Since coming to the United States with his father from Jamaica, DJ Campbell has experienced the type of basketball journey that people turn into movies.

Starting with a local summer basketball camp, Campbell started to show the athleticism and ability to learn he game of basketball that made him the best eighth grader at the camp. His hard work led him to play for the Freshman team at Vineland High School.

“Playing for Vineland High School has taught me how to adapt. Within four years, I had four different coaches.” Campbell tells 973 ESPN. “I had to adapt to four different coaching styles, and four different leadership personalities while still trying to remain successful and not get sidetracked.”

After his breakout Junior Year, DJ Campbell started to get attention from local colleges

While schools like Rowan and Montclair were pursuing him, it was Stockton University that got his commitment. The late Bob Hutchings and Stockton Head Coach Scott Bittner recruitment made Campbell want to be part of a family environment at the college located in Galloway.

“Playing for Stockton and having a coach that holds you accountable not only helped build character but allowed me to hold myself to certain standards.”

In 2024, Campbell became the all-time scoring leader in Stockton University Basketball History. The young man from Jamaica, who didn’t play basketball until his mid-teens, finished his college basketball career with 2,178 points.

After receiving numerous awards and accolades for his college basketball career, DJ Campbell, for the first time in a decade, was no longer balancing basketball and academics. He received his major in Criminal Justice:

“(I want to) get involved with kids that come from tough backgrounds. They don’t got to be in the Corrections (system) or (involved) with the law, just helping out people, just showing them there’s a way out. If they’re like battling with like family issues or just overall dealing with people that come from a background whether that through mentoring or just whatever I can do to help people.”

Stockton University DJ Campbell

Photo credit Riley Lorenz/Stockton UniversityWhat Is Next For DJ Campbell?

The Stockton University all-time leading scorer will be playing professional basketball in Europe this year.

DJ Campbell has signed a contract to play for KB Apolonia of the Albanian Basketball Superliga. This is the highest level of basketball in Albania, and the team Campbell will be playing for, KB Apolonia, has been competing in Europe since 1925.

For Campbell, the downtime without playing basketball full-time since graduating from Stockton University has been a challenge:

“Since I’ve graduated, it’s just been a tough grind. The period between my last Stockton game and my Europe contract was different for me. That was the only period of time I haven’t really played “meaningful baseball”. But regardless, I remained consistent and kept working no matter what.”

Over the years, American basketball players have gone to Europe to continue playing after High School as an alternative path to the National Basketball Association. Guys like Mike James, Anthony Parker, and Patrick Beverly had to prove themselves playing in Europe before coming back to the United States to play in the NBA.

As DJ Campbell tells 973 ESPN, his focus right now is Basketball, but he still has aspirations to use his Criminal Justice Major in the future to help others:

“My focus right now remains on basketball. However, in the future, I do want to help out and be a figure for kids in the juvenile justice system, those that are capable of having a second chance. (I want to be )a mentor in some capacity and give back. For the past three years, I have been hosting a basketball camp in the summer, allowing kids to come out and enjoy while learning important skills such as preparing for the SAT. I want to continue (hosting that camp).”

Here are some of the South Jersey High School Graduates who have gotten the opportunity to play in the NBA:

KEEP READING: South Jersey Athletes Who Played/Coached in NBA and MLB

Gallery Credit: Josh Hennig