Bernard King (basketball, born 1981) facts for kids

Victor Bernard King Jr., born on July 24, 1981, is an American professional basketball player. He played for UJAP Quimper 29 in the LNB Pro B league. Before turning pro, he played college basketball for Texas A&M University.

King set many records in the Big 12 Conference and at Texas A&M. He became the top scorer in Big 12 conference history. He also ranked third in the league for career assists. King led his college team, the Aggies, in scoring and assists for all four years he played. He is among Texas A&M's all-time leaders in points, three-point shots made, and assists.

Bernard King's Early Life and Basketball Journey

Bernard King was born in Gibsland, Louisiana. His father, Victor King, was also a basketball player. Victor played for Louisiana Tech University and was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers. From a very young age, Bernard loved basketball. He would go to the gym with his dad and wanted to play with the ball.

Starting Young: Basketball Camps and AAU

When Bernard was eight, his parents took him to basketball camps. These camps were run by Louisiana Tech University and the Dallas Mavericks. The people running the camps quickly saw that Bernard was much better than other kids his age. They suggested he play in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). This league is for young athletes who are very good at their sport.

By the time he was in eighth grade, Bernard was playing with high school juniors and seniors. In one game, he got a chance to play when another guard fouled out. Bernard made three three-pointers in a row, helping his team win! When he was 14, he played on an AAU team for 17-year-olds. He scored six three-pointers in one state playoff game. His team then went on to win a national championship.

High School Success and Academic Achievements

King played on the varsity team all four years at Gibsland-Coleman Complex High School. During that time, his team had an amazing record of 143 wins and 34 losses. In his high school career, he scored over 4,000 points. He also had more than 1,000 rebounds and 1,348 assists.

In his senior year, King was outstanding. He averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 11.2 assists, 5.4 steals, and 3.7 blocks per game. He led his team to the state championship, which was the school's first since 1984. He was named an AAU All-America player in 1998. He also received the Louisiana Mr. Basketball Award from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. Even with all his basketball, King worked hard in school. He graduated with a 3.8 GPA, which is a very high academic score.

Choosing a College Team

Many experts saw King as a top basketball prospect in the country. He was recruited by several major universities. However, King chose to go to Texas A&M University. He wanted to play for coach Melvin Watkins and help improve the basketball program there.

Bernard King's College Basketball Career

Bernard King had a fantastic college career at Texas A&M University. He played for the Aggies from 1999 to 2003.

Freshman Year Highlights

As a freshman, King started every game, all 28 of them. He averaged 16.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. He was the top scorer for the Aggies. He also led the team in assists, blocks, and three-point shots made. He was second in rebounding and steals.

King set a new Big 12 freshman record for scoring average. He also tied the Big 12 record for three-pointers. Because of his great performance, he was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year. In one game against Colorado, he scored a career-high 34 points. Against Nebraska, he scored 30 points and had ten rebounds. He was even named ESPN.com National Freshman of the Week after a big win against Oklahoma State.

Sophomore and Junior Seasons

In his second year, King continued to shine. He started 29 out of 30 games. He averaged 18.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. He was one of only a few players in Division 1 basketball to achieve such high numbers in both points and assists. He scored a season-high 31 points against Missouri. Against Lamar University, he tied a school record by making 8 of 11 three-point attempts, scoring 30 points in total. He also played very well against their rival, Texas, scoring 23 and 21 points in two games.

In his junior year, King was the only player in the Big 12 to be in the top ten for both scoring and assists. He also made history by getting a "triple-double" against Texas Tech University. This means he had 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in one game. He almost had another triple-double against Long Beach State University. For the season, he averaged 17.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists.

Senior Year and College Records

In his senior year, King played in 30 of 31 games. He missed one game due to a concussion. He earned the Big 12 Player of the Week award after scoring 30 points, with seven assists and six rebounds, against then No. 24 Texas.

He finished his senior year averaging 17.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 5.6 assists. This earned him a second-team All-Big 12 honor. He scored a season-high 29 points against Missouri. He also had 27 points and 7 assists against Oklahoma State.

When King left Texas A&M, he was the top scorer in Big 12 conference history. He was also third in the league for all-time career assists. He led the Aggies in scoring and assists for all four of his seasons. He is still ranked first in points and three-point field goals made for Texas A&M. He is also second in assists.

Bernard King's Professional Basketball Career

After college, Bernard King began his professional basketball career in 2003. He played for many teams around the world until 2019.

Playing in Turkey and the D-League

In the 2003–2004 season, King played for Fenerbahçe in Turkey. He averaged 12.7 points and 4.4 rebounds in nine games. In 2004, he was chosen in the Development-League Draft by Huntsville. He played 25 games with the Huntsville Flight, averaging 18.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists. He then finished that season playing in France for ASVEL, where he averaged 12.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.9 assists.

Playing in Israel and France

In April 2006, King signed with Bnei HaSharon in Israel. However, he got an injury after just one game that ended his season. In October 2007, King signed with Strasbourg IG in France.

Winning a Championship in Latvia

On January 18, 2008, King signed with Mersin BŞB. S.K. in Turkey. Later that year, he moved to BK Ventspils in Latvia. There, he helped his team win the Latvian Championship! In the final game, he scored 20 points, had 9 assists, and 9 rebounds.

Later Career in Europe

For the 2009–2010 season, King played for APOEL, a team in Cyprus. He is known as one of the few European players to consistently average over 12.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game throughout his career. In January 2012, he signed with SLUC Nancy in France. In July 2013, he joined BC Donetsk in Ukraine.

In April 2015, he signed with Chorale Roanne Basket in the LNB Pro B league in France. On January 24, 2018, he signed with UJAP Quimper 29, also in the LNB Pro B, where he played until 2019.