Rakeem Haleek Christmas (born December 1, 1991) 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 Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player. He played college basketball for the
Syracuse Orange
The Syracuse Orange are the athletic teams that represent Syracuse University. The school is a member of NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Coast Conference. Until 2013, Syracuse was a member of the Big East Conference.
The school's mascot is ...
for four seasons before being drafted by the
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...
with the 36th overall pick in the
2015 NBA draft.
After being drafted by the Timberwolves, he was traded to the
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
, who then traded him to the
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...
. He spent two seasons with the Pacers while also playing for their
NBA G League
The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official List of developmental and minor sports leagues, minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development ...
team, the
Fort Wayne Mad Ants
The Fort Wayne Mad Ants are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and are affiliated with the Indiana Pacers. The team plays their home games at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. The M ...
. He was then waived in the 2017 offseason and went overseas to play for
Galatasaray
Galatasaray Spor Kulübü (, ''Galatasaray Sports Club'') is a Turkish sports club based on the European side of the city of Istanbul in Turkey. Most notable for its association football department, the club also consists of various other de ...
in
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
, 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), the
Magnolia Hotshots
The Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots, or simply known as the Magnolia Hotshots, are a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team is owned by San Miguel Food and Beverage, Inc., a subsidiary of San Migue ...
of the
Philippine Basketball Association
The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of twelve company-branded franchised teams. Founded in 1975, it is the first professional basketball league in Asia and is the se ...
, and
Ormanspor in Turkey.
High school career
Christmas attended
Northeast Catholic High School
Northeast Catholic High School opened in 1926 as Northeast Catholic High School for Boys, and was located at 1842 Torresdale Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was under the administration of the high school system of the Roman Catholic Arch ...
in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
between 2007 and 2009, before his junior year he transferred to
Academy of the New Church in
Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania
Bryn Athyn is a home rule municipality in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It was formerly a borough, and its official name remains "Borough of Bryn Athyn". The population was 1,375 at the 2010 census. It was formed for religious reasons fro ...
. As a junior, he averaged 13.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game. During his senior season, he averaged 11.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 3.9 blocks per game.
He was rated as the #21 player in the class of 2011 by
Scout.com
Scout Media is an integrated sports publishing company that produces Internet content covering hundreds of professional and college teams across America. The company was founded in 2001 and was acquired by Fox Sports in 2005. In 2013, Fox Sports ...
. He was rated as the #27 player by
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel.
History
Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...
. He was named to the Class A first team as a junior.
College career
Christmas committed to
Syracuse basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
on August 6, 2010, after his junior season in high school. He started playing for Syracuse in the 2011–12 season and contributed all four seasons that he was with the team.
College statistics
College career highs
* Blocks: 6 against
Loyola (11/25/14)
* Rebounds: 16 against
Hampton
Hampton may refer to:
Places Australia
*Hampton bioregion, an IBRA biogeographic region in Western Australia
*Hampton, New South Wales
*Hampton, Queensland, a town in the Toowoomba Region
* Hampton, Victoria
Canada
* Hampton, New Brunswick
*Ha ...
(11/16/14)
* Points: 35 against
Wake Forest (01/13/15)
Professional career
Indiana Pacers (2015–2017)
On June 25, 2015, Christmas was selected by the
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...
with the 36th overall pick in the
2015 NBA draft. His rights were then traded to the
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
along with those of
Cedi Osman and a future second-round pick in exchange for the rights of
Tyus Jones
Tyus Robert Jones Sr. (born May 10, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously played for his hometown team the Minnesota Timberwolves for 4 seasons ...
. He later joined the Cavaliers for the
2015 NBA Summer League
The 2015 NBA Summer League consisted of three pro basketball leagues organized by the NBA: the Orlando Pro Summer League, Utah Jazz Summer League, and Las Vegas Summer League.
Ten teams participated in the week-long Orlando Pro Summer League a ...
, where he averaged 8.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in four games. On July 23, 2015, his rights were traded again, this time to the
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...
in exchange for a 2019 second-round pick. Four days later, he signed with the Pacers. Christmas spent the majority of the 2015–16 season on assignment in the
NBA Development League
The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official List of developmental and minor sports leagues, minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development ...
with the
Fort Wayne Mad Ants
The Fort Wayne Mad Ants are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and are affiliated with the Indiana Pacers. The team plays their home games at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. The M ...
. On January 29, 2016, he was named in the East All-Star team for the 2016
NBA D-League All-Star Game
The NBA D-League All-Star Game was an annual exhibition basketball game held by the NBA Development League (D-League). The D-League was founded in 2001 as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) and later as the NBA Development League. ...
. In the Pacers' 2015–16 regular season finale, Christmas made his NBA debut, scoring four points and making both his field-goal tries off the bench in a 97–92 win over 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 ...
. He spent more time with the Pacers in 2016–17, appearing in 29 games, but still received multiple assignments to Fort Wayne.
On July 7, 2017, Christmas was waived by the Pacers.
Galatasaray (2017)
On August 17, 2017, Christmas signed with Turkish club
Galatasaray
Galatasaray Spor Kulübü (, ''Galatasaray Sports Club'') is a Turkish sports club based on the European side of the city of Istanbul in Turkey. Most notable for its association football department, the club also consists of various other de ...
for the 2017–18 season. On November 11, 2017, he parted ways with Galatasaray.
New Zealand Breakers (2018)
On January 8, 2018, Christmas signed with 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 ...
for the rest of the
2017–18 NBL season. In 12 games, he averaged 7.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.
Magnolia Hotshots (2019)
On July 18, 2019, it was reported that
Magnolia Hotshots
The Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots, or simply known as the Magnolia Hotshots, are a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team is owned by San Miguel Food and Beverage, Inc., a subsidiary of San Migue ...
had added Christmas to their roster.
Ormanspor (2019–2020)
On August 21, 2019,
OGM Ormanspor
OGM Ormanspor is a Turkish professional basketball club based in Ankara. Currently, the team plays in the Turkish Basketball First League. Established in 1971, the team played in the lower divisions of Turkish basketball for decades. In 2019, Orma ...
announced that they had added Christmas to their roster.
Yulon Dinosours (2020–2021)
On November 3, 2020,
Yulon Luxgen Dinos
The Yulon Luxgen Dinos are a basketball team in the Super Basketball League in Taiwan. It was founded in 1965 by Yulon Motor's (or the Taiwanese Car Manufacturer Luxgen) Chairman as a First Division amateur basketball team. It has also been membe ...
announced that they had added Christmas to their roster.
Cangrejeros de Santurce (2022–present)
On January 1, 2022, Christmas signed with the
Cangrejeros de Santurce of the BSN.
NBA career statistics
Regular season
, -
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Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
, 1 , , 0 , , 6.0 , , 1.000 , , .000 , , .000 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 4.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
, 29 , , 0 , , 7.6 , , .442 , , .000 , , .724 , , 1.9 , , .1 , , .1 , , .2 , , 2.0
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 30 , , 0 , , 7.5 , , .467, , .000 , , .724 , , 1.9 , , .1 , , .1 , , .2 , , 2.1
Personal life
Christmas and his mother Landra Hamid moved to
St. Croix
Saint Croix; nl, Sint-Kruis; french: link=no, Sainte-Croix; Danish and no, Sankt Croix, Taino: ''Ay Ay'' ( ) is an island in the Caribbean Sea, and a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI), an unincor ...
when he was 2 years old. While he lived in the Virgin Islands, his mother died due to
kidney failure
Kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease, is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney failure is classified as eit ...
at the age of 28. After his mother died, he remained in St. Croix and was raised there by his grandmother, Evelyn Hamid. When he was 13 years old he moved to
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
to live with his aunt, Amira Hamid, who became his legal guardian.
Christmas was initiated as an honorary member of the
Alpha Epsilon Pi
Alpha Epsilon Pi (), commonly known as AEPi, is a college fraternity founded at New York University in 1913 by Charles C. Moskowitz and ten other men. The fraternity has more than 150 active chapters across the United States, Canada, United Kingdo ...
fraternity during his sophomore year at
Syracuse University
Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...
. Christmas is thought to be the first player in Syracuse men's basketball history to finish his undergraduate degree in 3 years.
Christmas is married to Jasmine Jordan, the daughter of
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...
. Their son, Rakeem Michael Christmas, was born in May 2019.
References
External links
Syracuse Orange bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Christmas, Rakeem
1991 births
Living people
21st-century African-American sportspeople
African-American basketball players
All-American college men's basketball players
American expatriate basketball people in China
American expatriate basketball people in New Zealand
American expatriate basketball people in the Dominican Republic
American expatriate basketball people in the Philippines
American expatriate basketball people in Taiwan
American expatriate basketball people in Turkey
American men's basketball players
Basketball players from New Jersey
Basketball players from Philadelphia
Fort Wayne Mad Ants players
Galatasaray S.K. (men's basketball) players
Indiana Pacers players
Magnolia Hotshots players
McDonald's High School All-Americans
Minnesota Timberwolves draft picks
New Zealand Breakers players
People from Irvington, New Jersey
Philippine Basketball Association imports
Power forwards (basketball)
Sportspeople from Essex County, New Jersey
Syracuse Orange men's basketball players
Yulon Luxgen Dinos players
Super Basketball League imports
Cangrejeros de Santurce basketball players
Cocodrilos de Caracas players
American expatriate basketball people in Venezuela