In 2023, C.J. Stroud put the football world on notice with one of the best rookie seasons in NFL history.
As an encore, he's looking to remind the sports world that he can hoop, too.
One month after getting his first taste of NFL Playoff action, Stroud is one of 20 celebrities (and two NFL players) set to take the floor at Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium for the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game. If you weren't aware, basketball was Stroud's first love and though football proved to be his calling, he's not lacking for skills on the court.
As he looks to make a run for Celebrity Game MVP, look back at Stroud's basketball career to get an idea of what to expect on the big stage at All-Star Weekend.
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Did C.J. Stroud play basketball?
Stroud played basketball throughout his youth, with his career on the hardwood peaking as a two-sport star at Rancho Cucamonga High School in California.
Rancho Cucamonga experienced the most success during Stroud's sophomore (2017-18) and junior (2018-19) seasons. Stroud, who measured around 6-3, played shooting guard and small forward for the Cougars, making a habit of turning in impressive scoring performances.
He recently claimed that he dropped 40 points on Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. in high school.
C.J. Stroud says he dropped 40 points on Jaime Jaquez in HS 👀
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 14, 2024
(via The Edge with Micah Parsons) pic.twitter.com/vfkOZB3UfJ
MORE: Did C.J. Stroud score 40 points vs. Jaime Jaquez Jr.? Here's the truth
Stroud added a few clutch ones, too. Stroud's high school highlights do a good job of illustrating the type of player he was.
Warning: The following video contains NSFW language.
CJ Stroud basketball highlights…the buzzer beater at the end was wild #WeAreTexans pic.twitter.com/SJPxaoiuKL
— Coy (@WickedCoy) November 20, 2023
As Stroud emerged as one of the nation's best football prospects, his basketball career took a backseat. By his senior year, he was a five-star quarterback, enrolling at Ohio State in January to effectively put the hoop dreams to rest.
“His first love has always been basketball," Rancho Cucamonga head coach Bill Burke told The Sporting News. "But we knew he was going to go to football. We had multiple open discussions about what his plan was, that going into his junior year he was not going to play for us his senior season.”
And while Stroud is now on the path to becoming an elite quarterback in the NFL, he hasn't lost sight of his first love. During the offseason, Stroud is known to play basketball with his good friend and draft classmate, Panthers QB Bryce Young.
"He's a shooter off the catch type of player," said Young of Stroud. "He can hoop for sure."
Based on Young's scouting report, the tape doesn't lie.
Who knew CJ Stroud could hoop too?
— V̷a̷t̷o̷r̷ (@VatorSports) July 24, 2023
Accuracy on the field and on the court. Bro just pulling up from anywhere 🔥 pic.twitter.com/u42kp36o0q
Based on the start of his NFL career, Stroud chose the right path, but his basketball game speaks for itself. At the very least, All-Star Weekend will allow him to share his first love with the rest of the world.
