Antawn Jamison was a highly-rated basketball prospect out of high school. He went into college as one of the best, and he finished his college career on top. After his college career Jamison went on to pursue an NBA career.

Jamison played 16 seasons in the NBA for four different teams. He had a productive NBA career and was one of the top players on the teams that he played for. After his playing career finished, he continued to be involved in basketball.

Antawn Jamison’s path to the NBA

Jamison played his college basketball at the University of North Carolina. Coming into North Carolina, Jamison was a top player and was expected to have a successful career in college. In his three years at North Carolina, Jamison played at a high level. He finished his career averaging 19 points and 9.9 rebounds per game.

He was a three-time First-team All-ACC selection, and he was an All-American. During his final season in college, he was named the National college player of the year as a junior. That season he averaged 22.2 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.

After three years at North Carolina, Jamison decided to forego his senior year and enter the NBA draft. Jamison was a top prospect going into the draft. When the 1998 draft came, the Toronto Raptors selected Jamison with the fourth pick. He was later sent to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Vince Carter.

Antawn Jamison’s NBA career

When Jamison came into the league, he adjusted well to the NBA game. In his first season, he made the All-Rookie Second Team averaging 9.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. At 6-foot-9, Jamison was a versatile player. He could play inside the paint and outside the paint. He spent his first five seasons playing for the Warriors. In his third season with the team, he averaged 24.9 points, which were the most points he averaged in his career.

After the 2002-03 season, Jamison was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. Jamison went from being a starter with the Warriors to accepting a reserve role in Dallas. In his lone season playing for the Mavericks, Jamison averaged 14.8 points and 6.3 rebounds. After that season, he was named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year.

Jamison was on the move again as he was traded to the Washington Wizards. In his first season with the Wizards, he was named to his first NBA all-star team. That season he averaged 19.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. He would go on to make on more all-star team in 2008 while he was playing for the Wizards. After his time in Washington D.C., the Wizards traded Jamison to the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he played there for three seasons. Jamison finished his NBA career in California, playing for the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers.

A career after basketball

Jamison finished his career averaging 18.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. In 2014 he retired from the game of basketball and became a broadcaster and TV analyst for the Lakers.

In 2017, Jamison joined the Lakers in a scouting role. Jamison continued to have an impact on the game of basketball even when his career finished. Being in a scout role, Jamison used his experience and knowledge of the game to scout NBA talent. Last year, he returned to the Wizards to serve in the front office as the director of pro personnel, in that role with the organization’s NBA and G League scouting as well as international scouting.