2017.
Playing Around the World (2017–Present)
After leaving the Thunder, Semaj Christon played for various teams across the globe:
- China: In December 2017, he joined the Guangzhou Long-Lions. He once scored a career-high 45 points in a game there.
- Puerto Rico: In July 2018, he signed with the Santeros de Aguada.
- Israel: In September 2018, he played for Hapoel Be'er Sheva. He helped them reach the 2018 Israeli Basketball League Cup Final.
- France: In July 2019, he signed with Limoges CSP.
- Spain: In January 2020, he joined Kirolbet Baskonia.
- Turkey: In July 2020, he signed with Tofaş.
- Germany: In August 2021, he played for ratiopharm Ulm.
- Italy: From 2022, he returned to Italy, playing for Derthona Basket, then Pallacanestro Brescia, and now Pistoia Basket 2000.
National Team Experience
In November 2017, Semaj Christon was chosen to be part of the United States national team. He played in the qualification games for the 2019 FIBA World Cup. He helped the team win both of their first-round games. He averaged 6.5 points and 2.5 assists in those games.
See also
In Spanish: Semaj Christon para niños
