James Johnson

James Patrick Johnson is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Johnson played his high school basketball in Cheyenne East High School in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He averaged 28 points and 9 rebounds per game in his senior year. Johnson was listed at 16th number in top small forward’s list and the no. 62 player in the nation in 2007.

Johnson decided to attend Wake Forest College and play his college basketball for Demon Deacons. His impact on the court was instant as he led the team in scoring and rebounding. For the 2007-2008 season, Johnson garnered the third-team All-ACC honors and came in second in the 2008 ACC Rookie of the Year balloting. Johnson led the team again in rebounding as a sophomore in the 2008-2009 season. He led the team to number one ranking and a 24-5 record thus earning a spot in the third team All-ACC again.

Johnson was drafted as the 16th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. Mid-way through his rookie season, Johnson was assigned to the Iowa Energy of the NBA D-League. In 2011, Johnson was traded to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for the 2011 first round pick. In 2012, he was traded to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for a 2014 second round draft pick. In 2013, Johnson signed with the Atlanta Hawks.

Johnson rejoined the Toronto Raptors for the 2014-2015 season. Following the 2015-16 season, Johnson signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Miami Heat. In 2 season with the Heat, Johnson played some of the best basketball of his career averaging 11.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists to go along with 1 steal per game. He re-signed with the Heat in 2017. In the 2017-2018 season, Johnson scored a career-high 31 points in a 149–141 double-overtime win over the Denver Nuggets.