Josh Sharkey

Josh Sharkey
Born	(1997-09-10) September 10, 1997 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupation	Professional basketball player
Years active	2020–present
Known for	Playing for Balikesir in Turkey's TBL league; collegiate career at Samford

Josh Sharkey (born September 10, 1997) is a professional basketball athlete from the United States, currently playing for Balikesir in Turkey's TBL league. His collegiate basketball career was spent with the Samford team.

Early life and high school career

Raised in Philadelphia's Olney area, Sharkey began his high school education at Abington Friends School during his freshman year. He then transferred to Archbishop John Carroll High School for his sophomore season, where he played alongside prominent players such as Derrick Jones Jr. and Ryan Daly. Recognized as an All-Delco athlete, Sharkey averaged 7.1 points per game at the 2015 Peach Jam Invitational. Among scholarship offers, only Samford extended one to him, which he chose over Penn.

College career

During his freshman season at Samford, Sharkey posted averages of 8.2 points and 4.2 assists per game, primarily backing up Christen Cunningham. His sophomore campaign saw him average 7.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 5.1 assists each contest. On January 24, 2019, he established a new school record by dishing out 16 assists in a matchup against the Wofford team. That season concluded with Sharkey averaging 16.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, earning a spot on the Second Team All-Southern Conference.

In his final collegiate year, Sharkey averaged 18 points along with 7.2 rebounds per game, securing Third Team All-Southern Conference honors and appearing on the midseason watchlist for the Lou Henson Award. He finished his tenure at Samford holding the program records for both assists (758) and steals (285), while ranking seventh all-time in scoring with 1,592 points.

Professional career

Sharkey inked his initial professional deal on September 26, 2020, joining Tigers Tübingen of Germany's ProA. He earned ProA player of the week recognition on November 3 after delivering a standout performance with 28 points and 12 assists in a narrow 103–101 victory over the Paderborn Baskets.

On June 23, 2021, he signed with Legia Warsaw competing in the Polish Basketball League, averaging across four games: 15 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and two steals per outing. Subsequently, on October 1, he agreed to terms with Start Lublin.

Delaware Blue Coats (2022)

Sharkey was acquired by the Delaware Blue Coats of the NBA G League on January 5, 2022, through the available player pool but was released on January 18.

Birmingham Squadron (2022)

On March 30, 2022, Sharkey joined the Birmingham Squadron, also via the available player pool mechanism.

Personal life

Josh Sharkey is related to NBA player Jameer Nelson, as Nelson’s father and Sharkey’s maternal grandfather were siblings. Nelson has provided training sessions for Sharkey, who has long admired him. Additionally, Sharkey counts rapper Meek Mill among his favorite musicians.

External links

• Samford Bulldogs bio