Joe Hampton of ‘Last Chance U: Basketball’ playing professionally
BOGOTÁ, Colombia (BVM) – Joe Hampton became well known due to his time on the Netflix series “Last Chance U: Basketball” and his clear talent as a basketball player. Now, the Last Chance U star is playing professionally in Colombia with Piratas De Bogota.
Hampton has been playing with Piratas since late September and made his professional debut on September 23 as a starter. In that game, the 6-foot-8 forward had 18 points, seven rebounds and two assists. Since then, he has averaged 15.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks. He is the fourth–leading scorer on Piratas and is the second–leading rebounder.
The team has been playing well and Hampton is showing off the same scoring prowess he had at East Los Angeles College and at Long Beach State. However, he did lose to former teammate and fellow “Last Chance U: Basketball” star Deshaun Highler, who is playing for the Colombian Professional League team, Cimarrones.
The time will come for me to tell the truth about Sacramento State. But for now I’ll just let you guys continue to think that I just forgot how to play and shoot a basketball for 2 years. 🤝
— Deshaun Malik 🏴☠️ (@11Deshaun) October 14, 2022
Hampton was originally a four-star recruit out of high school but then left Penn State after two seasons – and two season–ending knee injuries – to attend school at Pasadena City Community College. From there, he joined ELAC and was one of the main players featured on “Last Chance U.” Hampton thrived with ELAC and landed himself a spot on Long Beach State.
During his two seasons with the 49ers, he averaged just over nine points per game but broke his wrist during his senior season. The broken wrist kept him out of the final 10 games of the season.
Hampton graduated from Long Beach State in May. Over the last six years, he has overcome so much to keep his basketball aspirations alive. Injuries, attitude issues, grades and even run-ins with the law have all been hurdles that Hampton has had to overcome. Now, he’s playing professionally and is thriving.
