Joshua Primo

Joshua Lincoln Alexander “Peepshow” Primo, widely recognized as a promising talent in the National Basketball Association (NBA), was born in Canada on December 24, 2002. He currently plays as a professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers, but his journey in basketball began much earlier and has seen him rise through school, college, and international levels before finding his place in the NBA.

Primo’s basketball career commenced at Huntington Prep School in Huntington, West Virginia, where he was teammates with JT Thor. Following this, he transferred to the Royal Crown Academic School located in Scarborough, Toronto. In a bold step towards his basketball career, he reclassified to the 2020 class and graduated early.

His undeniable talent was spotted by 247Sports, which identified Primo as a five-star recruit. He made the calculated decision to commit to playing college basketball for Alabama’s Crimson Tide, choosing them over Creighton. As a freshman, he claimed the title of the youngest player in college basketball, further showcasing his exceptional calibre. Throughout the season, he averaged 8.1 points and 3.4 rebounds per game, earning a spot on the Southeastern Conference (SEC) All-Freshman Team. Despite missing three games due to a left medial collateral ligament sprain, Primo’s brilliant performance never wavered.

Taking his career to the next level, Primo declared for the 2021 NBA draft on April 21, 2021. Still, he decided to maintain his college eligibility. The final decision to stay in the draft was propelled by his strong performance at the NBA Draft Combine, announced on June 30. He was drafted as the 12th pick in the 2021 NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs, who later also included him in their 2021 NBA Summer League roster.

The Spurs officially signed Primo on August 11, 2021. Making his NBA debut on October 20, 2021, Primo played in the final five minutes with a total of three points, giving the Spurs a 123–97 win over the Orlando Magic. He went down in history as the youngest player, having attended college, ever to play in the NBA. His first assignment to Austin Spurs took place on October 27, 2021.

In the 2021-2022 season, Primo was the youngest player in the league. However, his career in NBA took a temporary halt when the Spurs waived him on October 28, 2022, following allegations of indecent exposure. The subsequent lawsuit filed by the team’s sports psychologist put a further damper on his career.

However, Primo vehemently denied any wrongdoing, asserting that any exposure was unwitting, and the accuser was not acting in good faith. The sagacity of his rebuttal was recognized when the charges of indecent exposure were declined by District Attorney Joe Gonzales on December 8, 2023, citing insufficient evidence.

Primo’s career took a U-turn on September 29, 2023, despite being suspended for four games without pay. He struck a two-way contract deal with the Los Angeles Clippers the same day. The contract was later converted into a standard contract on November 15, 2023. Primo continued to shine in his new team, contributing to their strong performance.

On the international front, Primo represented Canada in the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup held in Greece. Aged just 16, he was the youngest player on the team, yet averaged a substantial 4.2 points per game.

Primo’s fervor for basketball runs in the family. His older sister, Keshia, refined her skills at the University at Buffalo, Coffeyville Community College, and finally, Southern Connecticut State University, leaving her mark in college basketball.