James Akinjo: stats, last game & news

At eleven years old, James Akinjo was already making headlines in the East Bay Times as a basketball prodigy. Yet behind that early talent lay a far darker reality: motherless after she passed away from leukemia, having lost his brother at thirteen, the young point guard grew up in the Las Deltas housing projects in North Richmond, raised by his grandmother following the incarceration of his parents.

Those trials forged a steely character that shines through in his game. At Salesian College Preparatory high school, Akinjo turned pain into fuel, leading his team to a 30-2 record and a CIF North Coast Section Division III title in his senior year. His college journey reflects that same determination: after leaving UConn following a coaching change, he moved on to Georgetown, Arizona, then Baylor, constantly adapting to refine his craft.

Inspired by Chris Paul, whose court vision and leadership he admires, Akinjo has developed a cerebral point guard style, capable of running the offense while creating his own opportunities. That versatility earned him a foothold in the NBA, where he briefly wore the jerseys of the New York Knicks and Sacramento Kings, before focusing on the G League with the Westchester Knicks, Stockton Kings, and Wisconsin Herd.

Every dribble Akinjo takes carries the mark of his journey: the resilience of the North Richmond projects, the tactical intelligence forged on college courts, and that insatiable hunger born from adversity. For this 23-year-old point guard, every game remains an opportunity to prove that scars can become strengths.