James Blackmon Jr

James Blackmon Jr. was born on April 25, 1995, in Chicago, Illinois. He began his basketball career at Bishop Luers High School for three years before transferring to Marion High School for his senior year. During his high school tenure, he scored 2,387 points, placing him eighth all-time in Indiana high school history. As a senior, Blackmon Jr. averaged 33.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. His performance earned him recognition as a McDonald’s All-American and a First-team Parade All-American in 2014. He also won the three-point contest at the McDonald’s All-American Game and scored 23 points in the Jordan Brand Classic, highlighting his early proficiency as a scorer.

He continued his basketball journey with the Indiana Hoosiers men’s basketball team from 2014 to 2017. In his freshman year (2014-15), Blackmon Jr. started all 33 games, averaging 15.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He set a new Indiana freshman record with 77 three-point field goals made, surpassing Eric Gordon’s previous mark. His collegiate career was marked by significant scoring outputs, including 10 games with 20 or more points, and he earned Honorable Mention All-Big Ten and a unanimous spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman team. Despite injuries, including two knee surgeries during his sophomore season, he maintained strong performance levels. In his junior year (2016-17), he was a preseason watch list candidate for the Naismith Award and Wendy’s Wooden Award and was named National Player of the Week by NBCSports.com and Big Ten Co-Player of the Week on two occasions. He became the 50th player in Indiana University history to surpass 1,000 career points.

After his junior year, Blackmon Jr. entered the 2017 NBA draft but went undrafted. He subsequently signed with the Philadelphia 76ers for Summer League and a training camp contract before being waived. He then transitioned to a professional career overseas, playing for teams such as the Delaware 87ers and Wisconsin Herd in the NBA G-League, and internationally for VL Pesaro, Aquila Basket Trento, Beşiktaş, Pınar Karşıyaka, and currently the Stella Artois Leuven Bears in the BNXT League. His international career demonstrates sustained professional play over several years.