The NBA has entered a new decade and a new wave of talent flooded the team’s rosters. Young players try to fill in the shoes of their predecessors and it’s amazing to see the players grow over time. Especially if they play for your favorite sports teams! The fans are on the lookout for the next Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. But some of the players need more time to achieve their peak and it’s amusing to watch as their journey begins.
Roderick Hampton Jr
One of the Gen-Z representatives in the NBA is RJ Hampton. He was born on February 7th, 2001, in Dallas, Texas. He was a prominent score from the beginning. In his first game with his high school team, he scored 33 points. Little Elm High School couldn’t be prouder as the young player excelled at such a young age. His freshman season he averaged over 23 points, over 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and almost four steals per game! He led his team to the District 14-5A title and was named MaxPreps Freshman All-American.
RJ Hampton – High School Career
In 2017 RJ Hampton had to make a decision if he should transfer to Montverde Florida Academy but he stayed with Little Elms after all. He easily topped his previous accomplishments and was named to USA Today All-Texas as well as MaxPreps Sophomore All-American.
The next years in high school were cut short. Thanks to his athletic achievement, RJ decided to graduate with the class of 2019, despite him only attending for a few weeks of online classes. RJ and his dad decided that there is no point finishing playing for Little Elm and risk being injured, as Hampton was already a five-star recruit and got a lot of scholarship offers in potential college destinations.
Hampton mainly considered three University Teams: Kansas Jayhawks, Memphis Tigers, and Texas Tech Red Raiders. He postponed his decision as long as he could. He finally revealed that he isn’t going to any University at all. He said that his dream was never NCAA and he plans to go to a pro. Before he could participate in the draft, he traveled to Australia.
RJ Hampton – New Zealand Breakers
RJ Hampton signed a contract with New Zealand Breakers of the National Basketball League of Australia. The possibility to trade to the NBA was a focal point of the contract, as it was the end goal. His debut was very strong and just two days later he recorded season-high twenty points, five rebounds, and three steals. Sadly, he was injured during his run with the Breakers and he got back with the team in January of 2020. In February he decided that he will be better off preparing for the National Basketball Association’s draft. He traveled back to the United States. The pressure was on, as he was said to be the 5th pick in the draft class. Maybe his absence clouded a view of competition because this prediction wasn’t true.
RJ Hampton – NBA Draft
The dream came true when young Hampton participated in the 2020 draft. He was chosen as the 24th overall pick for the Milwaukee Bucks, but his future debut was not to be with the Bucks. He was traded to the Denver Nuggets.
RJ Hampton – Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets signed the young point guard, mainly because of Hampton’s athleticism. As a rookie, he wasn’t given many opportunities to shine and soon found out that the NBA follows its own rules. Hampton spent most of his time with the Nuggets on the bench. He managed to average only 9,3 minutes of the playing time in twenty-five games he participated in. His defensive ability was almost non-existent and he wasn’t capable of positioning himself accordingly to make a good shot. The decision to skip college didn’t turn out so good for RJ’s career, as the years in NCAA could be a good training ground for Hampton and could help him eliminate rookie-style weaknesses.
RJ Hampton – Orlando Magic
In 2021 Hampton was traded to the Orlando Magic. The new team gave him more opportunities to show off, for example, against his former teammates. In April the Orlando Magic had to face the Nuggets. Hampton was the first time in the starting lineup. In 33 minutes of the game, he put up double digits with 16 points, four rebounds, and three assists. His spectacular achievement made him the Eastern Conference Rookie of May.
RJ Hampton – Gold Medalist
With the United States under-16 team, Hampton captured the gold medal at the 2017 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship. In 5 games, he registered nine points, over three rebounds and almost three assists on average.
In 2018, he won his second gold medal in the 2018 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup. He only played two games with the team because of his foot injury.
Conclusion
Hampton will clearly make the news more than on one occasion. He knows what he wants, the characteristic that comes into the picture when he gets to the rim while dribbling from the half-court. He is like a rough diamond and with the right polishing, he will shine the brightest among the young stars.
How much does RJ Hampton get paid?
RJ Hampton signed a 4-year contract with the Denver Nuggets for $11,129,417 in total. Out of this amount, $4,496,520 is guaranteed as an annual average salary of $2,782 354.
Why did RJ Hampton skip college?
“My dream has never been to play college basketball,” Hampton told ESPN. “My dream has always been to get to the next level and I think this was the best route for me to live like a pro and play with grown men every day and not kind of have to juggle books and basketball and focus on my main goal.”
