Paul James (basketball)

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Paul James (born September 11, 1964 in Leicester, England) is a former professional basketball player and current head coach of British Basketball League team Guildford Heat. James' career in basketball started out as a player for his hometown team Leicester All-Stars. He made his league debut on September 26, 1981, just weeks after his 17th birthday, against local rivals Nottingham. He enjoyed seven successful years at the All-Stars (now known as Riders) before moving south to sign for Bracknell Tigers in 1988.

After nine years as a player, James was then promoted to player-coach of the Tigers in 1997, a position he retained until 2005 when the franchise was pulled from the league. However, he was soon offered the coaching position of Guildford Heat, a club established by fans of the former Tigers to take their place in the BBL. In just two seasons, James has led the new franchise to fifth place in their rookie season and a League and Cup double in 2007, a fantastic achievement for the club, for which he was awarded BBL Coach of the Year 2007.