# C. J. Watson
**C. J. Watson** (born 1984) is an American former professional basketball player, a 6-foot-2, 175-pound point guard who played 10 NBA seasons from 2007-08 to 2016-17 with the [Golden State Warriors](https://www.edgepedia.org/golden-state-warriors), Chicago Bulls, Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers, and [Orlando Magic](https://www.edgepedia.org/orlando-magic) after going undrafted out of the [University of Tennessee](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-tennessee).[1](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/201228) • [2](https://www.landofbasketball.com/player_comparison/pj_washington_vs_cj_watson.htm) His NBA career averages were 7.2 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.[1](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/201228)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1984, USA[1](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/201228) |
| Size and position | Guard, 6'2" (1.88 m), 175 lb (79 kg)[1](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/201228) |
| Draft status | Undrafted, 2006, after attending the University of Tennessee[3](https://www.nba.com/magic/news/magic-sign-cj-watson) |
| NBA seasons | 2007-08 to 2016-17[2](https://www.landofbasketball.com/player_comparison/pj_washington_vs_cj_watson.htm) |
| NBA teams | Golden State, Chicago, Brooklyn, Indiana, Orlando[3](https://www.nba.com/magic/news/magic-sign-cj-watson) • [4](https://husseyquation.com/players/c-j-watson) |
| Career averages | 7.2 points, 1.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists per game[1](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/201228) |
| First NBA game | January 8, 2008, with Golden State on a 10-day contract[3](https://www.nba.com/magic/news/magic-sign-cj-watson) |
| High school | Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas, Nevada[5](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/watsocj01.html) |
## Early life and college
Watson is a former star point guard at [Bishop Gorman High School](https://www.edgepedia.org/bishop-gorman-high-school) in Las Vegas before playing at the University of Tennessee.[6](https://snshf.com/hall-of-famers/cj-watson) He played for USA Basketball's Junior World Championship team during the summer of 2003 and was named to CollegeInsider.com's national All-Freshman team.[7](https://utsports.com/documents/download/2017/6/15/bbplayers03.pdf)
At Tennessee he played 119 games over his college career, averaging 12.0 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.7 rebounds while shooting 43.2 percent from the field and 39.6 percent from three-point range.[8](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/cj-watson-1.html) His career mark of 5.3 assists per game ranked third all-time in Tennessee basketball history at the time, and a Tennessee publication described him as one of the best point guards in the program's history.[7](https://utsports.com/documents/download/2017/6/15/bbplayers03.pdf) • [9](https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/utsports.com/documents/2017/6/24/18818__m_baskbl__06mbb-ncaa1.pdf) He finished his collegiate career averaging more than 15 points per game during his senior season.[6](https://snshf.com/hall-of-famers/cj-watson)
## Path to the NBA
Watson was not selected in the 2006 NBA Draft after coming out of Tennessee. He carved out a professional career by thriving in Italy, Greece, and the NBA Development League before getting his NBA shot.[3](https://www.nba.com/magic/news/magic-sign-cj-watson) Golden State signed him to the first of two consecutive 10-day contracts on January 8, 2008, and he stayed with the Warriors for three seasons before signing a free-agent deal with the [Chicago Bulls](https://www.edgepedia.org/chicago-bulls) in the summer of 2010.[3](https://www.nba.com/magic/news/magic-sign-cj-watson) • [10](https://utsports.com/documents/download/2013/7/17/mbb-honors.pdf) He later played for Brooklyn and Indiana.[3](https://www.nba.com/magic/news/magic-sign-cj-watson)
## NBA career
Through the 2014-15 season Watson had appeared in 505 regular-season games (93 starts) with Golden State, Chicago, Brooklyn, and Indiana, averaging 7.8 points, 2.5 assists, and 2.0 rebounds in 20.6 minutes while shooting 38.3 percent from three-point range and 80.6 percent from the free-throw line. He had also played in 48 career playoff games (five starts), averaging 5.5 points in 16.8 minutes.[3](https://www.nba.com/magic/news/magic-sign-cj-watson)
In his final Indiana season, 2014-15, Watson played 57 games (21 starts) and averaged 10.0 points, 3.6 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.0 steal in 24.9 minutes, shooting 40.0 percent from three-point range.[3](https://www.nba.com/magic/news/magic-sign-cj-watson)
**Orlando.** The Orlando Magic signed the 31-year-old free agent on July 9, 2015, intending to use him as the second-string point guard and a late-game floor-spreader, and as a mentor to young guards [Elfrid Payton](https://www.edgepedia.org/elfrid-payton) and [Victor Oladipo](https://www.edgepedia.org/victor-oladipo). General manager Rob Hennigan called him a proven backup point guard who brought a calming and shot-making presence.[3](https://www.nba.com/magic/news/magic-sign-cj-watson) The signing came six years after Orlando had tried to acquire him from Golden State in 2008 as a backup to [Jameer Nelson](https://www.edgepedia.org/jameer-nelson).[3](https://www.nba.com/magic/news/magic-sign-cj-watson)
His 2016-17 season in Orlando, his fifth team in 10 NBA seasons, produced career lows of 2.2 points and 1 assist per game through 22 games, though both Watson and head coach [Frank Vogel](https://www.edgepedia.org/frank-vogel) said he was there to stay and fight for bench minutes.[11](https://lasvegassun.com/news/2016/dec/10/former-gorman-standout-cj-watson-talks-zimmerman-h/)
## After playing
After spending 10 years in the NBA, Watson became an author, discussing rejection and perseverance in an interview about his post-career chapter.[12](https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4354/news/) He was inducted into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame, which noted that throughout his basketball travels he never forgot his Southern Nevada roots.[6](https://snshf.com/hall-of-famers/cj-watson)
## References
1. [C.J. Watson player profile, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/201228)
2. [P.J. Washington vs. C.J. Watson Comparison, Land of Basketball](https://www.landofbasketball.com/player_comparison/pj_washington_vs_cj_watson.htm)
3. [Magic Sign C.J. Watson, Orlando Magic (July 9, 2015)](https://www.nba.com/magic/news/magic-sign-cj-watson)
4. [C.J. Watson Advanced Stats & Career Ranking, hussEyquation](https://husseyquation.com/players/c-j-watson)
5. [C.J. Watson Stats, Basketball-Reference.com](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/watsocj01.html)
6. [C.J. Watson, Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame](https://snshf.com/hall-of-famers/cj-watson)
7. [Tennessee Volunteers player bios (C.J. Watson), utsports.com](https://utsports.com/documents/download/2017/6/15/bbplayers03.pdf)
8. [C.J. Watson College Stats, Sports-Reference](https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/cj-watson-1.html)
9. [Tennessee basketball document quoting Cathy Watson and career assessment, utsports.com](https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/utsports.com/documents/2017/6/24/18818__m_baskbl__06mbb-ncaa1.pdf)
10. [Tennessee basketball honors document, utsports.com](https://utsports.com/documents/download/2013/7/17/mbb-honors.pdf)
11. [Former Gorman standout C.J. Watson talks Zimmerman, his own NBA future, Las Vegas Sun (December 10, 2016)](https://lasvegassun.com/news/2016/dec/10/former-gorman-standout-cj-watson-talks-zimmerman-h/)
12. [C.J. Watson news, Yahoo Sports](https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4354/news/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Basketball and court team sports › Basketball players and coaches (biographies) › NBA players, 1996–2010 › NBA guards, 1996–2010*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license