Josiah James

Josiah-Jordan James (born September 5, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for the Tennessee Volunteers.

High school career James played high school basketball for Porter-Gaud School in Charleston, South Carolina. He was named Gatorade Player of the Year in South Carolina after averaging 29.1 points, 12.4 rebounds, 5.3 blocks and 4.9 assists per game. James led the team to three state titles. He set Porter-Gaud's single game scoring record with 45 points in the Cyclones’ 84–49 win against Northwood Academy. He was named a McDonald's All-American.

Recruiting James was considered a five-star recruit by Rivals and ESPN and a four-star recruit by 247Sports. On September 19, 2018, he committed to play college basketball for Tennessee over offers from Clemson, Duke, and Michigan State.

College career James missed much of the preseason with a hip injury. He scored seven points in Tennessee's first two games. In a 75–62 win over Washington, James finished with nine points, five assists and four rebounds. On January 4, 2020, James scored a career-high 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting in a 78–64 loss to LSU. He was ruled out with a hip injury on January 30. As a freshman, James averaged 7.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. On January 30, 2021, he suffered a wrist injury against Kansas, forcing him to miss two games. As a sophomore, James averaged 8.0 points and a team-leading 6.5 rebounds per game. He underwent wrist surgery in the offseason.

James averaged 10.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game as a junior. As a senior, he battled injuries but averaged 10 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. James opted to return for his fifth season of eligibility. In his fifth season, he averaged 8.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.

Professional career Indiana Mad Ants (2024–2025) After going undrafted in the 2024 NBA draft, James signed with the Indiana Pacers on September 27, 2024, On October 27, he joined the Indiana Mad Ants.

Hapoel Jerusalem (2025–2026) On July 29, 2025, James signed with Hapoel Jerusalem of the Israeli Basketball Premier League and EuroCup. He averaged 9.4 points in eight games in 2025–26.

New Zealand Breakers (2026–present) On July 30, 2026, James signed with the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) for the 2026–27 season.

National team career James played for the United States under-18 basketball team at the 2018 FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship. He helped his team win the gold medal.

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