JamesOn Curry

JamesOn Curry
JamesOn Curry
Born	January 7, 1986 (age 40); Pleasant Grove, North Carolina, U.S.
Occupation	Professional basketball player (former)
Years active	2004–2014
Known for	Briefest NBA career in terms of actual game minutes (3.9 seconds)

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article JamesOn Curry, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 28 November 2025

JamesOn Curry (born January 7, 1986) is a former American professional basketball athlete. He competed for Oklahoma State University between 2004 and 2007 before declaring early for the 2007 NBA draft. Selected as the 51st pick in the second round by the Chicago Bulls, Curry’s career included stints in the NBA Development League and overseas in Europe prior to his NBA debut in January 2010. His NBA playing time consisted of just 3.9 seconds with the Los Angeles Clippers, constituting the briefest NBA career in terms of actual game minutes.

Early life

Born to Leon and Connie Curry in Pleasant Grove, North Carolina, Curry attended Eastern Alamance High School located in Mebane, North Carolina. There, he established several scoring milestones. As a freshman, he accumulated 639 points, setting a state freshman record. He continued to surpass scoring marks in North Carolina high school basketball with 892 points as a sophomore and 972 points during his junior year.

In his final high school season, Curry averaged 40.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per contest, earning two Associated Press All-State first team nods. A standout performance occurred on December 9, 2003, when he nearly achieved a quadruple-double by tallying 47 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, and nine steals. On January 19, 2004, he posted 65 points against Western Alamance High School, just two points short of the longstanding state record from 1950. Concluding his high school tenure, Curry amassed an all-time North Carolina scoring total of 3,307 points—a record later eclipsed by UNC recruit Coby White. Over his career, he notched at least 20 points in 74 games, surpassed 30 points in 44 contests, and scored over 40 points on 16 occasions.

College career

Initially committing to North Carolina via a National Letter of Intent, Curry’s scholarship was revoked following a guilty plea to drug-related charges. Subsequently, he enrolled at Oklahoma State University (OSU).

During his freshman year (2004–05), Curry started in 15 out of 33 games and averaged 9.4 points along with 2.8 assists per game. In Big 12 conference play, he ranked ninth for three-point field goals made per game (1.75). Key highlights included scoring 22 points on an efficient 8-for-11 shooting during his first start against Colorado on January 30, 2005, and equaling that point total in a victory over Oklahoma on February 7. Additionally, he set an OSU freshman NCAA tournament record by contributing 18 points in the second-round matchup versus Southern Illinois.

In his sophomore campaign, Curry reached a personal best of 30 points in a decisive 97–61 triumph over Mercer on December 18, 2005. He also delivered a strong performance with 22 points and nine rebounds during an 81–60 win against Texas on February 19, 2006. He recorded double-digit assists twice that season, achieving a career-high of ten assists against both Detroit and Gonzaga.

In his junior year, Curry posted a career-high scoring effort with 35 points alongside nine assists and zero turnovers during a commanding 95–73 victory over Texas A&M–Corpus Christi on November 29, 2006. On January 16, 2007, he contributed 28 points and nine rebounds in a triple-overtime win against Texas. On March 3, he set new personal records by scoring 40 points and sinking seven three-pointers (7-for-10 shooting) despite an 86–82 loss to the Baylor team.

Professional career

Curry was chosen by the Chicago Bulls as the 51st overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft and officially signed with the team on August 2, 2007. Throughout the 2007–08 season, he was repeatedly assigned to their NBA Development League affiliate, the Iowa Energy, where he posted averages of 20.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 5.6 assists across 13 appearances. After undergoing thumb surgery, Curry was released by the Bulls on July 31, 2008, without having appeared in an NBA game. The Bulls were only responsible for paying $100,000 of his partially guaranteed salary for the 2008–09 NBA season.

In August 2008, Curry signed with Élan Béarnais Pau-Orthez of the French league, but was dismissed in October after failing to meet the expectations of the coaching staff. He returned to the Iowa Energy in March 2009 to complete the remainder of that D-League season.

Starting the 2009–10 campaign with Proteas EKA AEL in Cyprus, Curry was later selected 14th overall by the expansion team Springfield Armor during the 2009 NBA D-League Draft. After averaging 16.1 points, 7.5 assists, and 4.0 rebounds with Springfield, he secured a 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Clippers on January 22, 2010. His NBA tenure consisted of just 3.9 seconds played in a single game—the shortest playing time recorded in NBA history—and he was released on January 26 following the Clippers' acquisition of Bobby Brown. Curry returned to Springfield but was waived on March 3 due to injury.

He rejoined Springfield for the 2010–11 season and subsequently competed in Venezuela with Toros de Aragua during the 2011 LBP season.

For the 2011–12 season, Curry once again played for Springfield and earned selection to the 2012 NBA D-League All-Star Game. In May 2012, he signed with Basket Barcellona in Italy.

On November 1, 2013, Springfield reacquired Curry; however, he was traded to the Bakersfield Jam on January 2, 2014. He was waived on March 19 due to an injury that ended his season.

Legal issues

In February 2004, Curry was one of 49 students detained during a drug raid targeting Alamance County schools in North Carolina. He faced several charges related to marijuana possession and distribution on school property. Following a guilty plea, the University of North Carolina revoked his scholarship.

On January 17, 2008, Curry was arrested in Boise, Idaho, on charges of resisting arrest and public urination. The Chicago Bulls imposed a one-game suspension after he pled guilty. Later, on October 20, 2014, he was arrested in Edmond, Oklahoma, for marijuana possession and providing false information to an officer.

NBA

Source:

Regular season

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Personal life

Curry grew up on a tobacco farm located in the rural area of Pleasant Grove, North Carolina. His given name is a blend of "Leon" and "James," paying tribute to both his father and great-uncle.

Following his basketball career, Curry made his way back to Pleasant Grove in 2016. In April 2017, he suffered a serious traffic accident that resulted in dislocated ribs and a fractured lower spine, necessitating the insertion of metal rods and ultimately bringing his playing days to an end. By July of the same year, he had moved to Oklahoma, where he took on several occupations, including working as a truck driver. Encouraged by his employer, he began coaching a YMCA basketball team, which eventually led him to organize a basketball camp at Drummond High School in Drummond, Oklahoma.

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