Cory Joseph

Cory Joseph
No. 5 – San Antonio Spurs
Position Point guard
League NBA
Personal information
Born August 20, 1991
Toronto, Ontario
Nationality Canadian
Listed height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight 185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High school Pickering (Ajax, Ontario)
Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nevada)
College Texas (2010–2011)
NBA draft 2011 / Round: 1 / Pick: 29th overall
Selected by the San Antonio Spurs
Pro career 2011–present
Career history
2011–present San Antonio Spurs
2012–2013 →Austin Toros (D-League)
Career highlights and awards
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Cory Ephram Joseph (born August 20, 1991) is a Canadian professional basketball point guard with the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

High school career

Joseph grew up in Pickering, Ontario, and attended Pickering High School in nearby Ajax, Ontario.[1] He then attended Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nevada with his friend, AAU teammate, and future Texas Longhorn, Tristan Thompson. He increased his recruiting demand by leading Findlay Prep to the ESPN RISE NHSI Championship game in 2009 alongside Avery Bradley and Thompson, in which #2 ranked Findlay Prep defeated #1 ranked Oak Hill Academy 74–66. Joseph was named to the ESPN RISE NHSI All-Tournament Team. In Joseph's senior year, he and Thompson led the #2 ranked Findlay Prep Pilots to another ESPN RISE NHSI Championship in 2010 when they defeated #1 ranked Montverde Academy 59–46. He was named to the All-Tournament Team for the second consecutive year and was also awarded the tournament MVP. Joseph was ranked as the No. 7 prospect nationally by Rivals.com and No. 11 in the ESPNU 100 following his senior season. Joseph and Thompson then took part in the 2010 McDonald's All-American Game.[2] Joseph also won the McDonald's Three Point Competition and was named a Jordan Brand Classic All-American.[3] On April 23, 2010, Joseph committed to join Thompson at Texas.[4] In August 2009, Joseph was selected to play in the 4th annual Boost Mobile Elite 24 basketball game at Rucker Park in New York City. This game showcases the top 24 high school basketball players in the nation regardless of recruiting class. On April 11, 2010, Joseph suited up for the World Select Team at the Nike Hoop Summit game against the United States Junior Select Team. The game was held at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon. Thompson and Enes Kanter, the third overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft, were also selected and joined Joseph on the World Select Team. The World Select Team lost 101–97. In Joseph's playing days at Pickering High School, he and his older brother Devoe Joseph teamed up and won back-to-back Ontario Provincial Championships by defeating their Greater Toronto Area rival, the Eastern Commerce Saints, in 2007 and 2008. In 2008, prior to leaving for Findlay Prep, Joseph was selected and participated in the annual All-Canada Classic All-Star Game, which gathers some of the top high school players in Canada.

College career

Cory Joseph started all 36 games in his freshman season, leading the team in scoring four times and in rebounding twice. Joseph played one of his best games, recording his career high 21 points and a game-winning jumper December 18, 2010 against North Carolina.[5] Texas entered 2011 NCAA March Madness as a four seed in the West Regional Division. Texas lost to fifth-seeded Arizona in the third round with a standout performance and game-winning shot from Derrick Williams.[6] Following the end of the season, Joseph was considering entering the NBA draft, even with fellow countryman Myck Kabongo's decision to commit to Texas.

College statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2010–11 Texas 36 36 32.4 .422 .413 .699 3.6 3.0 1.0 0.3 10.4
Career 36 36 32.4 .422 .413 .699 3.6 3.0 1.0 0.3 10.4

Professional career

San Antonio Spurs

On June 23, 2011, Joseph was drafted 29th overall in the 2011 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs.[7] Fellow Canadian and Longhorn Tristan Thompson was drafted 4th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers, becoming the highest Canadian born draftee in NBA history at that point.[8] (Anthony Bennett was the 1st pick in the 2013 draft.) It was also the second time in NBA history that two Canadians were selected in the first round of the same draft, the first being in 1983 when Leo Rautins and Stewart Granger were selected 17th and 25th, respectively.[9] The 2011 draft was also the first time three Texas Longhorn basketball players went in the first round after Joseph's former collegiate teammate Jordan Hamilton went 26th overall to Dallas Mavericks.[10]

During the 2011–12 season, the Spurs assigned Joseph to the Austin Toros of the NBA D-League three times.[11] He was also assigned to the Toros during the 2012–13 season.[12] On February 4, 2013, Joseph was named to the Prospects All-Star roster for the 2013 NBA D-League All-Star Game.[13] However, due to injury, he was replaced by Justin Dentmon.[14]

In late February 2013, Tony Parker sustained an injury, and Joseph became the Spurs' starting point guard. In his first five starts, Joseph averaged 8.8 points and 2.6 assists while shooting 58.6 percent. Joseph helped the Spurs reach the 2013 NBA Finals against the Miami Heat, but San Antonio lost the series in seven games.[15]

On June 15, 2014, Joseph won his first NBA championship after the Spurs defeated the Miami Heat 4 games to 1 in the 2014 NBA Finals.

NBA career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2011–12 San Antonio 29 1 9.2 .314 .200 .647 0.9 1.2 0.2 0.1 2.0
2012–13 San Antonio 28 9 13.9 .464 .286 .857 1.9 1.9 .5 0.1 4.5
2013–14 San Antonio 68 19 13.8 .475 .316 .823 1.6 1.7 .5 .2 5.0
2014–15 San Antonio 79 14 18.3 .504 .364 .734 2.4 2.4 .6 .2 6.8
Career 204 43 14.9 .474 .314 .769 1.8 1.9 .5 .2 5.2

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2013 San Antonio 20 0 9.6 .464 .182 .455 1.6 1.2 .3 .1 3.0
2014 San Antonio 17 0 5.1 .486 .000 .778 .5 .5 .2 .0 2.8
Career 37 0 7.5 .473 .143 .655 1.1 0.9 0.2 0.1 2.9

International career

Joseph represented his country and Canada Basketball at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship in 2008 where Canada won the bronze medal placing behind Argentina and the United States. Joseph once again competed for Canada, this time at the 2009 FIBA Under-19 World Championship in Auckland, New Zealand alongside his good friend, high school teammate and Texas commit Tristan Thompson.

Joseph joined the Canadian national men's basketball team for stage two of their pre 2011 FIBA Americas Championship training camp in early August.[16] He made his debut for the Senior squad in the 2011 Jack Donohue International Classic on August 13, 2011 at Ryerson University against Belgium. In Joseph's debut he posted 3 points and 2 assists in 15 minutes of game time in a 79–74 victory.[17]

Personal

Joseph's older brother, Devoe, played for the University of Minnesota before transferring to Oregon. Cory Joseph is also the second cousin of Kris Joseph, who was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 2012.

Joseph's father, David, is currently the head coach of the Mississauga Power of the National Basketball League of Canada.[18]

See also

References

External links