Jules Bernard

Jules Bernard's Biography

Jules Liam Bernard was born on January 21, 2000 and has since made significant strides in his career as a professional basketball player. Currently, he plays for the Cleveland Charge, a part of the NBA G-League. However, his journey to professional basketball is laced with substantial achievements and experiences that have shaped him into the player he is today.

Bernard’s career started off in Los Angeles when he began playing for The Windward School. His excellence on the court was evident even from a young age. During his junior year, he averaged an impressive 25.3 points and 13.7 rebounds per game. With his senior year bringing about even better stats with an average of 26.4 points and 14.2 rebounds per game, he competed for the Compton Magic on the Amateur Athletic Union circuit.

Heavily sought after as a four-star recruit, Bernard had offers from major universities such as Kansas, USC, Oregon, and Miami. However, he committed to playing college basketball for the UCLA Bruins in October 2017. What attracted him to UCLA was their program’s history and Steve Alford, the head coach’s openness to playing skilled freshmen.

Within his freshman year at UCLA, Bernard managed to average 7.6 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. While these numbers dipped slightly in his sophomore year, he still maintained a solid performance with an average of 5.5 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. The following year saw a significant improvement, with a career-high achievement on March 3, 2021, when he scored 23 points in an 82–72 loss to Oregon. His junior year concluded with an average of 10.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

The 2021-2022 season, Bernard’s senior year, saw him reduce his turnovers from the previous years. He had had an almost two-to-one ratio of turnovers to assists in his first two seasons. His senior year also saw him score a season-high of 22 points in each game against Long Beach State. Ending his senior year with 12.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game on average, he counted nine consecutive games scoring in double figures.

After making the decision to declare for the NBA draft following his final season at UCLA, Bernard opted not to hire an agent which would allow him to maintain his college eligibility–a rule permitted by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite not receiving an invitation to the NBA Draft Combine, he did outshine at the NBA G League Elite Camp and additionally had a workout with the LA Lakers.

After not being drafted in the 2022 NBA draft, Bernard played for the Detroit Pistons in the same year’s NBA Summer League. Gaining momentum, he scored double digits once in the first four games and then went on to score a team-high of 22 points in the finale. He was later added to the Pistons’ training camp roster after signing an Exhibit 10 contract.

In his professional career, he was traded from the Motor City to the Capital City Go-Go and signed with the Washington Wizards. However, he was waived and then returned to Capital City. Later on, he signed a two-way contract with the Washington Wizards and made his NBA debut for the Washington Wizards in a 124-97 loss to the Brooklyn Nets.

As of September 24, 2024, Bernard signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers but was waived just under a month later. Following this, he joined the Cleveland Charge where he currently plays professional basketball. Each step in Bernard’s career journey, characterized by his resilience and versatility, has shaped him into the professional basketball player he is today.