Antawn Jamison
Antawn Cortez Jamison (/ˈæntwɑːn ˈdʒeɪmɪsən/ ANT-wahn JAY-mih-sən; born June 12, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player who played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA).[1][2] He serves as director of pro personnel for the Washington Wizards. Jamison played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels, being named national player of the year in 1998.
Washington Wizards
Director of pro personnel
June 12, 1976
Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S.
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
235 lb (107 kg)
North Carolina (1995–1998)
1998: 1st round, 4th overall pick
1998–2014
7, 33, 4
20,042 (18.5 ppg)
8,157 (7.5 rpg)
1,761 (1.6 apg)
He was selected by the Toronto Raptors as the fourth overall pick of the 1998 NBA draft before being traded to the Golden State Warriors for former Tar Heel teammate Vince Carter.[3] Named to the NBA All-Rookie Team with the Warriors, Jamison was a two-time All-Star and won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in 2004. He was a member of the United States national team in 2006. Upon his retirement from the NBA, he worked as an analyst for Time Warner Cable SportsNet and as a scout for the Los Angeles Lakers before being hired by the Washington Wizards as their director of pro personnel in 2019.
Early life[edit]
Jamison was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. His parents named him "Antwan", but the hospital misspelled it "Antawn" on his birth certificate.[4] The error was never corrected, but the pronunciation (as "Antoine") did not change.[5] Jamison played basketball and football (as a quarterback) at Quail Hollow Middle School in Charlotte, North Carolina.[6] He went on to play high school basketball at Charlotte's Providence High School, where he was named a McDonald's All-American after his senior season,[7] during which he averaged 27 points, 13 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game.[8]
College career[edit]
Jamison played three seasons of college basketball for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, averaging 19.0 points and 9.9 rebounds per game.[9] In his junior year, he was awarded both the Naismith and Wooden Awards as the most outstanding men's college basketball player for the 1997–98 season. Jamison decided to forgo his senior year of eligibility and enter the NBA draft in 1998. He subsequently returned and earned a B.A. in Afro-American and African studies, graduating in August 1999.[10]
On March 1, 2000, Jamison's #33 was retired at the Dean E. Smith Center, the seventh Tar Heel so honored.
Professional career[edit]
Golden State Warriors (1998–2003)[edit]
Jamison was selected with the fourth pick of the 1998 NBA draft by the Toronto Raptors, who then dealt his rights to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for former North Carolina teammate and best friend Vince Carter. Jamison spent the first five years of his NBA career with the Warriors. He scored a career-high 51 points on two occasions, back-to-back against Seattle and the Lakers (the Warriors won that game). He averaged a career-high 24.9 points per game in 2000–01, his third season in the league.
Dallas Mavericks (2003–2004)[edit]
In 2003, Jamison was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in a nine-player deal that sent him, forwards Danny Fortson and Chris Mills, and guard Jiří Welsch to the Mavs and guard Nick Van Exel, center Evan Eschmeyer, guard Avery Johnson, and forwards Popeye Jones and Antoine Rigaudeau to the Warriors. With Dallas, Jamison experienced his first winning season in 2003–04 as the Mavericks finished 52–30 and made the playoffs, which also marked the first time in his career that Jamison had experienced post-season play. Jamison was named as the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year for his efforts. The Mavericks suffered a setback in the first round, falling in five games to the Sacramento Kings.
Post-playing career[edit]
In October 2014, Jamison retired from professional basketball and became a broadcaster for Time Warner Cable SportsNet as a TV analyst for the Los Angeles Lakers.[30]
On October 3, 2017, Jamison was hired in a scouting role by the Los Angeles Lakers.[31] In August 2019, he was hired by the Wizards to become their director of pro personnel.[32]
Philanthropy[edit]
Jamison awarded his first Antawn C. Jamison Scholarship at his high school alma mater in 2003.[33] Jamison has also launched a campaign which he calls "A Better Tomorrow" which he hopes to use to provide the underprivileged with a chance at a better future. He says of the project: "As a professional athlete, I have an obligation to help those less fortunate. I really enjoy being in a position to aid my community – both in the Bay Area and back home in Charlotte – and put a smile on somebody's face. That is what it is all about. I think it is especially important to give back during the holidays, when people tend to feel a little down if things are not going too well."[34]