Christian James
{{short description|American basketball player}}
{{notability|1=Sport|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Christian James
| image = Christian James (cropped).jpg
| image_size =
| caption = James with Fortitudo Agrigento in 2019
| number =
| position = Shooting guard / small forward
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 4
| weight_lbs = 213
| league = Venezuelan SuperLiga
| team = Trotamundos de Carabobo
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|10|23}}
| birth_place = Houston, Texas, U.S.
| nationality =
| high_school = Bellaire
(Bellaire, Texas)
| college = Oklahoma (2015–2019)
| draft_year = 2019
| career_start = 2019
| years1 = 2019–2020
| team1 = Fortitudo Agrigento
| years2 = 2020–2021
| team2 = Mantovana
| years3 = 2021–2022
| team3 = Tramec Cento
| years4 = 2022–2023
| team4 = Bambitious Nara
| years5 = 2023
| team5 = Prawira Bandung
|years6 = 2024
|team6 = Club Atlético Goes
|years7 = 2024–present
|team7= Trotamundos
| highlights =
- Third-team All-Big 12 (2019)
| medal_templates =
}}
Christian James (born October 23, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for Trotamundos of the Venezuelan SuperLiga. He played college basketball for the Oklahoma Sooners.
Early life
James began training with former NBA player John Lucas II in eighth grade. He attended Bellaire High School in Bellaire, Texas. As a junior, he averaged 20 points and eight rebounds per game, earning District MVP honors.{{cite web |last1=Emig |first1=Guerin |title=OU at the Final Four: OU owes Christian James a great debt, just as the freshman guard owes John Lucas |url=https://tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/ousportsextra/ou-at-the-final-four-ou-owes-christian-james-a/article_2c0ddcac-fd6c-5e11-988f-7ed47031b739.html |website=Tulsa World |accessdate=October 4, 2020 |date=March 20, 2016}} James suffered a broken tibia in his left leg during an Amateur Athletic Union game before his senior season. Due to the injury, he was limited to two games as a senior.{{cite web |title=Introducing: Christian James |url=https://soonersports.com/news/2015/7/1/210178394.aspx |publisher=University of Oklahoma |accessdate=October 4, 2020 |date=July 1, 2015}} James committed to play college basketball for Oklahoma over offers from Oregon, Houston, Oklahoma State, LSU and Maryland.{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Brian T. |title=James' long recovery ends in time to bolster Bellaire |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/highschool/article/James-long-recovery-ends-in-time-to-bolster-6102364.php |website=Houston Chronicle |accessdate=October 4, 2020 |date=February 26, 2015}}
College career
As a freshman at Oklahoma, James helped his team reach the Final Four round of the 2016 NCAA tournament.{{cite web |last1=Counts |first1=Ron |title=Oklahoma's Christian James focused on his last chance at another deep NCAA Tournament run |url=https://dailyprogress.com/cavalierinsider/oklahoma-s-christian-james-focused-on-his-last-chance-at/article_a20786ae-d8f1-5611-8a48-584d99cde21a.html |website=The Daily Progress |accessdate=October 4, 2020 |date=March 23, 2019}} He posted 2.9 points and 1.7 rebounds per game but began to produce more later in the season.{{cite news |last1=Shinn |first1=John |title=James ready to move out of the shadows |url=https://www.normantranscript.com/sports/all_ou_sports/james-ready-to-move-out-of-the-shadows/article_e47ce7e8-5bd9-5316-8f48-88c5ba8e8f5c.html |accessdate=October 5, 2020 |work=Norman Transcript |date=November 12, 2016}} He was expected to replace Buddy Hield as a sophomore but struggled to shoot the ball, averaging 7.9 points per game and shooting 36 percent from the field.{{cite web |last1=Aber |first1=Ryan |title=OU basketball: Christian James making strides after rough sophomore season |url=https://oklahoman.com/article/5579836/ou-basketball-christian-james-making-strides-after-rough-sophomore-season |website=The Oklahoman |accessdate=October 4, 2020 |date=January 17, 2018}} As a junior, James became a regular starter and averaged 11.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.{{cite web |last1=McKelvey |first1=John |title=OU's up and down season ends with plenty of questions left unsolved |url=https://www.normantranscript.com/sports/all_ou_sports/ous-up-and-down-season-ends-with-plenty-of-questions-left-unsolved/article_1187692d-b38c-5d4b-862a-904ef8231db1.html |website=The Norman Transcript |accessdate=October 4, 2020 |date=March 17, 2018}} He was placed in a leading role in his senior season with the departure of Trae Young.{{cite web |last1=Zagoria |first1=Adam |title=With Trae Young Gone, Christian James Is Now the Alpha Dog at Oklahoma |url=https://www.zagsblog.com/2018/12/04/with-trae-young-gone-christian-james-is-now-the-alpha-dog-at-oklahoma/ |website=Zagsblog |accessdate=October 4, 2020 |date=December 4, 2018}} In his season opener on November 9, 2018, James scored a career-high 29 points in a 91–76 win over Texas–Rio Grande Valley.{{cite web |title=James' career-high 29 leads Oklahoma past Texas RGV 91–76 |url=https://apnews.com/article/91527ec2b5e44cc488391b16f7d530ea |publisher=Associated Press |accessdate=October 4, 2020 |date=November 9, 2018}} As a senior, he averaged 14.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, earning Third Team All-Big 12 honors.{{cite web |last1=Mussatto |first1=Joe |title=OU basketball: Christian James signs with Italian team |url=https://oklahoman.com/article/5636273/ou-basketball-christian-james-signs-with-italian-team |website=The Oklahoman |accessdate=September 9, 2020 |date=July 15, 2019}}
Professional career
On July 26, 2019, James signed his first professional contract with Fortitudo Agrigento of the Italian Serie A2 Basket. On March 19, 2020, he was authorized to return to his family in the United States amid the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite web |title=Christian James vola in America |url=http://www.fortitudoagrigento.it/home/christian-james-vola-in-america/ |publisher=Fortitudo Agrigento |accessdate=September 9, 2020 |language=Italian |date=March 19, 2020}} In 22 games, James averaged 17.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. On July 11, he signed with Mantovana of the Serie A2.{{cite web |title=Basket A2, colpo Stings: preso Christian James |url=http://www.altramantova.it/it/sport-am/basket/26439-basket-a2-colpo-stings-preso-christian-james.html |website=L'Altra Mantova |accessdate=September 9, 2020 |language=Italian |date=July 11, 2020}}
On 8 December 2023, James signs with Prawira Bandung of the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL).{{cite web |title=Prawira Merekrut Bintang B.League Divisi 2|url=https://iblindonesia.com/news/prawira-merekrut-bintang-bleague-divisi-2|publisher=Indonesian Basketball League |accessdate=January 1, 2024 |language=Indonesian |date=December 8, 2023}} In his debut, he recorded 23 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists in a loss 76–66 against Pelita Jaya on 7–17 shooting and 4–10 from 3
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://soonersports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/christian-james/912 Oklahoma Sooners bio]
- {{commonscatinline}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:James, Christian}}
Category:American men's basketball players
Category:Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball players
Category:Basketball players from Houston
Category:Fortitudo Agrigento players
Category:Pallacanestro Mantovana players
Category:Prawira Bandung players
Category:Bellaire High School (Bellaire, Texas) alumni
Category:American expatriate basketball people in Italy
Category:American expatriate basketball people in Japan