COLLEGE

Damion James played college basketball for Texas from 2006–07 through 2009–10, and across four seasons he started 126 games while piling up 1,917 career points and a program-record 1,318 career rebounds, making him Texas’ all-time leader on the glass.

Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, James was listed as the No.7 small forward and the No.17 player in the nation in 2006. He initially signed to play college basketball at the University of Oklahoma for head coach Kelvin Sampson. When Sampson took the head coaching position at Indiana University, the administration at Oklahoma released James from his letter of intent and he switched his decision to Texas.

Walton joined a team that had just lost Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. to the 2013 NBA draft. The 2012/13 Wolverines had reached the championship game of the 2013 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, losing to Louisville.

In his freshman season (2006–07), James started all 35 games and became an immediate frontcourt factor, averaging 7.6 points and 7.2 rebounds while finishing with 253 total rebounds (one of the top freshman rebound totals in Big 12 history) and recording four double-doubles, including his first collegiate double-double against LSU (10 points, 13 rebounds).

As a sophomore (2007–08), James jumped to 13.2 points and 10.3 rebounds per game while leading Texas in rebounding and setting the school’s single-season rebounding record with 393 boards, and he was named Big 12 Player of the Week on Dec. 3 during a season that also saw him earn All-Big 12 Second Team recognition and a spot on the Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team.

James’ 2007–08 season included multiple defining performances, including 19 points and 10 rebounds at UCLA featuring a late game-winning dunk, plus a career-high 29 points with 14 rebounds and a career-high five blocks against TCU, as he stacked 17 double-doubles on the year and repeatedly anchored Texas’ interior presence.

As a junior (2008–09), James started all 35 games again and averaged 15.4 points and 9.2 rebounds, producing 31 double-figure scoring games, 16 double-doubles, and a season-high 28 points against Texas A&M while adding NABC All-District recognition, All-Big 12 Second Team honours, and Academic All-Big 12 First Team status.

After that junior season, James tested the NBA Draft process in 2009 without hiring an agent before withdrawing and returning to Texas, setting up a senior year where he became the program’s centerpiece at both ends.

In his senior season (2009–10), James led Texas in scoring at 18.0 points per game and rebounding at 10.3 per game while ranking among the Big 12 leaders in multiple categories, and he earned major postseason recognition including third-team All-American (AP), second-team All-American (TSN), and All-Big 12 Second Team honours.

James’ senior year also included landmark record-setting milestones, as he set the UT single-season rebounding record (393) earlier in his career and later finished as the Big 12 Conference’s all-time career rebounding leader, while also establishing himself near the top of Texas’ all-time double-double lists with 48 career double-doubles.

He capped his Texas career as a historically rare stat-line player in Austin, combining high-end scoring with elite rebounding and consistent defensive production across four seasons, and he left the program holding the school career rebounding record (1,318) and ranking among Texas’ career leaders in points (1,917).

AWARDS

- NBA champion (2014)