Cory Joseph

As a Youth, Joseph and fellow Future NBA player Kelly Olynyk were both on a Scarborough Blues club team that rarely lost in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

One defeat came against rival Toronto 5–0, led by Stephen Curry.

Joseph attended Pickering High School in Ajax, Ontario.

Cory Ephram Joseph (born August 20, 1991) is a Canadian professional basketball player who last played for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

He plays the point guard position and was previously the captain of the Canadian national team.

Joseph was born in Toronto, Ontario, the youngest of four children of Connie and David Joseph, who was born in Trinidad and Tobago.

He grew up in nearby Pickering in a basketball family; his parents met as student athletes at Mount Royal College while playing for their respective men's and women's basketball teams.

His father won a CCAA national championship, playing for the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, and later coached at the high school, college, and professional levels.

His mother coached and refereed at various levels.

Joseph has two older sisters, Chantal and Danielle, and an older brother, Devoe, who played in college for Minnesota and Oregon, and currently plays professionally in Europe.

He and his brother Devoe led the school's AAAA basketball team to back-to-back Ontario provincial championships in 2007 and 2008, defeating Eastern Commerce Collegiate Institute both years in the championship game.

Their father served as the team's assistant coach during that time.

In 2008, he and Devoe were selected to play in the annual All-Canada Classic, which showcases the top high school players in Canada.

Later that year, at age 16, Joseph transferred to Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nevada with Tristan Thompson, his close friend and AAU teammate.

He increased his recruiting demand by leading Findlay Prep to the ESPN RISE National High School Invitational championship game in 2009, alongside Thompson and Avery Bradley, in which #2 ranked Findlay Prep defeated #1 ranked Oak Hill Academy, 74–66.

He was named to the ESPN RISE All-Tournament Team.

In August 2009, Joseph was selected to play in the fourth annual Boost Mobile Elite 24 basketball game at Rucker Park in Harlem, New York City.

The game showcases the top 24 high school basketball players in the U.S. regardless of recruiting class.

In his senior year, Joseph and Thompson led #2 ranked Findlay Prep to a second consecutive ESPN RISE National High School Invitational championship in 2010, when they defeated #1 ranked Montverde Academy, 59–46.

He was named to the ESPN RISE All-Tournament Team for the second consecutive year and was also named tournament MVP.

He was ranked as the #7 prospect nationally by Rivals.com and #11 in the ESPNU 100 following the season, in which he averaged 18.8 points, 4.9 assists, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per game.

Joseph then played in the 2010 McDonald's All-American Game.

He also won the McDonald's Three Point Competition and was named a Jordan Brand Classic All-American.

On April 11, 2010, he played for the World Select Team at the Nike Hoop Summit, against the United States Junior Select Team.

The game was held at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon.

The World Select Team lost, 101–97.

Twelve days later, Joseph committed to the University of Texas, joining Thompson.

Joseph started all 36 games in his freshman season, leading the team in scoring four times and in rebounding twice.

Joseph played one of his best games on December 18, 2010, recording a season-high 21 points and a game-winning jumper against North Carolina.

Texas entered 2011 NCAA March Madness as the fourth seed in the West Regional Division.

Texas lost to fifth-seeded Arizona in the third round with a standout performance and game-winning shot from Derrick Williams.

Following the end of the season, Joseph declared for the NBA draft and was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman team.

On June 23, 2011, Joseph was drafted 29th overall in the 2011 NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs.

Fellow Canadian and Longhorn, Thompson, was drafted fourth overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers, becoming the highest Canadian born draftee in NBA history at that point.

The 2011 draft was also the first time three Texas Longhorn basketball players went in the first round after Joseph's former collegiate teammate Jordan Hamilton went 26th overall to Dallas Mavericks.

During the 2011–12 season, the Spurs assigned Joseph to the Austin Toros of the NBA D-League three times.

Two of Joseph's second cousins also played college basketball: Kris played for Syracuse and was selected in the second round of the 2012 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics, while Maurice played for Michigan State and Vermont, and formerly served as the head coach of George Washington University.

Another cousin of Joseph's, Ashton Khan, is also a professional basketball player who plays in the British Basketball League.

He was also assigned to the Toros during the 2012–13 season.

(Anthony Bennett and Andrew Wiggins both went first overall in the 2013 and 2014 drafts respectively.) It was also the second time in NBA history that two Canadians were selected in the first round of the same draft, the first being in 1983 when Leo Rautins and Stewart Granger were selected 17th and 25th, respectively.