Full Breakdown
Josh Christopher Joins Israeli Club Ironi Ness Ziona
By Drooid · · How we work
Career Path Leading to the Move
Former Houston Rockets first-round pick Josh Christopher, a 24-year-old guard, entered the NBA in 2021 after a strong freshman season at Arizona State. Drafted 24th overall, he appeared in 74 games as a rookie, averaging 7.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.2 assists. He remained a bench player in his second season before being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in the summer of 2023. The Grizzlies waived him before the 2023-24 season, after which he signed a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz but never suited up. Christopher then played for the Jazz’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, and later joined the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Miami Heat’s G League team, earning a two-way contract that yielded 14 NBA games. He also spent a brief stint with the Shenzhen Leopards of the Chinese Basketball Association before leaving the NBA to pursue an overseas opportunity for the 2024-25 season.
Team Context and Recent Performance
Ironi Ness Ziona competes in the Israeli Basketball Premier League. The club finished the previous season in the bottom four of the standings with a 9-17 record, subsequently avoiding relegation by posting a 4-2 record in the relegation round. While the team has never captured the league title, it reached the semifinals in 2020 and 2023 and won the 2021 FIBA Europe Cup by defeating Poland’s Arged BMSLAM Stal in the final.
Official Statements & Responses
In a press release, Ironi Ness Ziona announced that Christopher had passed his medical examinations and would join the squad for practice ahead of the upcoming season. The club expressed enthusiasm about adding a former NBA player to its roster, noting that Christopher joins other ex-NBA athletes such as Jacob Wiley, Freddie Gillespie and Jackson Rowe who have also played for the team.