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| James Dickey will man the paint for Phoenix in the PBA Commissioner's Cup. PBA Images |
MANILA—As the Phoenix Fuelmasters usher in a new era under newly designated head coach Charles Tiu, the club looks to make a strong start in this season’s PBA Commissioner’s Cup by acquiring James Dickey III.
Dickey already saw action for Phoenix in a tune-up game against Meralco on Saturday at the Meralco Gym in Pasig.
Having attended the same high school as former NBA top pick and 5-time All Star John Wall, which is the Word of God Christian Academy in North Carolina, the 6’10” Dickey was ranked as a Top 4 power forward in the whole state by his senior year in 2015.
Choosing to stay home for college, Dickey suited up for the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he showcased his specialty on the defensive end of the floor.
Over the span of his tenure with the Spartans, the Raleigh native was acknowledged as the Southern Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year during his redshirt sophomore season in 2017-18, after leading the conference in rebounding with 8.3 boards per game, as well as blocked shots, with him averaging 2.2 swats each match.
He would conclude his collegiate career by leading the conference in blocks anew as a redshirt senior in 2019-20, with 1.7 blocks per game, complemented by 9.3 rebounds per contest (second-best overall) and 8.7 points per game.
Dickey was also recognized as among the Southern Conference’s best players, having been named as a member of the All-SoCon Third Team.
Going undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft, Dickey signed with Hungarian club Szedeák for the NB1/A Division to start his professional career.
During the 2020-21 season, Dickey averaged 12.8 points, 12.4 boards, and 1.2 blocks in 35 contests.
Following his stint in Hungary, Dickey would later suit up for BG Goettingen in the German Basketball Bundesliga, Israeli Basketball Premier League Hapoel Haifa, French pro team JL Bourg, and Ukrainian side BC Prometey, before returning to Hungary to don the colors of Alba Fehervar for the 2023-2024 season.
Before heading over to the Fuelmasters’ camp, Dickey would team up with Barangay Ginebra old hand and Gilas Pilipinas mainstay Justin Brownlee in propelling the Pelita Jaya squad to the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL) crown in 2024.
Dickey posted averages of 12.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.7 steals in 16 games during the team’s championship season.
