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Julian Newman's skills were advanced for his age. At 10 years old, he earned a spot on his school's middle school team as a 4-foot-5 5th grader. Once he finished a game scoring 91 points, he was immediately promoted to Downey Christian School's varsity team. Despite weighing only 70 lbs. and facing players twice his size, Newman stuffed the stat sheet averaging 12.4 points, 11 assists, and 4.3 steals per game through his first three starts.
His flashy playstyle, coupled with his small stature drew attention from sports fans and media outlets worldwide. Some even labeled him a basketball prodigy at one point, leading everyone to believe Newman would be a future NBA superstar.
Why Julian Newman failed to live up to expectations
As videos of his games made rounds on YouTube and social media, Newman quickly became an internet sensation. It didn't take long before he made guest appearances on popular shows like Ellen and Good Morning America. He even starred in a reality show titled “Born Ready,” a show that followed his life as a young basketball phenomenon. But as he grew older, his height became a glaring challenge. Though he continued to fill up the box score each year, Newman's height peaked at 5'7″.
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His early fame and exposure weren't enough to garner him any offers from Division 1 colleges, a claim his father tried to dispute by saying his son received at least 15 offers from top-level schools like Kansas and Florida. Newman’s lack of opportunities in basketball led most to believe that his skill set simply wasn’t enough to overcome his limitations in height and weight.
What does Julian Newman do now?
Four years removed from high school, Newman still showcases his basketball skills regularly, but not at a level most expected. Newman has shifted more of his focus to increasing his following across his social media channels. As of this writing, Newman has over 700 thousand followers on his Instagram and five thousand subscribers on YouTube.
While Newman's career didn't unfold as many predicted, he has managed to maintain a solid fan base. Only time will tell if he can prove his doubters wrong and find success at a higher level in basketball even outside the NBA. For now, he remains a viral sensation whose potential never fully materialized, leaving fans wondering what could have been.
