Athlete – Basketball
James Lee is well-known as one of the most powerful dunkers in Lexington’s basketball lore. His rough-and-tumble style of play often packed high school gymnasiums throughout Lexington and across the state of Kentucky. The Henry Clay High School phenom was a First Team All-State performer in 1974 and represented Kentucky in the Kentucky-Indiana All-Star Game that year.
James went on to play at the University of Kentucky, where he elevated the “sixth man” position to a whole new level as he averaged in double figures throughout his college years. As UK made its trek toward a near-perfect 30-2 record and the national title during the 1977-78 season, James’s hard-nosed play around the basket added the muscle and hustle UK needed to win the SEC Championship and make it to the national championship game. James’s famous slam dunk provided an exclamation mark to the end of UK’s 1978 NCAA Final Four Championship win over Duke University, making it one of the most memorable dunks in Big Blue history.
After his UK career, James was selected by the Seattle Supersonics in the NBA’s 1978 draft. Although he never played for Seattle, James enjoyed a successful career with the Western Basketball Association’s Tucson Gunners and in the Continental Basketball Association for the Lehigh Valley Jets.
James currently lives in Louisville and has two daughters, Danielle and Diondra, and one grandson, Deron.
