It was easy to spot former VCU basketball standout Jamir Watkins in a recent game with the Washington Wizards in the nation’s capital.
The 6-foot-6 native of New Jersey wore bright orange shoes and a white headband – but more important was that Watkins spent a good part of the game on the floor and not on the bench.
In his second career NBA start, Watkins played 17 minutes and had three points and four rebounds in a loss to the Phoenix Suns, 115-101. Watkins made one of four shots from the field – all from long range – but also had four turnovers and four fouls.
“I think it was really a blessing to go there and get minutes with a good group of guys,” said Watkins, standing by his customized locker after the game.
To show the ebb and flow of his playing time – he did not play at all in the next game, on Dec. 31 at Milwaukee.
In the first 32 Washington games of this NBA season, Watkins saw action in 14 of them while averaging 11.6 minutes and 2.9 points per outing. In the G League with Capital City, he was averaging 14.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists as a two-way player in early January.
So, what does Watkins do when he does not see a lot of minutes with the Wizards?
“Watch the game off the floor and see what different positions (players) are in. I am just blessed to be there,” he said.
Watkins has benefitted from the leadership of Washington veterans such as former Virginia standout Anthony Gill and CJ McCollum, who starred for Portland and New Orleans before he was traded by the Pelicans to the Wizards last summer.
“I think it is a blessing to have guys like that, especially Anthony,” Watkins said. “He has taught me how to be a man off the court. He is definitely a role model.”
A native of North Carolina, Gill was averaging 1.3 points per contest in games through Jan. 1. His veteran presence in the locker room brings value beyond his limited playing time.
Gill was teammates in Washington last season with Malcolm Brogdon, another former Cavalier star. “That was an amazing opportunity to play with him after nine years of being apart,” Gill said.
Watkins is one of three former VCU players to see action in NBA games this season, through Jan. 1, according to Chris Kowalczyk, assistant A.D. for athletics communications at VCU. The other two are Bones Hyland (Minnesota), who entered the NBA in 2021, and Vince Williams (Memphis), whose first game in The League was 2022.
Other former VCU players to appear in the NBA were Bernie Harris (1974-1975); Jesse Dark (1974); Gerald Henderson (1978-1992); Edmund Sherod (1982-83); Marc Jackson (2001-2007); Eric Maynor (2009-2014); Larry Sanders (2010-2015, 2017); Troy Daniels (2014-2020); Briante Weber (2016-2018); and Treveon Graham (2016-2020).
Henderson appeared in 871 NBA games – the most of any VCU player.
Jackson, like Watkins, also ended his college career at another school. He played one year for the Rams before transferring to Temple in his hometown of Philadelphia.
Watkins played for the Rams from 2020-2023, then transferred to Florida State, where he suited up from 2023-2025. He was a second-round pick in the NBA draft last year.
Watkins stays in touch with his former VCU teammates.
And what was the highlight of his time in Richmond? “Probably winning the championship and going to the (NCAA) tournament,” he said of the 2023 team, which won the Atlantic 10 conference tourney title.
Notes
- Gill said the Virginia court will be named for former coach Tony Bennett on Jan. 24. The Cavaliers host North Carolina at JPJ that day.
- Phoenix’s Ryan Dunn, who also played at Virginia, missed the game in Washington on Dec. 29 due to an injury.