Roderick Deon Hampton Jr. (born February 7, 2001) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player who last played for the

Capital City Go-Go The Capital City Go-Go are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Washington, D.C., and are affiliated with the Washington Wizards. The Go-Go play their home games at the CareFirst Arena. The team is owned by Monum ...

of the

NBA G League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the Minor league#Basketball, developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of ...

. He was a five-star recruit at

Little Elm High School Little Elm High School is a public high school in Little Elm, Texas, United States and classified as a 6A school by the University Interscholastic League (UIL). It is part of the Little Elm Independent School District located in east central Den ...

in Little Elm, Texas. He was drafted by the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

as the 24th overall pick in the

2020 NBA draft The 2020 NBA draft was held on November 18, 2020. The draft was originally scheduled to be held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on June 25, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was instead conducted at ESPN's facilities in Bristol, Connecticut, wi ...

High school career

Since his freshman season, Hampton played varsity basketball for

Little Elm, Texas Little Elm is a city in Denton County, Texas, United States, and a part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is an extended suburb of Denton, Texas, Denton; its population was 46,453 as of the 2020 census. In 2000, the census population was at ...

. In his first high school game on November 17, 2016, he led all scorers with 33 points in a 78–52 win over

Naaman Forest High School Naaman Forest High School is a public secondary school located in Garland, Texas, United States. Naaman Forest enrolls students in grades 9- 12 and is a part of the Garland Independent School District. In 2009, the school was rated "academicall ...

. As a freshman, Hampton averaged 23.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 3.5 steals per game, leading Little Elm to a 29–5 record and the District 14-5A title. He was named to the

MaxPreps MaxPreps is an American website that specializes in coverage of American high school sports. The site is currently owned by PlayOn. Founded on August 1, 2002, the company has covered up to 29 sports, including boys, girls, and co-ed sports. ...

Freshman All-American first team and earned Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) Class 5A All-State and ''

Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation in 2022 of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885, by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ' ...

'' All-Area Newcomer of the Year honors. In May 2017, Hampton announced that he was transferring to the nationally ranked basketball program of

Montverde Academy Montverde Academy is a private college preparatory school in Montverde, Florida, United States, located in the Greater Orlando area. The school is widely known for its athletic programs, particularly soccer and basketball. History The school ...

Montverde, Florida Montverde is a town in Lake County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,655 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Montverde was the location of a Native Ame ...

, before deciding to return to Little Elm. In the 2017–18 season, Hampton averaged 30.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, six assists, 4.4 steals, and 2.5 blocks per game, guiding Little Elm to a 28–8 record. He garnered MaxPreps Sophomore All-American first team, ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

'' All-Texas first team, and TABC 5A All-State recognition. On December 14, 2018, Hampton scored 33 points in an 80–66 victory over

South Garland High School South Garland High School (SGHS) is a secondary school located in Garland, Texas. The school is part of the Garland Independent School District. The mascot for SGHS is the Titan, after retiring the Colonel, and the school colors are red and Columb ...

, matching up against fellow coveted recruit Tyrese Maxey. On December 29, he posted a career-high 50 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, and six steals in an 86–62 win over

Coppell High School Coppell High School is a public high school located in Coppell, Texas. It is part of the Coppell Independent School District located in extreme northwest Dallas County. Overview The school graduated its first class of twenty-five students in ...

. In February 2019, Hampton had another 50-point game in an 83–80 loss to Northwest High School. As a junior, Hampton averaged 32 points, 9.7 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 3.9 steals per game, helping Little Elm achieve a 24–10 record. On March 15, he was named Texas

Gatorade Player of the Year The Gatorade Player of the Year awards are given annually to up and coming high school student-athletes in the United States. They are given for boys baseball, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls cross country, boys football, boys and girl ...

, becoming the first non-senior to win the award since

Justise Winslow Justise Jon Winslow (born March 26, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Wisconsin Herd of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils, with whom he won the 2015 NCAA championship. High school ...

in 2013. He also earned ''USA Today'' All-USA first team and MaxPreps All-American second team distinction. On April 30, Hampton

reclassified ''Reclassified'' is the reissue of Australian rapper Iggy Azalea's debut studio album, '' The New Classic'' (2014). It was released internationally on 21 November 2014 by Virgin EMI Records, and in the United States on 24 November 2014 by Gran ...

to the 2019 class, forgoing his senior year and graduating from high school after about three weeks of online classes.

Recruiting

Hampton was a consensus five-star recruit and ranked among the top six players in the 2019 recruiting class. On September 5, 2017, Christian Dawkins, an agent later indicted in the NCAA basketball corruption scandal, expressed a desire to pay Hampton in emails sent to business partners. When the emails surfaced in 2019, Hampton's father denied ever meeting Dawkins. Before reclassifying on April 30, 2019, Hampton had been considered one of the best prospects in the 2020 class. He narrowed down his potential college destinations to

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Mem ...

, and

Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the flagship institution of the five- ...

Professional career

New Zealand Breakers (2019–2020)

On May 28, 2019, Hampton signed a multi-year deal with the

New Zealand Breakers The New Zealand Breakers (also known as the Bank of New Zealand, BNZ Breakers for sponsorship reasons) are a New Zealand professional basketball team based in Auckland. The Breakers are the only non-Australian side currently competing in Austral ...

of the National Basketball League (NBL), which is based in Australia, with the option to leave for the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

(NBA). He said that he skipped college basketball because he wanted to "live like a pro and to play with grown men and not have to juggle books and basketball." Hampton joined the Breakers through the NBL Next Stars program, which aims to develop

NBA draft The NBA draft is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) annual event, dating back to 1947 BAA draft, 1947, in which the teams in the league can Draft (sports), draft players who declare for the draft and that are Eligibility for the NBA dr ...

prospects. On September 20, he made his professional debut in a win over

Melbourne United Melbourne United is an Australian professional basketball team based in Melbourne, Victoria. United compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at John Cain Arena. The team made their debut in the NBL in 1984 ...

, recording 11 points, three rebounds and four assists in 21 minutes. Two days later, he posted a season-high 20 points, five rebounds and three steals in a loss to the

South East Melbourne Phoenix The South East Melbourne Phoenix are an Australian professional basketball team based in the south–eastern Melbourne suburb of Wantirna South, Victoria. The Phoenix entered the National Basketball League (NBL) in the 2019–20 season. The t ...

. On November 9, Hampton was ejected four minutes into a game against South East Melbourne after attempting to put his arm around the neck of opposing guard

John Roberson John Daniel Roberson (born October 28, 1988) is an American-born naturalized Bosnian professional basketball player who plays for Al Ahly of the Egyptian Basketball Premier League. Standing at , he plays at the point guard position. Professional ...

during a scuffle. On December 11, it was announced that he would miss about four weeks of action with a hip injury. On January 5, 2020, Hampton returned, scoring 11 points in a win over South East Melbourne. He parted ways with the Breakers on February 4 to return to the United States and prepare for the

. Through 15 NBL games, Hampton averaged 8.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, shooting 40.7 percent from the field. Hampton was projected as a top 5 pick for the 2020 NBA draft heading into the season.

Denver Nuggets (2020–2021)

Hampton was drafted by the

as the 24th pick in the

, but his draft rights were later traded to the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...

in a four-team trade involving the

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Confere ...

and

Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Confer ...

on November 24, 2020. On December 1, 2020, the Denver Nuggets announced that they had signed Hampton. He played 25 games for the Nuggets, averaging 2.6 points and 2.0 rebounds in 9.3 minutes per game.

Orlando Magic (2021–2023)

On March 25, 2021, Hampton,

Gary Harris Gary Harris (born September 14, 1994) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans. High school ca ...

, and a future first round pick were traded to the

Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NB ...

in exchange for

Aaron Gordon Aaron Addison Gordon (born September 16, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born in San Jose, California, Gordon attended Archbishop Mitty High School where h ...

and Gary Clark. On April 4, Hampton was named in the starting lineup for the first time in his career against Denver Nuggets. He recorded 16 points, four rebounds, and three assists in 33 minutes. On May 17, he was named Eastern Conference rookie of the month for the month of May. On December 29, 2022, Hampton was suspended by the NBA for one game without pay due to coming off the bench during an altercation in a game against the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

the day before. On February 21, 2023, Hampton was waived by the Magic.

Detroit Pistons (2023)

On February 23, 2023, Hampton signed with the

. He was waived by the Pistons on June 24.

Miami Heat (2023–2024)

On September 27, 2023, Hampton signed a

two-way contract A two-way contract is a professional sports contract that stipulates that an athlete's salary is dependent upon the league in which the athlete is assigned to play. This is opposed to a one-way contract that would pay the same salary regardless o ...

with the

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...

. He was waived on February 9, 2024.

Capital City Go-Go (2024)

On February 14, 2024, Hampton was acquired by the

after a trade with the

Sioux Falls Skyforce The Sioux Falls Skyforce are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and are affiliated with the Miami Heat. The team has played its home games in the Sanford Pentagon since the 2013–14 ...

and on March 3, he signed a 10-day contract with the

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...

, but didn't play for them. On March 13, he rejoined Capital City.

National team career

Hampton won the gold medal at the

2017 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship The 2017 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship was the men's international basketball competition that was held in Formosa, Argentina from 14–18 June 2017. The successfully defended their title against , 111–60, in the rematch of the Finals ...

with the United States national under-16 team. In five games, he averaged nine points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. He won another gold medal with the national under-17 team at the

2018 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup The 2018 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup (Spanish: Copa del Mundo de Baloncesto FIBA Sub-17 2018) was the 5th edition of the FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup, the biennial international men's youth basketball championship contested by the U1 ...

but was limited to two games by a foot injury. Hampton averaged 7.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.

Career statistics

NBA

, - , style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2, , style="text-align:left;",

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

, 25 , , 0 , , 9.3 , , .417 , , .278 , , .750 , , 2.0 , , .6 , , .2 , , .1 , , 2.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...

, 26 , , 1 , , 25.2 , , .439 , , .319 , , .657 , , 5.0 , , 2.8 , , .6 , , .3 , , 11.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 64 , , 14 , , 21.9 , , .383 , , .350 , , .641 , , 3.0 , , 2.5 , , .7 , , .2 , , 7.6 , - , style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2, , style="text-align:left;",

, 26 , , 0 , , 13.9 , , .439 , , .340 , , .838 , , 1.5 , , 1.3 , , .6 , , .2 , , 5.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, 21 , , 3 , , 18.5 , , .423 , , .365 , , .667 , , 2.3 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , .2 , , 7.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

, 8 , , 2 , , 9.5 , , .286 , , .125 , , .500 , , .8 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 1.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 170 , , 20 , , 18.3 , , .408 , , .338 , , .679 , , 2.7 , , 1.8 , , .5 , , .2 , , 6.8

NBL

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2019–20 , style="text-align:left;",

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

, 15 , , 12 , , 20.6 , , .407 , , .295 , , .679 , , 3.9 , , 2.4 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , 50

Personal life

Hampton's father Rod Hampton played

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

for SMU from 1987 to 1991. His grandfather Richard Evans served in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

References

External links

NBL profileUSA Basketball bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hampton, R. J. 2001 births Living people 21st-century African-American sportsmen 21st-century American sportsmen American expatriate basketball people in New Zealand American men's basketball players Basketball players from Dallas Capital City Go-Go players Denver Nuggets players Detroit Pistons players Lakeland Magic players Miami Heat players Milwaukee Bucks draft picks New Zealand Breakers players Orlando Magic players Point guards Shooting guards Sioux Falls Skyforce players