Johnny Juzang

Jonathan Anh Juzang, born on March 17, 2001, is an accomplished American professional basketball player currently playing for the Utah Jazz in the NBA (National Basketball Association) on a two-way contract for the Salt Lake City Stars, also in the NBA G League. The talented player started his college basketball journey with the Kentucky Wildcats, serving a single season before transferring to the UCLA Bruins where he spent two seasons. In recognition of his extraordinary skills on the court, Juzang was twice selected to the all-conference in the Pac-12, earning the third-team All-American accolades as a junior in 2022. He gained further recognition as a sophomore when he was named to the All-Tournament Team of the 2021 NCAA tournament as the Bruins advanced to the Final Four.

Born in the city of Los Angeles, Juzang has a rich cultural background, with his father, Maxie, of Creole descent and his mother, Hanh, Vietnamese. While repeating eighth-grade, the young athlete chose to play high school basketball at Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles. His freshman season saw impressive average stats of 16.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and two assists per game. Among his teammates was Cassius Stanley, with whom he led Harvard-Westlake to the CIF Southern Section Division 1A championship. Juzang demonstrated his skills by scoring 21 points along with 11 rebounds and four assists in the finals. His sophomore season brought even greater success with averages of 22.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game, powering his team to a 22–6 record. His junior season was equally if not more successful, earning him the most valuable player of the Mission League award.

After his junior season, he reclassified from the 2020 class to the 2019 class and committed to play college basketball for Kentucky. Unfortunately, UCLA failed to make it to the list of Juzang’s choices after their coach was fired before Juzang could establish any rapport with him. As a freshman at the University of Kentucky, he played behind Tyrese Maxey and Immanuel Quickley. Unable to display his full potential due to his limited playing time, Juzang made a decision to move back home, driven by loneliness and the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Upon transferring to UCLA, Juzang missed the first four games of the 2020–21 season due to a stress reaction in his right foot. From then on, it was an upward journey for the skilled player. His performance at the 2021 NCAA tournament made history as he joined Miller and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the third player in UCLA history to score at least 20 points in their first two tournament games. During the offseason, he declared for the NBA draft while also maintaining his college eligibility. Although he dealt with some injuries, he managed to retain his status as UCLA’s leading scorer, a testament to his tenacity and skills.

After leaving UCLA, Juzang went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft but had the opportunity to play for the Utah Jazz in the 2022 NBA Summer League. Although an early setback caused by a concussion from a car crash delayed his debut, Juzang eventually signed a two-way contract with the Jazz. A brief period of inactivity followed his serious wrist injury, but he eventually made his NBA debut on February 28, 2023, against the San Antonio Spurs.

Basketball runs in Juzang’s family – his older brother, Christian, played college basketball as a point guard for Harvard and in the Vietnam Basketball Association with the Saigon Heat. He also has a younger sister, Lauren. Throughout the ups and downs, Juzang’s journey so far shows an individual committed to his passion and living it out to its fullest.