James Ennis III: Family, Education, Career, NBA & Net Worth
James Ennis III: Family, Education, Career, NBA & Net Worth
June 4, 2026
This article was last updated by Sujan on May 4, 2026
James Ennis III is a talented professional NBA player for the Orlando Magic. He is an award-winning player who has impressed many of the professional basketball teams.
Ennis has played for more than ten teams, including his college teams, and has led his teams to victories many times.
Ennis has won the Best Player of the Year award in his college career and, not to forget, the NBL Championship, becoming the favourite among his audiences.
However, James had to go through many struggles with his family before he was drafted by the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Nevertheless, as the saying goes, “you can’t have a rainbow without the rain,” Ennis certainly made it through his difficult time and now lives a happy and splendid life with his family.
James Ennis III #11 smiles during a press conference.Let us check the quick facts before we get into the details of this extraordinary athlete.
James Ennis III | Quick Facts
James Ennis III | Early Life, Family, and Education
James Ennis III was born on July 1, 1990, in Ventura, California, to parents James Ennis and Denise Taylor. His birth name is James Alfred Ennis III.
Ennis grew up in the Westview Village housing project with his five siblings, where they played basketball and rode bikes.
During his childhood, James and his family moved around a lot in search of opportunities only to return to California. He attended three different colleges and found it hard to become close to anyone.
With his father’s earning as a painter and a newspaper deliveryman, and his disabled mother’s temporary jobs at fast-food outlets, it was a struggle for a family of seven.
At last, they came back to Westview Village after years of moving around, where Ennis finished his high school education from Ventura High School in 2009.
Likewise, he was at Oxnard College for a year between 2009-2010. Similarly, Ennis was admitted to Ventura College in 2010 – 2011 and Long Beach State (California State University) in 2011 -2013.
James Ennis III | Height, Weight, and Physical Appearance
Like most Basketball players, Ennis has an incredible height of 6 feet and 6 inches (1.98 m). His gifted height is a plus point for his shooting skills.
Likewise, when it comes to his weight, he is 97.5 Kg (215lbs). With his height, his curly black hair, and pitch-black eyes, it is hard not to notice him on the court.
James Ennis III | College Career
In his freshman year at Oxnard College, Ennis was named first-team All WSC after averaging 19 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.
In a similar way, in his sophomore year at Ventura College, he received the first-team All-California Community College Athletic Association and first-team All-Western State Conference awards.
Additionally, Ennis scored 1053 points in 48 out of 52 games of his junior college basketball.
James Ennis III for Long Beach State 49ers.Not to mention, he joined the Long Beach State 49ers of California State University for his junior year.
Ennis became the go-to player for the 49ers, leading the team to Big West Championship.
What’s more, Ennis received the Big West Player of the Year award and an AP honourable mention of All-American.
To top that off, on April 5, 2013, Ennis scored the highest team points, 13 points, winning the match in the Reese’s College All-Star Game.
James Ennis III | Professional Career
NBA Draft
A couple of months after the victory in the Reese’s College All-Star Game, Ennis was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2013 NBA draft.
However, on draft night, he was traded to the Miami Heat and joined the team for the 2013 NBA Summer League.
Furthermore, the Heat wanted Ennis to play for Sioux Fall Skyforce in the 2013-14 season, but they were unable to do so because of the salary cap restrictions.
Subsequently, the Californian basketball player decided to play overseas to support his parents and his five siblings.
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Perth Wildcats 2013-2014
Shortly after Ennis decided to play overseas, he signed a contract with the Perth Wildcats in Australia for the 2013-14 NBL season.
He made his NBL debut with 25 points, which was the highest score by Wildcat’s debut player. With additional rebounds and assistance, Ennis led the Wildcats to a win over the Adelaide 36ers.
Those who know my story, know my love for Australia. It was unreal catching up with so many Aussie NBA fans recently in LA. Thanks to , hoop fans from Australia can come hang out with me again, and receive VIP access to get a real taste of the NBA.
— James Ennis (@JamesDa_Truth)
The small forward basketball player earned the Player of the Month honours for October, and on November 30, 2013, he scored 33 points, which was the highest of that season, and won against the Cairns Taipans.
Moreover, with Ennis’s scores against Wollongong Hawks, the Wildcats advanced to the NBL Grand Final after eight consecutive wins in the same season.
Nonetheless, it was not only a victory for the Wildcats. In Game-2 against the Adelaide 36ers, it was an 89-84 loss, and in Game 3, Ennis had foul trouble that resulted in his lowest scoring of the season.
Ennis scoring for the Perth Wildcats.However, the Wildcats picked up the pace and won the championship.
Ennis was ranked third in the NBL MVP voting and received the All-NBL First Team honours.
Piratas De Quebradillas 2014
Not long after the end of the 2013-14 NBL season, Ennis headed to Puerto Rico and played for Piratas de Quebradillas of the BSN.
He played 12 games for the Quebradillas, and in June 2014, went back home to the United States for various NBA workouts.
Miami Heat 2014 -2015
On July 15, 2014, Ennis signed a contract with the Miami Heats, to who he was previously traded. However, his NBA debut with the Heats took place only in October 2014.
Unquestionably, Ennis finished the game with five points and won against the Washington Wizards, bringing the crowd to their feet.
Also, James Ennis recorded the best game of that season on December 21, winning over the Boston Celtics.
NBA Player James Ennis, playing for the Miami Heats.Likewise, on April 15 in the Heat’s final season, Ennis played the entire game without sitting out and took the prize with seventeen points, twelve rebounds, and six assists.
Unfortunately, during the 2015 NBA Summer League, Ennis suffered from Tendinitis in his knees and could not play as well as he used to.
However, after three months between summer league and training camp, Ennis received his regular treatments and training sessions, he was able to get back up on his feet.
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Memphis Grizzlies 2015-2016
On November 10, 2015, the professional basketball player was traded to Memphis Grizzlies. But despite that, Ennis was unable to play consecutive games because of the team’s stronger wing players.
Therefore, James spent most of the season playing for Iowa Energy, Grizzlies’ affiliate team, in the NBA Development League.
Basketball small forward Ennis, assisting the Memphis Grizzlies.On March 6, 2016, Iowa Energy acquired Ennis, and he played for the Energy that same afternoon.
In between March 12 and March 26, Ennis helped Iowa win six games sequentially. However, a defeat to Sioux Falls Skyforce eliminated the Energy from the playoff race.
New Orleans Pelicans 2016
Ennis signed a short-term contract with the Pelicans on March 30, 2016, to help the team deal with injuries.
In his debut game with the Pelicans, Ennis scored thirteen points, five rebounds, and four assists in just 24 minutes; however, losing the game against San Antonio Spurs.
James Ennis scoring for the Pelicans.Furthermore, his contract with the Pelican was extended for the rest of the season.
Also, read .
Back with Memphis Grizzlies 2016 – 2018
On July 13, 2016, Ennis returned to the Grizzlies, signing a two-year contract. Ennis led the team to victory right from the start of the season.
However, after several victories, Ennis had to sit out of 14 games due to his calf injury.
Nevertheless, Ennis appeared in 64 games in that season, scoring double-digit points.
Orlando Magic 2026–present
On February 6, 2026, Ennis was traded to the Orlando Magic by the Philadelphia 76ers. Not to forget, he played for Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets before the 76ers.
#11, James Ennis is struggling to score for the Orlando Magic.However, the matches came to a halt because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Regardless, Ennis kept his spot in the NBA’s restart in July, including the playoffs.
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James Ennis III | Achievements
Flaunting his 7-foot wingspan, Ennis portrays the high-flying leaping and lane-filling ability. Furthermore, he showcases great athleticism, although he is a late bloomer. Not to mention, Ennis is quick with rebounds and as a defender.
As of now, Ennis depicts career stats of an average of 6.5 points per game with 3.3 rebounds and 0.9 assists. Altogether, his maintained statistics are for every average of 20.2 minutes of play in every game.
Some of the achievements he has collected to date are listed below.
- NBL champion (2014)
- All-NBL First Team (2014)
- AP honourable mention All-American (2013)
- Big West Player of the Year (2013)
- First-team All-Big West (2013)
- 2× First-team All-WSC (2010 & 2011)
James Ennis III | Regular Season Stats
James Ennis III | Injury
As an athlete, you play for the team without guaranteeing your further days. That is because while in the play, you never know when you will meet up for an incident. Similarly, Ennis has faced such incidents multiple times.
Apparently, his foremost Injury dates back to 2018, when he faced the calf injury and had soreness. Following it, in October of the same year, he struggled with a hamstring injury that he had till the end of the year.
Furthermore, from those days since on, he had suffered from such injuries timely, which kept him away from the games. Recently, in February 2026, Ennis suffered a strained right groin during the match against the Kings.
James Ennis III | Personal Life
Apart from his profession, Ennis shares his personal time with his family. There is no rumour regarding his relationships whatsoever, but he has a daughter named Maliyah Parker Ennis, who turned four on November 29, 2019.
James and his daughter, Maliyah Parker Ennis enjoying their time together. Picture from .In an interview with NBC Sports, Ennis said, “When I see her, all the problems go out the window,” Ennis said. “When she smiles and calls my name, it makes everything a lot better.”
Having said that, it is still unknown to the public about Ennis’s marriage or the mother of his child. However, he was reportedly dating a beautiful woman named Nicole Parker.
He may be married to her, assuming that his daughter shares a name with Nicole. However, news regarding their current relationship is not available yet.
Besides his career and his grand life, Ennis is also a very generous man. He has donated a hefty amount to a local nonprofit organization focused on helping the homeless and breaking poverty.
NBA Fight
In August 2026, James Ennis III had a fight with Milwaukee Bucks forward Marvin Williams. To elaborate, they were competing for rebounding position midway through the second quarter of the Bucks’ 121-107 victory. However, they got involved in a fight.
Altogether, they had to be separated and were sent to their own hotel rooms. All in all, they both ended up paying $15,000 each.
James Ennis III | Income and Net Worth
As a professional basketball player for the NBA, Ennis usually earns $3,300,000 or more per season. His exact net worth has not been confirmed yet.
However, Ennis’s net worth is estimated at a decent $16 million. With all the contracts which were all above a million, it is not surprising for Ennis to have a sizeable net worth.
The NBA player owns multiple luxurious cars such as Aston Martin, BMW, and Tesla.
The basketball forward player with one of his luxurious cars.It is no surprise that Ennis is living a comfortable and luxurious life with his family, contrary to the struggles before he joined the NBA.
James Ennis III | Social Media Presence
Instagram (): 116k followers (Private account)
Twitter(): 31.3k followers
James Ennis III | FAQs
What is the jersey number of James Ennis III?
James Ennis III features in the jersey number 11 for the Orlando Magic.
Did James play for the sixers?
Yes, the basketballer played for the Philadelphia 76ers for the 2019-20 season.
What is James Ennis III’s defense rating?
James Ennis III’s defense rating is 110.8.
Did James Ennis foul Josh Hart?
In 2018, when Ennis was playing for the Rockets, he accidentally took down Josh Hart by the neck. The altercation could’ve resulted in a serious injury, but thankfully Hart wasn’t hurt much and was able to play afterwards.
After NBA officials ruled out the altercation to be a Flagrant-1 foul, James was allowed to be in the game.
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Aaditya Bhatta
Aaditya Bhatta is a dynamic writer and sports enthusiast, whose passion for both realms is reflected in his work. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for storytelling, Aaditya brings a unique perspective to his writing, captivating readers with his engaging content.
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