Bernard Hopkins (basketball) facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 13, 1973 Baltimore, Maryland |
| Nationality | American / Spanish |
| High school | Overlea (Baltimore, Maryland) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 235 lb (107 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College |
|
| NBA Draft | 1996 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 1996–2012 |
| Career history | |
| 1996–1997 | Yakima Sun Kings |
| 1997–1998 | CB Gran Canaria |
| 1998–2003 | Valencia BC |
| 2003–2005 | Tenerife CB |
| 2005–2007 | CB Valladolid |
| 2007–2010 | Gipuzkoa BC |
| 2010–2012 | Obradoiro CAB |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
Bernard Anthony Hopkins White (born January 13, 1973) is a retired professional basketball player. He played for teams in both America and Spain. Bernard was a strong player, known as a power forward. He stood 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighed 235 pounds.
He started his college basketball journey at Hagerstown Community College. After two seasons there, he moved to Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). In his final year at VCU, during the 1995–1996 season, Bernard was named the best player in his conference. He also won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for the conference tournament.
College Basketball Journey
Bernard Hopkins grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. He was a fantastic basketball player in high school. After graduating in 1992, he played his first two college seasons at a community college in Hagerstown.
Then, he transferred to VCU to play for the Rams. In just two years, he became one of the most celebrated players in the school's history. During his junior year, Bernard was great at shooting. He made 58.5% of his shots, which was one of the best percentages in the country.
His senior year was even better. He scored 538 points and grabbed 333 rebounds. This was the third-highest number of rebounds ever at VCU. He also had 19 games where he scored double-digits in both points and rebounds. Bernard helped the Rams win both their conference's regular season and tournament championships.
In the first round of the 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, VCU played against Mississippi State. Even though the Rams lost, Bernard was named the CBS Chevrolet Player of the Game. As a senior, he was the first player in his conference to achieve over 500 points, 300 rebounds, and 70 assists in one season. He also shot better than 50% from the field. He was named the conference's Player of the Year and the tournament MVP. Overall, Bernard scored 950 points during his college career.
Professional Basketball Career
After his senior year, Bernard was invited to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. This special event is for top college seniors to show their skills to National Basketball Association (NBA) scouts. It's a chance to get noticed for the NBA draft. Bernard was named the MVP of this tournament. However, he was not chosen in the NBA draft that year.
Instead, the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) team, the Yakima Sun Kings, picked him third overall in their draft. He played for the Sun Kings for one season. During that time, he was named the CBA Rookie of the Year. He was also selected for the All-CBA Second Team and the All-Rookie First Team.
From 1998–1999 onwards, Bernard played for several teams, all in Spain. He later became a citizen of Spain. Some of his career highlights include being named a Liga ACB All-Star in 1999 and 2001. He was also named Player of the Month five times and Player of the Week 24 times.
On November 6, 2012, his last team in Spain, Blu:sens Monbús, announced a special honor. They decided to retire his jersey number 4 at the end of the 2012–2013 season. This means no other player on that team will wear the number 4 again.
About Bernard Hopkins
Bernard Hopkins became a naturalized citizen of Spain while he was playing basketball in that country.
See also
In Spanish: Bernard Hopkins (baloncestista) para niños
