Jaylen Hoard facts for kids

Jaylen Hoard, born on March 30, 1999, is a talented French-American professional basketball player. He currently plays for Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Israeli Premier League and the EuroLeague.

He played college basketball for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Jaylen started his basketball journey in Le Havre, France. He trained at INSEP in Paris and played for Centre Fédéral de Basket-ball. After moving to Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point, North Carolina, he became one of the most sought-after young players for college teams in 2018.

About Jaylen Hoard's Family

Jaylen Hoard was born in Le Havre, France. His father is American and his mother is French. Both of his parents were also basketball players!

His Parents' Basketball Careers

• His father, Antwon Hoard, played college basketball for Murray State. He also played professionally in France for many seasons.
• His mother, Katia Foucade, played for the University of Washington. She was also a member of the French national team.

Jaylen has four siblings. His younger sister, Anaia, has played for the French national under-17 team.

Jaylen's Youth Basketball Journey

In 2015, Jaylen Hoard signed a two-year deal with INSEP in Paris. This is a special French sports institute. He joined their team, Centre Fédéral de Basket-ball (CFBB).

Playing in France

With CFBB, Jaylen played in the Nationale Masculine 1. This is the third-highest basketball league in France. In April 2015, he was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Jordan Brand Classic International Game. He scored 16 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and made 5 steals in that game.

On April 16, 2016, Jaylen had his best game of the season. He scored 23 points against Caen Basket Calvados. He finished the season averaging 8.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game.

High School Basketball in the USA

In the summer of 2016, Jaylen moved to the United States. He started playing basketball for Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point, North Carolina. His father knew the coach, Keith Gatlin, which helped with the move.

Why Jaylen Moved to the USA

Jaylen wanted to play against the best young players. He said, "I just felt like it was time to come over here and compete against the best." He wanted to prove himself in the USA, where a lot of basketball talent is found.

When he first arrived, Jaylen needed some time to get used to the American style of basketball. He was considered one of the top players in the 2018 class. ESPN ranked him as the 22nd best player in his class.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Jaylen Hoard SF	Carnon, FR [fr]	Wesleyan Christian Academy (NC)	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	Aug 26, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 91
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 27  247Sports: 17  ESPN: 22
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources:

College Basketball Career

On August 26, 2017, Jaylen Hoard decided to play college basketball for Wake Forest University. Before his first season, he was named to the Julius Erving Award preseason watchlist. This award is for the best small forwards in college basketball.

Key Games at Wake Forest

• On November 10, 2018, Jaylen scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. This helped Wake Forest win against North Carolina A&T.
• On January 2, 2019, he had an amazing game with 23 points and 15 rebounds. Wake Forest won against Cornell.
• On February 5, 2019, Jaylen scored 19 points and set a personal best with 17 rebounds. This helped his team win against Pittsburgh.

As a freshman at Wake Forest, Jaylen averaged 13.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game.

Playing for the French National Team

Jaylen Hoard first played for the French youth national team in 2015. This was at the 2015 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship in Lithuania.

Highlights with the National Team

• In his first game, he scored 16 points and had 6 rebounds. This helped France beat Croatia.
• At the tournament, he averaged 7.7 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. France finished in fifth place.
• In April 2016, Jaylen played in the Albert Schweitzer Tournament. He averaged 7.0 points and 2.0 rebounds, helping France finish fourth.
• Later in 2016, he played in the 2016 FIBA Under-17 World Championship in Spain. He led his team with 22.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. France finished sixth.
• On June 23, 2016, Jaylen scored an incredible 41 points against South Korea. This tied the tournament's record for most points in a single game!

Professional Basketball Career

Portland Trail Blazers (2019–2020)

Jaylen Hoard was not chosen in the 2019 NBA draft. However, on July 1, 2019, he signed a special "two-way contract" with the Portland Trail Blazers. This type of contract allows a player to play for both an NBA team and its G League team.

On October 27, 2019, Jaylen was sent to the Texas Legends. This team is part of the NBA G League. He also took part in the 2020 NBA Bubble, which was a special setup for NBA games during the pandemic.

Oklahoma City Thunder / Blue (2021–2022)

On December 4, 2020, Jaylen Hoard signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder. A few days later, he was waived. On January 28, 2021, he joined the Oklahoma City Blue, which is the Thunder's G League team. In 15 games, he averaged 9.7 points and 4.9 rebounds.

On April 5, 2021, the Oklahoma City Thunder signed Jaylen to another two-way contract. He rejoined the Oklahoma City Blue for the 2021–22 season.

On December 29, 2021, Jaylen signed a 10-day contract with the Thunder. He returned to the Blue after it ended. On April 1, 2022, he signed a second 10-day contract. On April 6, 2022, he had his best NBA game. He scored 24 points and grabbed 21 rebounds against his old team, the Portland Trail Blazers.

Hapoel Tel Aviv (2022–2024)

On August 14, 2022, Jaylen Hoard signed with Hapoel Tel Aviv. This team plays in the Israeli Basketball Premier League. On July 31, 2023, he signed a new two-year contract with the club.

Maccabi Tel Aviv (2024–present)

In July 2024, Jaylen Hoard signed with Maccabi Tel Aviv. This team plays in both the EuroLeague and the Israeli basketball Premier League.

Career Statistics

NBA Games

Regular Season

Playoffs

College Games

See also

In Spanish: Jaylen Hoard para niños