JJ Hickson

James Edward "JJ" Hickson Jr. (born September 4, 1988) is an American professional basketball player who last played for Leones de Ponce of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). He played one season of college basketball for North Carolina State University before being drafted 19th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2008 NBA draft. He has previously played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers, as well as in Israel for Bnei HaSharon during the 2011 NBA lockout.

JJ Hickson
Hickson with the Cavaliers in 2009
Free agent
PositionPower forward / Center
Personal information
Born (1988-09-04) September 4, 1988
Atlanta, Georgia
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight242 lb (110 kg)
Career information
High schoolJoseph Wheeler (Marietta, Georgia)
CollegeNC State (2007–2008)
NBA draft2008 / Round: 1 / Pick: 19th overall
Selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers
Playing career2008–present
Career history
2008–2011Cleveland Cavaliers
2011Bnei HaSharon
2011–2012Sacramento Kings
2012–2013Portland Trail Blazers
2013–2016Denver Nuggets
2016Washington Wizards
2016–2017Fujian Sturgeons
2017Jiangsu Tongxi
2018Champville SC
2019Leones de Ponce
Career highlights and awards
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

High school career

Hickson attended Joseph Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia. In the class of 2007, he was ranked as the No. 10 overall recruit and No. 2 power forward by Rivals.com and as the No. 13 overall and the No. 3 power forward by Scout.com. In 2005–06, Hickson took Wheeler High to the 5A Final Four. As a senior in 2006–07, he averaged 25.9 points, 13.8 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game as he earned McDonald's All-American honors.[1]

College career

Hickson played one season of college basketball for NC State in 2007–08. In his first game as a freshman, Hickson scored 31 points, making all 12 of his attempted field goals against William & Mary, setting an NCAA Division I record for field goal percentage (minimum 12 makes) by a player in his first career game.[2] Hickson was named ACC Rookie of the Week on three occasions, scored 20 or more points seven times and registered 10 double-doubles. He set an ACC single-game freshman record by pulling down a career-high 23 rebounds and also added 13 points and four blocked shots versus Clemson. Hickson scored a career-high 33 points on 10–of–11 shooting and grabbed 13 rebounds against Western Carolina University, and put up 27 points and 14 rebounds against Miami in the first round of the ACC Tournament.[1]

For the season, he averaged 14.8 points and 8.5 rebounds (leading all freshmen) while shooting 59% from the field. He was selected to the All-Freshman team in the ACC, and an honorable mention for All-ACC.[1]

College statistics
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2007–08 NC State 313128.7.591.000.6778.51.00.71.514.8

Professional career

Cleveland Cavaliers (2008–2011)

Hickson was selected with 19th overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers.[3] On July 10, 2008, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Cavaliers.[4] He went on to score four points in his NBA debut against the Charlotte Bobcats, making one field goal and two free throws. On November 26, 2008, he had career-highs with 14 points, six rebounds and four blocks against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Hickson surpassed his career-high by grabbing seven rebounds on January 13, 2009 against the Memphis Grizzlies. Then on February 24, 2009, he surpassed his previous career-high of 7 rebounds to 9 rebounds against the Grizzlies.[5]

On October 26, 2009, the Cavaliers exercised their third-year team option on Hickson's rookie scale contract, extending the contract through the 2010–11 season.[6] On January 27, 2010, Hickson set a new career-high in scoring with 23 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves.[7][8]

On October 23, 2010, the Cavaliers exercised their fourth-year team option on Hickson's rookie scale contract, extending the contract through the 2011–12 season.[9] On November 2, 2010, Hickson had a career-high 31 points in a losing effort to the Atlanta Hawks. On January 22, Hickson grabbed a career-high 20 rebounds, including a career-high 11 offensive rebounds, against the Chicago Bulls.[10] On February 25, he set a career high of five blocks in a victory over the New York Knicks.[11]

Sacramento Kings (2011–2012)

On June 30, 2011, Hickson was traded to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Omri Casspi and Sacramento's protected first-round pick in the 2012 NBA draft.[12]

On October 21, 2011, Hickson signed with Bnei HaSharon of the Israeli Basketball Premier League for the duration of the NBA lockout.[13] After making his lone appearance for Bnei on October 30, Hickson was released by the club on November 5.[14][15] In December 2011, following the conclusion of the lockout, he joined to the Sacramento Kings. He went on to play 35 games for Sacramento in 2011–12 before he was waived by the franchise on March 19, 2012.[16]

Portland Trail Blazers (2012–2013)

On March 21, 2012, Hickson was claimed off waivers by the Portland Trail Blazers.[17]

On July 13, 2012, Hickson re-signed with the Trail Blazers to a one-year deal.[18] In 2012–13, he averaged a career-high 10.4 rebounds, as well as 12.7 points per game.[19]

Denver Nuggets (2013–2016)

On July 11, 2013, Hickson signed with the Denver Nuggets.[20] On February 25, 2014, Hickson recorded 16 points and a career-high 25 rebounds in a 95-100 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.[21] On March 22, 2014, it was announced that Hickson would miss the rest of the season after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in the March 21 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.[22]

On September 17, 2014, Hickson was suspended by the NBA for the first five games of the 2014–15 season for violating the NBA's anti-drug policy.[23]

On February 19, 2016, Hickson was waived by the Nuggets.[24]

Washington Wizards (2016)

On February 25, 2016, Hickson signed with the Washington Wizards.[25] Three days later, he made his debut with the Wizards in a 113–99 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, recording two points and two rebounds in six minutes off the bench.[26]

China (2016–2018)

On August 20, 2016, Hickson signed with Fujian Sturgeons of the Chinese Basketball Association.[27]

On August 11, 2017, Hickson signed with Jiangsu Tongxi of the Chinese Basketball Association.[28]

Lebanon (2018)

On April 2, 2018, Hickson signed with Champville SC of the Lebanese Basketball Federation.[29]

Hickson was arrested after the season's ending along with two other persons and charged with burglary, physical assault and armed robbery with a knife of a man from Coweta County, Georgia.[30]

Leones de Ponce (2019)

On May 8, 2019, Leones de Ponce announced that they had signed Hickson.[31]

NBA 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

Regular season
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2008–09 Cleveland 62011.4.515.000.6722.7.1.2.54.0
2009–10 Cleveland 817320.9.554.000.6814.9.5.4.58.5
2010–11 Cleveland 806628.2.458.000.6738.71.1.6.713.8
2011–12 Sacramento 35918.4.370.000.6385.1.6.5.54.7
2011–12 Portland 191031.6.543.000.6458.31.2.6.915.1
2012–13 Portland 808029.0.562.000.67910.41.1.6.612.7
2013–14 Denver 695226.9.508.000.5179.21.4.7.711.8
2014–15 Denver 73819.3.475.000.5776.2.8.5.57.6
2015–16 Denver 20915.3.505.000.4584.4.8.5.66.9
2015–16 Washington 1508.7.543.000.4323.0.5.3.14.6
Career 53430722.3.505.000.6176.8.8.5.69.5

Playoffs
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2010 Cleveland 1107.2.626.000.688.8.1.0.03.5
Career 1107.2.626.000.688.8.1.0.03.5

See also

References
  1. "JJ Hickson bio". NBA.com. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  2. "2011–12 NCAA Men's Basketball Records – Division I, p.2 – Individual Records" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
  3. "Round 1 of the 2008 NBA Draft". WashingtonPost.com. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  4. "Cavaliers Sign First Round Pick J.J. Hickson". RealGM.com. July 10, 2008. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
  5. "J.J. Hickson 2008-09 Game Log". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
  6. "Cavaliers Exercise Third-Year Option on J.J. Hickson". NBA.com. October 26, 2009. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
  7. "Cavs win sixth straight behind Hickson's career-best 23". ESPN.com. January 28, 2010. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  8. "J.J. Hickson 2009-10 Game Log". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
  9. "Cavaliers Exercise Fourth-Year Option on J.J. Hickson". NBA.com. October 23, 2010. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
  10. "Cavaliers-Bulls notebook loss". NBA.com. January 22, 2011. Archived from the original on January 25, 2011. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
  11. "Knicks-Cavaliers notebook". NBA.com. February 26, 2011. Archived from the original on March 9, 2014. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
  12. Stein, Marc (June 30, 2011). "Cavaliers Obtain Omri Casspi from Kings". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
  13. "JJ Hickson agreed to terms with Bnei Hasharon". Sportando.com. October 21, 2011. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
  14. "Bnei Hasharon released JJ Hickson". Sportando.com. November 5, 2011. Retrieved November 5, 2011.
  15. Sinai, Allon (November 5, 2011). "Hasharon's Hickson packs his bags; Mac TA visits Ashdod". JPost.com. Retrieved November 5, 2011.
  16. "Kings waive forward J.J. Hickson". NBA.com. March 19, 2012. Archived from the original on March 20, 2012. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
  17. "Blazers claim forward J.J. Hickson". ESPN.com. March 21, 2012. Retrieved March 21, 2012.
  18. "Blazers sign J.J. Hickson, draft picks". ESPN.com. July 13, 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
  19. "J.J. Hickson 2012-13 Game Log". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  20. Lopez, Aaron (July 11, 2013). "Denver Nuggets Sign Free-Agent Forward J.J. Hickson". NBA.com. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
  21. "Damian Lillard scores 31, hits clutch shots late to key Portland". ESPN.com. February 26, 2014. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
  22. Lopez, Aaron (March 22, 2014). "Denver Nuggets F J.J. Hickson Has Torn ACL". NBA.com. Retrieved March 22, 2014.
  23. Dempsey, Christopher (September 17, 2014). "Nuggets' J.J. Hickson suspended five games for violating NBA anti-drug policy". DenverPost.com. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  24. "Nuggets Waive J.J. Hickson and Steve Novak". NBA.com. February 19, 2016. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
  25. "WIZARDS SIGN J.J. HICKSON". MonumentalNetwork.com. February 25, 2016. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
  26. "Smith calls out Cavs, LeBron sits for 113-99 loss at Wizards". NBA.com. February 28, 2016. Archived from the original on March 2, 2016. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  27. "Fujian inks J.J. Hickson". Asia-Basket.com. August 20, 2016. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  28. "JJ Hickson: Signs deal to remain in China". cbssports.com. August 11, 2017. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  29. "Former Cavs big man J.J. Hickson signed by Lebanese squad". 247Sports. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  30. Ex-NBA player J.J. Hickson charged with armed robbery
  31. "Leones firman a J.J. Hickson:". bsnpr.com (in Spanish). May 8, 2019. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
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