Josh Christopher
Joshua Christopher | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 8, 2001 United States |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player |
| Years active | 2021–present |
| Known for | Playing for Miami Heat and Houston Rockets in the NBA |
Joshua Evan Christopher (born December 8, 2001) is an American professional basketball athlete who most recently played for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association (NBA), holding a two-way contract with the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA G League. He competed at the collegiate level for the Arizona State Sun Devils. Standing at , he plays as a shooting guard.
Early life
Christopher honed his basketball abilities by playing alongside his older brother, Caleb, and participating in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) competitions. As a sophomore at Mayfair High School in Lakewood, California, he averaged 25.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3.6 assists per contest, helping lead his team to a 21–8 record. During his junior year, he maintained an average of 25 points per game and contributed to winning the Division 2AA championship. In his senior year, teaming up with standout sophomore Dior Johnson, Christopher posted averages of 29.2 points, 8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 3.1 steals per game, steering Mayfair to the CIF Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinals.
He earned selections to elite events such as the 2020 McDonald's All-American Boys Game, Jordan Brand Classic, and Nike Hoop Summit, all of which were ultimately canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Recognized as a consensus five-star prospect and ranked second among shooting guards in the 2020 recruiting class, Christopher committed to Arizona State on April 13, 2020. He chose them over offers from Michigan, USC, Missouri, and UCLA. This commitment represented Arizona State’s highest-rated recruit in recent history and their first five-star signee since NBA star James Harden in 2007. Notably, his brother Caleb also spent one season playing at Arizona State.
College career
On November 26, 2020, Christopher achieved a personal best by scoring 28 points for Arizona State in an 83–74 defeat against third-ranked Villanova. His freshman campaign was limited to 15 games due to injury, during which he averaged 14.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per outing. On March 31, 2021, Christopher declared for the 2021 NBA draft.
Houston Rockets (2021–2023)
Christopher was selected with the 24th pick overall in the 2021 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets. He officially signed with Houston on August 7, 2021, making his debut on October 20 by scoring five points in eight minutes against the Minnesota Timberwolves. On November 24, he was assigned to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, where he averaged an impressive 20 points over three games before being recalled to the Rockets.
Key performances include an efficient outing with 18 points and four three-pointers on December 8 versus the Brooklyn Nets, a strong showing of 23 points on February 4, 2022 against the San Antonio Spurs, and a notable contribution of 21 points in an overtime victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in March. In April, Christopher notched his first career game scoring over 30 points while shooting an outstanding 11-of-14 from the floor.
During the following season (2022–2023), Christopher’s minutes were reduced as Houston preferred to utilize Daishen Nix as their primary point guard for the second unit.
On July 8, 2023, Christopher was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies as part of a complex five-team deal involving Dillon Brooks (via sign-and-trade). He was subsequently released by Memphis on September 30.
Salt Lake City Stars (2023–2024)
Christopher inked a two-way deal with the Utah Jazz on October 13, 2023, but was released on January 9, 2024, without making an appearance for the NBA squad. During this period, he participated in 22 contests with the Jazz's G League team, the Salt Lake City Stars.
Miami Heat / Sioux Falls Skyforce (2024–2025)
On January 14, 2024, Christopher signed with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, and subsequently secured a two-way contract with the Miami Heat on July 25.
NBA
|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Houston | 74 || 2 || 18.0 || .448 || .296 || .735 || 2.5 || 2.0 || .8 || .2 || 7.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Houston | 64 || 2 || 12.3 || .465 || .236 || .750 || 1.1 || 1.0 || .5 || .2 || 5.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Miami | 14 || 0 || 4.9 || .355 || .183 || .667 || .6 || .6 || .4 || .2 || 2.0 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 152 || 4 || 14.4 || .451 || .273 || .737 || 1.8 || 1.5 || .7 || .2 || 6.5
College
|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2020–21 | style="text-align:left;"| Arizona State | 15 || 15 || 29.7 || .432 || .305 || .800 || 4.7 || 1.4 || 1.5 || .5 || 14.3
Personal life
Christopher is the youngest among four siblings, each involved in basketball. His brother, Patrick Christopher, competed professionally and had a brief tenure with the Utah Jazz. Patrick’s godbrother is ex-NBA player Tayshaun Prince. Their sister Paris played collegiate basketball at Saint Mary's before an injury ended her career, while brother Caleb competed at Arizona State and Tennessee Tech, concluding his playing days at NAIA’s Hope International University. Their father, Laron, is a musician; both parents practice devout Christianity. Christopher is widely recognized by his childhood nickname, "Jaygup."