Jaylen Hoard facts for kids

Jaylen Hoard (born March 30, 1999) is a professional basketball player. He plays for Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel. This team is part of the Israeli Premier League and the EuroLeague. Jaylen also played college basketball for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

He was born in Le Havre, France. Jaylen started his basketball journey at INSEP in Paris. He played with the amateur club Centre Fédéral de Basket-ball. After moving to Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point, North Carolina, he became a top player. Many people wanted him to play for their college teams.

Jaylen's Early Life and Family

Jaylen Hoard was born in Le Havre, France. His father is American and his mother is French. Both of his parents were basketball players! His dad, Antwon Hoard, played college basketball for Murray State. He also played many seasons in France. Jaylen's mom, Katia Foucade, played for the University of Washington. She was also on the French national team. Jaylen has four siblings. His younger sister, Anaia, has played for the French national under-17 team.

Starting His Youth Basketball Career

In 2015, Jaylen Hoard joined INSEP in Paris, France. This is a special institute for young athletes. He played for their team, Centre Fédéral de Basket-ball (CFBB). With CFBB, Jaylen played in the Nationale Masculine 1. This is the third-highest basketball league in France.

In April 2015, Jaylen 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. In April 2016, he had his best game of the season. He scored 23 points against Caen Basket Calvados. During that season, he averaged 8.0 points and 3.5 rebounds 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 head coach, Keith Gatlin, which helped with the move. Jaylen wanted to play in the US to compete against the best players. He felt it was important to prove himself where the top talent was.

When he first arrived, Jaylen needed some time to get used to the American style of basketball. His team, Wesleyan, was ranked among the top high school teams in the country. Jaylen was considered one of the best high school players in the 2018 class. He was a "five-star recruit," meaning he was highly sought after by colleges. ESPN ranked him as the 22nd best player in his class.

Playing College Basketball at Wake Forest

On August 26, 2017, Jaylen decided to play college basketball for Wake Forest University. Before his first season (2018–19), he was named to a special watchlist for the Julius Erving Award. This award goes to the best small forward in college basketball.

Jaylen had some great games in college:

• On November 10, 2018, he scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds against North Carolina A&T.
• On January 2, 2019, he scored 23 points and had 15 rebounds against Cornell.
• On February 5, 2019, he scored 19 points and had a career-high 17 rebounds against Pittsburgh.

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

Playing for the French National Team

Jaylen Hoard also played for the French youth national team. His first big tournament was the 2015 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship in Lithuania. In his first game, he scored 16 points and had 6 rebounds against Croatia. France finished fifth in that tournament.

In April 2016, Jaylen played in the Albert Schweitzer Tournament. France finished fourth. Later that year, he played in the 2016 FIBA Under-17 World Championship in Spain. He was the top scorer for France, averaging 22.4 points per game. On June 23, 2016, he scored an amazing 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 "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, which is the G League team for the Trail Blazers. He also joined the Trail Blazers 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 signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was later waived, but then joined the Oklahoma City Blue, their G League team, on January 28, 2021. He played 15 games for the Blue, averaging 9.7 points and 4.9 rebounds.

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

On December 29, 2021, Jaylen signed a 10-day contract with the Thunder. He signed another 10-day contract on April 1, 2022. On April 6, 2022, he had his best NBA game ever! 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 B.C. in the Israeli Basketball Premier League. He played with them for two seasons. On July 31, 2023, he signed a new two-year contract to stay with the team.

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 Premier League.

Career Statistics

NBA Regular Season

NBA Playoffs

College Statistics

See also

In Spanish: Jaylen Hoard para niños