Julian Newman facts for kids

Julian Newman was born on September 6, 2001. He is an American college basketball player. He plays for the Bethesda Lion Angels in the Southwestern States Intercollegiate Conference. Julian finished high school at Prodigy Prep in Orlando, Florida, in 2020. He is 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) tall and plays as a point guard.

Julian first became famous in 2012. This was because of his amazing basketball videos on YouTube. He was playing varsity basketball for Downey Christian School when he was only in fifth grade. People had different ideas about him. Some thought he was a child prodigy, a super talented kid. Others didn't like how much he was promoted.

Early Basketball Journey

Julian Newman started loving basketball when he was just three years old. His dad, Jamie, helped him play with regular-sized basketballs. He also played in leagues with older boys. His dad trained him very hard from a young age. Julian reportedly practiced a lot every day. He would make 100 free throws, 200 floaters, and 200 jump shots.

Playing in Middle School

In 2012, Julian moved to Downey Christian School. This was a small private school in Orlando, Florida. His dad started coaching basketball and teaching history there. As a fifth grader, Julian began playing for the middle school team. He was so good that he once scored 91 points in a game! Because of his success, he was quickly moved up to the varsity team. This team played outside the rules of the Florida High School Athletic Association.

Julian was 11 years old and played point guard. He was 4 ft 5 in (1.35 m) tall and weighed 70 pounds. His uniform was the smallest size, but he still had to use a hair tie to tighten his jersey. He also rolled up his shorts so they wouldn't fall down. In his first three games, he averaged 12.4 points, 11 assists, and 4.3 steals. He helped Downey Christian get a 21–6 record. He also led the state of Florida in assists.

In sixth grade, Julian averaged 17 points per game. On December 19, 2012, a sports website called MaxPreps wrote an article about him. It was titled, "Fifth grader starting for Florida varsity team." A video of Julian playing was posted on YouTube by ScoutsFocus. It became a viral sensation, getting over 3.5 million views. Soon, Julian was in national news, including Sports Illustrated and The New York Times. He was famous for being a fifth grader playing varsity basketball.

Julian also appeared on TV shows like Steve Harvey, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and Good Morning America. He was even invited to perform at halftime during an Orlando Magic NBA game.

In December 2013, The Huffington Post called Julian "The Best Sixth Grade Basketball Player You've Ever Seen." By then, he was averaging 13.6 points and 10.5 assists per game. In 2014, the Tampa Bay Times called him "the most marketed 12-year-old basketball player in the world." Some people thought that promoting Julian so much was not good. They compared him to a child star.

As a seventh grader in 2015, Julian made history. He became the youngest player to score 1,000 career varsity points. He finished the 2014–15 season averaging 19.8 points, 10.2 assists, and 3.2 steals per game. On October 4, 2016, Julian scored 52 points in a big game. He played against Kyree Walker, another top player. His highlight video from that game got over 13 million views on YouTube.

High School Years

By 2018, when Julian was a sophomore in high school, he had scored 3,873 total points. This was more than the Florida high school record set by Teddy Dupay in 1998. In the 2018–19 season, Julian averaged 34.7 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and four steals per game.

For his last year of high school, Julian moved to Prodigy Prep. This was a new school in Orlando. His father created the school and was also the head basketball coach there.

College Basketball

Julian Newman joined Bethesda University in 2024. This university is part of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA). He played his first college game against The Master's on October 24, 2024. He did not score any points in that game, missing all six of his three-point shots. His team lost 109–23.

Julian never played NCAA basketball. His game did not seem to improve enough to play effectively in the more competitive top-tier college tournaments.

About Julian's Family

Julian Newman has a diverse background. He is of Jewish, African American, and Puerto Rican descent. His father, Jamie Newman, also played basketball as a point guard. He played for Colonial High School in Orlando. Jamie is a history teacher and the head basketball coach at Downey Christian School.

Julian's mother, Vivian Gonzalez, is Puerto Rican. She played point guard for University High School in Orlando, Florida. After high school, she served four years in the United States Navy. Then, she worked for the United States Postal Service.

Julian has a younger sister named Jaden. She also started playing varsity basketball for Downey Christian in third grade. Jaden also gained national attention and appeared on TV shows like The Queen Latifah Show. She was reportedly recruited by the NCAA Division I program Miami (Florida) when she was only nine years old.

In 2015, Julian started starring in his own documentary series called "Born Ready." This series was uploaded to the YouTube channel Elite Mixtapes. Julian and his family also have a reality show called "Hello Newmans." This show was launched by the sports network Overtime in 2019. You can watch it on YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook.

Julian is also connected to his family's sports clothing brand, Prodigy. You can often find their brand merchandise sold at his games.