The main goal for most basketball players is to make it to the NBA, but it doesn’t always work out in that favor. Julian Newman is a very well-known name in the basketball world. From his dazzling handles to his infamous lack of height, the 21-year-old has already made a name for himself. So what’s the next step for Julian Newman?
Playing Varsity at a Young Age
Newman has had an interesting path in both his basketball and personal life. Newman first started playing varsity basketball at the age of just 11. Additionally, he was able to average an impressive 12.2 points and 10.5 assists per game. These are exceptional numbers considering he was playing with kids much taller and older than him.
In fact, Newman is almost always one of the shortest people on the court. Standing at just 5’7, Newman’s height has been one of the most significant shortcomings in his basketball career.
Newman has received lots of criticism in the past few years. Many disapprove of his cocky persona and overly flashy play. He has been continuously told he would be unable to go pro since he started playing.
Despite his short frame, Newman has seen a great deal of success on the basketball court. He has made considerable improvements in his game as he has gotten older.
Newman averaged a stellar 32.3/6.9/5.4/2.8 with Prodigy Prep last year.
Hello Newmans
Newman has received national attention for the better part of his life, both on and off the court. His family has a reality show called�Hello Newmans, which premiered in 2019. The show mainly focuses on him and his sister Jaden Newman and the rest of his family.
Newman also has his own sports apparel brand, called Prodigy.
Between his TV show, basketball career, and height, Newman has had an interesting past. He is a fascinating character, both as a player and as a person.
College and Overseas Controversies
Unfortunately, Julian Newman has received quite a bit of negative attention this past year. This is primarily because many believe he lied about his college and professional offers.
In an interview, Julian’s father, Jamie, stated that Julian had 15 D1 offers. Jamie Newman also said that Julian was planning to play overseas next year. According to him, this is because Newman wanted to do this to better prepare for the draft.
Jamie said that the places Newman would most likely play were Australia, the G-League, Italy, China, and Germany.
In an interview weeks later, Newman stated that his top choices would be Australia and the G-League. This somewhat checks out with what his father had said.
However, many suspected Jamie was lying. Some believed that the real reason Newman was playing overseas was that he had no D1 offers.
But Newman directly contradicted both himself and his father in an Instagram Live after. This caused even more suspicion among the basketball community.
“Next year, I’m planning to go overseas. [My] top three places are Japan, Australia, and Spain.”
Julian Newman, in an Instagram Live in July 2020.
Newman did not mention his interest in playing in Japan and Spain in his interview. Because Newman wanted to play in those countries out of the blue, he raised some red flags. This inconsistency has led to some questioning whether or not any overseas teams wanted him in the first place.
Additionally, some months have passed, and there is no indication that Newman is signing for an overseas team. This has caused more to believe that Newman’s offers were fabricated. It will be interesting to see what path he decides to take and what his future holds.
What’s Next for Julian Newman?
Right now, Newman’s next steps are somewhat unclear. Almost a year later, he has still yet to commit to playing for an overseas team nor a college.
Since his announcement on Instagram Live last July, Newman has been somewhat stationary. Some rumors sparked that he received D1 offers earlier this year. However, nothing has been rock solid, and Newman still hasn’t indicated an interest in playing for a college team.
However, Newman is still just 19 years old. He still has time to decide what path he wants to take in his pro career. Whether he chooses to play overseas is yet to be determined.
Overall, Julian Newman is an interesting case, on and off the court. He is a gifted basketball player, but many things keep him from taking his game to the next level. He has had a fascinating past and a long high school career. However, his future is somewhat uncertain; it is unclear whether or not the 5’7 point guard will go professional.
