Roderick "R. J." Hampton Jr. (born February 7, 2001) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player for the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at L ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

(NBA). He played for the

New Zealand Breakers The New Zealand Breakers (also known as the Sky Sport Breakers for sponsorship reasons) are a New Zealand professional basketball team based in Auckland. The Breakers compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at ...

of the National Basketball League (NBL) before applying for the NBA draft. He was a five-star

recruit __NOTOC__ Recruit can refer to: Military * Military recruitment * Recruit training, in the military * '' Rekrut'' (English: Recruit), a military recruit or low rank in German-speaking countries * Seaman recruit Books *''Le Réquisitionnaire'' (E ...

Little Elm High School Little Elm High School is a public high school in Little Elm, Texas, United States and classified as a 6A school by the University Interscholastic League (UIL). It is part of the Little Elm Independent School District located in east central Dent ...

in Little Elm, Texas. He was drafted by the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...

as the 24th overall pick in the

2020 NBA draft The 2020 NBA draft was held on November 18, 2020. The draft was originally scheduled to be held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on June 25, but due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it was instead conducted at ESPN's facilities in Bristol, Connecti ...

High school career

Since his freshman season, Hampton played varsity basketball for

Little Elm, Texas Little Elm is a city in Denton County, Texas, United States, and a part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is an extended suburb of Denton; its population was 46,453 as of the 2020 census. In 2000, the census population was at 3,646. By the ...

. In his first high school game on November 17, 2016, he led all scorers with 33 points in a 78–52 win over

Naaman Forest High School Naaman Forest High School is a public secondary school located in Garland, Texas, United States. Naaman Forest enrolls students in grades 9- 12 and is a part of the Garland Independent School District. In 2009, the school was rated "academicall ...

. As a freshman, Hampton averaged 23.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 3.5 steals per game, leading Little Elm to a 29–5 record and the District 14-5A title. He was named to the

MaxPreps MaxPreps is an American website that specializes in coverage of American high school sports. The site is owned by Paramount Global and is a division of CBS Sports. Founded on August 1, 2002, the company has covered up to 29 sports, including b ...

Freshman All-American first team and earned Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) Class 5A All-State and '' Dallas Morning News'' All-Area Newcomer of the Year honors. In May 2017, Hampton announced that he was transferring to the nationally ranked basketball program of Montverde Academy in

Montverde, Florida Montverde is a town in Lake County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,655 at the 2020 census and an estimated 1,675 in 2018. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Montverde wa ...

, before deciding to return to Little Elm. In the 2017–18 season, Hampton averaged 30.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, six assists, 4.4 steals, and 2.5 blocks per game, guiding Little Elm to a 28–8 record. He garnered MaxPreps Sophomore All-American first team, ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...

'' All-Texas first team, and TABC 5A All-State recognition. On December 14, 2018, Hampton scored 33 points in an 80–66 victory over

South Garland High School South Garland High School (SGHS) is a secondary school located in Garland, Texas. The school is part of the Garland Independent School District. The mascot for SGHS is the Titan, after retiring the Colonel, and the school colors are red and Colum ...

, matching up against fellow coveted recruit

Tyrese Maxey Tyrese Kendrid Maxey (born November 4, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats. Born in D ...

. On December 29, he posted a career-high 50 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, and six steals in an 86–62 win over

Coppell High School Coppell High School is a public high school located in Coppell, Texas. It is part of the Coppell Independent School District located in extreme northwest Dallas County. In 2015, the school was rated " Met Standard" by the Texas Education Agenc ...

. In February 2019, Hampton had another 50-point game in an 83–80 loss to Northwest High School. As a junior, Hampton averaged 32 points, 9.7 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 3.9 steals per game, helping Little Elm achieve a 24–10 record. On March 15, he was named Texas Gatorade Player of the Year, becoming the first non-senior to win the award since

Justise Winslow Justise Jon Winslow (born March 26, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils, with whom he won the 201 ...

in 2013. He also earned ''USA Today'' All-USA first team and MaxPreps All-American second team distinction. On April 30, Hampton

reclassified ''Reclassified'' is the reissue of Australians, Australian rapper Iggy Azalea's debut studio album, ''The New Classic'' (2014). It was released internationally on 21 November 2014 by Virgin EMI Records, and in the United States on 24 November ...

to the 2019 class, forgoing his senior year and graduating from high school after about three weeks of online classes.

Recruiting

Hampton was a consensus five-star recruit and ranked among the top six players in the 2019 recruiting class. On September 5, 2017, Christian Dawkins, an agent later indicted in the NCAA basketball corruption scandal, expressed a desire to pay Hampton in emails sent to business partners. When the emails surfaced in 2019, Hampton's father denied ever meeting Dawkins. Before reclassifying on April 30, 2019, Hampton had been considered one of the best prospects in the 2020 class. He narrowed down his potential college destinations to

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

, and

Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...

Professional career

New Zealand Breakers (2019–2020)

On May 28, 2019, Hampton signed a multi-year deal with the

of the National Basketball League (NBL), which is based in Australia, with the option to leave for the

(NBA). He said that he skipped college basketball because he wanted to "live like a pro and to play with grown men and not have to juggle books and basketball." Hampton joined the Breakers through the NBL Next Stars program, which aims to develop NBA draft prospects. On September 20, he made his professional debut in a win over

Melbourne United Melbourne United is an Australian professional basketball team based in Melbourne, Victoria. United compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at John Cain Arena. The team made their debut in the NBL in 1984 a ...

, recording 11 points, three rebounds and four assists in 21 minutes. Two days later, he posted a season-high 20 points, five rebounds and three steals in a loss to the

South East Melbourne Phoenix The South East Melbourne Phoenix are an Australian professional basketball team based in Melbourne, Victoria. The Phoenix entered the National Basketball League (NBL) in the 2019–20 season. The team play the majority of their home games at Jo ...

. On November 9, Hampton was ejected four minutes into a game against South East Melbourne after attempting to put his arm around the neck of opposing guard

John Roberson John Roberson IV (born October 28, 1988) is an American-born naturalized Bosnian professional basketball player for Manisa BB of the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi. Standing at , he plays at the point guard position. Professional career In June 2 ...

during a scuffle. On December 11, it was announced that he would miss about four weeks of action with a hip injury. On January 5, 2020, Hampton returned, scoring 11 points in a win over South East Melbourne. He parted ways with the Breakers on February 4 to return to the United States and prepare for the

. Through 15 NBL games, Hampton averaged 8.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, shooting 40.7 percent from the field. Hampton was projected as a top 5 pick for the 2020 NBA draft heading into the season.

Denver Nuggets (2020–2021)

Hampton was drafted by the

as the 24th pick in the

, but his draft rights were later traded to the Denver Nuggets in a four-team trade involving the New Orleans Pelicans and

Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team plays i ...

on November 24, 2020. On December 1, 2020, the Denver Nuggets announced that they had signed Hampton. He played 25 games for the Nuggets, averaging 2.6 points and 2.0 rebounds in 9.3 minutes per game.

Orlando Magic (2021–2023)

On March 25, 2021, Hampton,

Gary Harris Gary Harris (born September 14, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans. High school career Harris atte ...

, and a future first round pick were traded to the Orlando Magic in exchange for

Aaron Gordon Aaron Addison Gordon (born September 16, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one year of college basketball for the University of Arizona before bein ...

and Gary Clark. On April 4, Hampton was named in the starting lineup for the first time in his career against Denver Nuggets. He recorded 16 points, four rebounds, and three assists in 33 minutes. On May 17, he was named Eastern Conference rookie of the month for the month of May. On December 29, 2022, Hampton was suspended by the NBA for one game without pay due to coming off the bench during an altercation in a game against the

the day before. On February 21, 2023, Hampton was waived by the Magic.

Detroit Pistons (2023–present)

On February 23, 2023, Hampton signed with the

National team career

Hampton won the gold medal at the

2017 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship The 2017 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship was the men's international basketball competition that was held in Formosa, Argentina from 14–18 June 2017. The successfully defended their title against , 111–60, in the rematch of the Finals. ...

with the United States national under-16 team. In five games, he averaged nine points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. He won another gold medal with the national under-17 team at the

2018 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup The 2018 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup (Spanish: Copa del Mundo de Baloncesto FIBA Sub-17 2018) was the 5th edition of the FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup, the biennial international men's youth basketball championship contested by the U17 ...

but was limited to two games by a foot injury. Hampton averaged 7.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.

Career statistics

NBA

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, 25 , , 0 , , 9.3 , , .417 , , .278 , , .750 , , 2.0 , , .6 , , .2 , , .1 , , 2.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures re ...

, 26 , , 1 , , 25.2 , , .439 , , .319 , , .657 , , 5.0 , , 2.8 , , .6 , , .3 , , 11.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 64 , , 14 , , 21.9 , , .383 , , .350 , , .641 , , 3.0 , , 2.5 , , .7 , , .2 , , 7.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 26 , , 0 , , 13.9 , , .439 , , .340 , , .838 , , 1.5 , , 1.3 , , .6 , , .2 , , 5.7 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 141 , , 15 , , 18.8 , , .408 , , .337 , , .682 , , 2.9 , , 2.0 , , .6 , , .2 , , 7.0

NBL

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2019–20 , style="text-align:left;",

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

, 15 , , 12 , , 20.6 , , .407 , , .295 , , .679 , , 3.9 , , 2.4 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , 8.8

Personal life

Hampton's father Rod Hampton played

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

for SMU from 1987 to 1991. His grandfather Richard Evans served in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

References

External links

NBL profileUSA Basketball bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hampton, R. J. 2001 births Living people 21st-century African-American sportspeople African-American basketball players American expatriate basketball people in New Zealand American men's basketball players Basketball players from Dallas Denver Nuggets players Detroit Pistons players Lakeland Magic players Milwaukee Bucks draft picks New Zealand Breakers players Orlando Magic players Point guards Shooting guards