James Lee is a retired American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 player. He won an NCAA championship at the University of Kentucky

Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball

The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, representing the University of Kentucky, is the winningest in the history of college basketball, both in all-time wins and all-time winning percentage. Kentucky's all-time record currently stands at 2058–647...

 and was a second-round draft pick in the 1978 NBA Draft

1978 NBA Draft

The 1978 NBA Draft was the 32nd annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on June 9, 1978, before the 1978–79 season. In this draft, 22 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...

.

Lee, a 6'5" swingman

Swingman

A Swingman is a basketball term denoting a player who can play both the small forward and shooting guard positions, and, in essence, swing between the shooting guard and small forward positions." Swingmen males are often between 6'5" and 6'8" .John Havlicek, who played for the Boston Celtics in...

 from Henry Clay High School

Henry Clay High School

Henry Clay High School is the oldest public high school in Lexington, Kentucky, opened on Main Street in 1928. It was named in honor of the Kentuckian and United States statesman, Henry Clay. The Main Street location now houses the main offices of the Fayette County Public Schools system. The...

 in Lexington, Kentucky

Lexington, Kentucky

Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...

, played college basketball for his hometown Kentucky Wildcats. He was a key player for four years and averaged 11.3 points per game on 56% shooting as the sixth man

Sixth man

The sixth man in basketball is a player who is not a starter but comes off the bench much more often than other reserves, often being the first player to be substituted in. The sixth man often plays minutes equal to or exceeding some of the starters and posts similar statistics. He is often a...

 on the Wildcats' 1978 national championship team

1977–78 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team

The 1977–78 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team were coached by Joe B. Hall. The team finished the season with a 30–2 record and won the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship over the Duke Blue Devils, 94–88.-NCAA tournament:*Mideast...

.

Coming off a championship year, Lee was drafted in the second round of the 1978 NBA Draft (39th pick overall) by the Seattle SuperSonics

Seattle SuperSonics

The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...

, but never played in the NBA. Lee played for the Western Basketball Association's

Western Basketball Association

The Western Basketball Association was formed in 1978 and played for one season during 1978-79. Organized by Larry Cregar, a former assistant coach in the National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association , and real estate developer Neil Christianson.The seven-team league...

 Tucson Gunners for one season, then played several years in the Continental Basketball Association

Continental Basketball Association

The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...

. His best year came during the 1980–81 CBA season where Lee averaged 22.3 points per game for the Lehigh Valley Jets.