Michael Lamont James (born June 23, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. A point guard, James played college basketball for Duquesne. James spent 13 seasons in the NBA and played for 11 different teams, winning an NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004. He averaged 20.3 points per game as a member of the Toronto Raptors during the 2005-2006 season. College career James played college basketball at Duquesne University. He finished his college career as Duquesne's all-time leader in steals (201) and was fifth in assists (348) and 10th in points (1,411). James was named to the all-Atlantic 10 Conference first team in his senior year at the university. James's number 13 was retired by Duquesne in a February 2017 ceremony. Professional career Career in Europe James was not drafted by an NBA team in 1998. He began his professional basketball career in Europe. James enjoyed several seasons as an integral player with both French and Austrian teams. In February 2011, following several NBA seasons, James signed with Aliağa Petkim in Turkey. NBA career James began his NBA career when he signed as a free agent with the Miami Heat during the 2001–02 season. He went on to play for the Boston Celtics, the Detroit Pistons, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Houston Rockets, the Toronto Raptors, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the New Orleans Hornets, the Washington Wizards, the Chicago Bulls, and the Dallas Mavericks, averaging 10.0 points per game for his career. Detroit Pistons James was a member of the Pistons' 2004 NBA championship team as a reserve. He and fellow reserve guard Lindsey Hunter formed a formidable defensive guard combination nicknamed the "Pit Bulls" by Rasheed Wallace because of their aggressive nature on defense. Toronto Raptors As a starter. for the Raptors during the 2005–06 season, James averaged career highs of 20.3 points, 5.8 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game and shot 47% from the field including 44.2% from 3-point range. Despite being an above-average shooter from the point guard spot, James's playmaking abilities and commitment to defense were called into question, in stark contrast to his "pit bull" days with the Pistons. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune wrote of his big 2005–06 season: "Previously, James had started only 68 games, so some scouts wondered if those numbers were an aberration. Others felt his impending free agency affected his play, prompting him to seek stats at the expense of play-making