William Christmas (basketball)
William Christmas (born December 8, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Hamburg Towers of the Basketball Bundesliga and the EuroCup.
| No. 11 – Hamburg Towers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Small forward |
| League | Basketball Bundesliga EuroCup |
| Personal information | |
| Born | December 8, 1996 Oceanside, California, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Oceanside (Oceanside, California) |
| College | Cal Poly Pomona (2016–2020) |
| NBA draft | 2020: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2021–present |
| Career history | |
| 2021 | Dragons Rhöndorf |
| 2022–2023 | Musel Pikes |
| 2023 | Artland Dragons |
| 2023–present | Hamburg Towers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
College career
Christmas was the only player in the history of the Cal Poly Pomona Broncos to be in the top 10 in the statistical categories of points, rebounds, and assists. Along the way, he also garnered many distinctions that became a testimony of his performance on the court[1]
Professional career
After going undrafted in the 2020 NBA draft, Christmas has agreed to a deal with the German team, Dragons Rhöndorf, for the 2021–22 season. In his first ever professional game, he recorded 19 points and 10 rebounds in a 74–107 loss to WWE Muenster.[2] He followed up his performance with 18 points, 9 rebounds and 5 steals as they were defeated by 40 points by the SC Wedel, 44–84.[3]
On November 30, 2021, it was reported by the team in their official website that Christmas would be leaving their team to sign for a team in Luxembourg. In his departing remarks, he commended the fans of Rhondorf for their special energy that they bring every game.[4] He officially signed with the Musel Pikes of the Total League on January 9, 2022.[5]
On July 4, 2023, he signed with Hamburg Towers of the Basketball Bundesliga.[6]
Personal life
During his four-year college career, Christmas was able to pursue and finish his college degree in Kinesiology. In an interview, he stated that it is important for a person to pursue a college degree despite their involvement in athletic programs.[7] He also stated that his idols that he looked after and patterned his playing style to, were NBA legends Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. His favorite NBA team is the Los Angeles Lakers, bestowing homage to the greatness of the team and its impacts on his home state.
References
- "Christmas Earns All-West Region Accolades". BroncoAthletics.com. March 23, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
- "Rhondorf 74 - Muenster 107". EuroBasket.com. September 25, 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
- "Rhondorf 48 - Wedel 88". EuroBasket.com. October 3, 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
- "Will Christmas setzt seine Karriere in Luxemburg fort". dragons.de. November 30, 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
- "Musel Pikes ink William Christmas, ex Rhoendorf". Eurobasket. January 9, 2022. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
- "William bringt „Christmas"-zauber nach Hamburg". hamburgtowers.de (in German). Sportando. July 4, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
- "William Christmas's Combination of Versatility and Character will enrich the Dragons Rhondorf like never before". EuroBasket.com. September 23, 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2021.