C. J. Watson

{{Infobox basketball biography

|name = C. J. Watson

|image = C.J. Watson Bulls.jpg

|caption = Watson with the Bulls

|position = Point guard

|height_ft = 6

|height_in = 2

|weight_lb = 175

|league =

|team =

|number =

|nationality = American

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1984|4|17}}

|birth_place = Las Vegas, Nevada

|high_school = Bishop Gorman
(Las Vegas, Nevada)

|college = Tennessee (2002–2006)

|draft_year = 2006

|career_start = 2006

|career_end = 2019

| years1 = 2006–2007

| team1 = Pallacanestro Reggiana

| years2 = 2007

| team2 = PAOK Thessaloniki

| years3 = 2007–2008

| team3 = Rio Grande Valley Vipers

| years4 = {{nbay|2007|end}}–{{nbay|2009|end}}

| team4 = Golden State Warriors

| years5 = {{nbay|2010|start}}–{{nbay|2011|end}}

| team5 = Chicago Bulls

| years6 = {{nbay|2012|full=y}}

| team6 = Brooklyn Nets

| years7 = {{nbay|2013|start}}–{{nbay|2014|end}}

| team7 = Indiana Pacers

| years8 = {{nbay|2015|start}}–{{nbay|2016|end}}

| team8 = Orlando Magic

| years9 = 2018–2019

| team9 = Uşak Sportif

| highlights =

Second-team All-SEC (2006)
SEC All-Freshman Team (2003)
Fourth-team Parade All-American (2002)

| bbr = watsocj01

| profile = cj_watson

}}

Charles "C. J." Akeem Watson Jr. (born April 17, 1984){{Cite web |title=C.J. Watson |website=NBA.com |url=http://www.nba.com/media/dleague/cj_watson.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109082324/http://www.nba.com/media/dleague/cj_watson.pdf |archive-date=November 9, 2012 |access-date=January 10, 2008}} is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the University of Tennessee.

College career

Watson played college basketball for the Tennessee Volunteers for four seasons. During his freshman season, he earned SEC All-Freshman Team honors. His best season came during his senior year in 2005–06, where he and fellow All-American Chris Lofton led the Volunteers to a 22–8 record and a 12–4 record in SEC play. He averaged 15.3 points, 3.9 assists and 3.1 rebounds, and earned second-team All-SEC honors from the Associated Press and the league coaches. He finished his collegiate career as Tennessee's second all-time leader in assists (577), second in steals (198), sixth in three-point field goal percentage (.396), tied for eighth in three-point field goals (401), and 15th in scoring (1,424 points).

Professional career

=European career (2006–2007)=

Despite an excellent college career, Watson went undrafted in 2006 NBA draft. He then played briefly with San Antonio Spurs in 2006 NBA summer league before joining Italian Serie A team Bipop Carire Reggio Emilia. He averaged 8.5 points and 2.3 rebounds in 17 games. He then moved on to join Greek A1 Ethniki team PAOK B.C., where he averaged 7.4 points and 2.2 assists in five games.

=D-League career (2007–2008)=

Watson returned to the states to revive his NBA career, participated in 2007 NBA summer league with the Spurs and later joined the Charlotte Bobcats' training camp. However, he once again failed to make the roster for the season. On November 1, 2007, he joined NBA D-League and was drafted 5th overall by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.{{Cite web |title=NBA Development League: 2007 D-League Draft Board |website=NBA.com |url=http://www.nba.com/dleague/news/dleague_draft_07.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220032931/http://www.nba.com/dleague/news/dleague_draft_07.html |archive-date=December 20, 2008 |access-date=April 12, 2009}} He averaged 26.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.38 steals in 38.1 minutes per game for the Vipers before signed by Golden State Warriors on January 8, 2008. At the time of the call-up, Watson was the third-leading scorer in the D-League. He also became the 100th player to be called up by an NBA team in D-League history.[http://www.nba.com/warriors/news/Warriors_Sign_CJ_Watson.html WARRIORS: Warriors Sign Guard CJ Watson To 10-Day Contract]

=Golden State Warriors (2008–2010)=

On January 8, 2008, Golden State Warriors signed Watson to a 10-day contract to be a backup point guard to All-Star Baron Davis. He impressed Warriors coach Don Nelson and subsequently earned a second 10-day contract.[http://www.nba.com/warriors/news/Warriors_Sign_CJ_Watson_011808.html WARRIORS: Warriors Sign C.J. Watson To Second 10-Day Contract] After two 10-day contracts, where he appeared in 8 games, averaging 5.4 points and 1.8 assists in 16.6 minutes, Watson was signed for the remainder of the season. On February 17, 2010, Watson scored a career-high 40 points against the Sacramento Kings with 16-of-23 shooting.[http://www.nba.com/warriors/news/Warriors_Sign_Watson_Season.html WARRIORS: Warriors Sign C.J. Watson For Remainder Of Season]

=Chicago Bulls (2010–2012)=

File:C.J. Watson.jpg

On July 21, 2010, Watson was acquired in a sign and trade deal by the Chicago Bulls, signing a 3-year, $10.2 million contract.[http://www.nba.com/bulls/news/watson_signs_100722.html Bulls acquire Watson via sign-and-trade] On November 26, 2010, the Bulls' starting point guard Derrick Rose was out with a stiff neck. Watson started against the Denver Nuggets and scored a season-high 33 points in a loss, while also shooting 50% from the field.{{Cite web |date=November 26, 2010 |title=Chicago Bulls' Derrick Rose out Friday |url=https://www.espn.com/chicago/nba/news/story?id=5851900}}{{Cite web |title=C.J. Watson Game Log |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/3277/cj-watson}} On December 14, 2011, Watson changed his number from 32 to 7 because of Richard "Rip" Hamilton signing with the Bulls. On April 28, 2012, in the Bulls' first game of that year's playoffs, guard Derrick Rose suffered a torn ACL in his left knee. In his absence, Watson started the rest of the Bulls' playoff games.{{Cite web |last=Powers |first=Scott |date=April 28, 2012 |title=Bulls' Derrick Rose tears ACL |url=https://www.espn.com/chicago/nba/story/_/id/7866701/2012-nba-playoffs-chicago-bulls-derrick-rose-suffers-torn-acl-philadelphia-76ers |website=espn.com |publisher=ESPN}} The Bulls lost in the first round to the Philadelphia 76ers. Watson averaged 7.3 points on 24% shooting in the series.

=Brooklyn Nets (2012–2013)=

On July 23, 2012, Watson signed with the Brooklyn Nets.{{Cite web |title=Brooklyn Nets sign guard C.J. Watson |url=http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=10596 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402143658/http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=10596 |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |access-date=October 29, 2013}} On February 13, 2013, he scored a season-high 25 points in the 119–108 win over the Denver Nuggets. His 25 points were the most he'd scored since November 2010, and his five three-pointers also set a career high.[http://www.nba.com/games/20130213/DENBKN/gameinfo.html Notebook: Nets 119, Nuggets 108] Watson averaged 6.8 points in 80 regular season games for the Nets as a backup point guard to Deron Williams. In the Nets' seven playoff games, he averaged 8.6 points per game.

=Indiana Pacers (2013–2015)=

On July 10, 2013, Watson signed with the Indiana Pacers.{{Cite web |date=July 10, 2013 |title=Pacers Sign Free Agent C.J. Watson |url=http://www.nba.com/pacers/news/pacers-sign-free-agent-cj-watson |access-date=October 29, 2013 |website=NBA.com}} On April 13, 2014, he scored a season-high 20 points in the 102–97 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.[http://www.nba.com/games/20140413/OKCIND/gameinfo.html Notebook: Pacers 102, Thunder 97] In his first season with Indiana, Watson averaged 6.6 points in 63 regular season games as a backup point guard to George Hill. In 18 playoff games, Watson averaged 5.8 points per game.

=Orlando Magic (2015–2017)=

On July 9, 2015, Watson signed with the Orlando Magic.{{Cite news |date=July 12, 2015 |title=Magic Sign C.J. Watson |url=http://www.nba.com/magic/news/magic-sign-cj-watson |access-date=July 9, 2015 |work=NBA.com}} On February 19, 2016, he played in his first game for the Magic since November 9, 2015, due to a left calf injury.{{Cite web |title=Mavs set franchise best for 3s but lose to Magic in OT |website=NBA.com |url=http://www.nba.com/games/20160219/DALORL/gameinfo.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160219040122/http://www.nba.com/games/20160219/DALORL/gameinfo.html |archive-date=February 19, 2016 |access-date=February 20, 2016}}

On July 10, 2017, Watson was waived by the Magic.{{Cite news |date=July 10, 2017 |title=Orlando Magic Waive C.J. Watson |url=http://www.nba.com/magic/news/orlando-magic-waive-cj-watson |access-date=July 10, 2017 |work=NBA.com}}

=Turkey (2018–2019)=

In February 2018, Watson signed with Uşak Sportif of the Turkish Super League.{{Cite web |date=February 17, 2018 |title=C.J. Watson: Signs with Turkish club |url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/basketball/news/c-j-watson-signs-with-turkish-club/ |access-date=February 17, 2018 |website=CBSSports.com}}

Personal life

Watson majored in psychology at Tennessee and continued working toward his degree every summer after starting his professional basketball career. He completed his coursework in 2012.[http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=10851 C.J. Watson earns diploma from Tennessee] He has one brother, Kashif, who played college basketball for the University of Idaho, and one sister, Vonyetta.{{Cite web |title=#32 Kashif Watson |url=http://www.govandals.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=1523811 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150705121524/http://www.govandals.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=1523811 |archive-date=July 5, 2015 |access-date=July 4, 2015 |website=GoVandals.com}}