Johnny Juzang Bio
Jonathan Anh Juzang is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA, currently on a two-way contract with the Iowa Wolves of the NBA G League. Born on March 17, 2001, in Los Angeles, California, he is a 6-foot-7 guard-forward who developed into one of the most exciting scorers in college basketball during his time with the UCLA Bruins. After going undrafted in 2022, Juzang has continued to build his professional resume across the NBA and the G League.
Early Life and Background
Juzang was born in Los Angeles to a culturally diverse family. His father, Maxie, is Creole, and his mother, Hanh, is Vietnamese. After repeating the eighth grade, Juzang attended Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, where he quickly established himself as one of the top high school basketball players in the region. During his freshman season, he averaged 16.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and two assists per game and was teammates with Cassius Stanley. Harvard-Westlake won the CIF Southern Section Division 1A championship after Juzang posted 21 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists in the title game.
As a sophomore, Juzang averaged 22.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game, leading his team to a 22–6 record. In his junior year, he raised his averages to 23 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game and was named the most valuable player of the Mission League. He helped Harvard-Westlake capture its first league title since 2011 after scoring 25 points in the championship game against rival Loyola.
After his junior season, Juzang reclassified from the 2020 class to the 2019 class, making him eligible to play college basketball the following year. Rated as a four-star recruit and one of the top small forwards in his class, he committed to play at Kentucky on May 10, 2019, choosing the Wildcats over Virginia. He had also been interested in UCLA, but the firing of Bruins coach Steve Alford left him without enough time to develop a relationship with incoming coach Mick Cronin.
Path to Basketball
Juzang’s path to elite basketball ran directly through Harvard-Westlake, where his consistent scoring and rebounding production marked him as a high-major college prospect. His ability to take over games in tournament play, including a strong CIF-SS title performance, signaled that his competitive foundation was already firmly in place before he reached the college level.
The decision to reclassify accelerated his development by allowing him to enter college a year earlier. His commitment to Kentucky placed him under Hall of Fame coach John Calipari, giving Juzang an opportunity to refine his game against top-tier competition in the Southeastern Conference.
Johnny Juzang Career
Early Career at Kentucky (2019–2020)
As a freshman at the University of Kentucky, Juzang played behind Tyrese Maxey and Immanuel Quickley and was mostly restricted to catch-and-shoot opportunities in limited playing time. His defense was considered a weakness, and he did not shoot well enough to compel Wildcats coach John Calipari to expand his role. On February 8, 2020, Juzang scored a season-high 13 points with three three-pointers in a 77–64 win over Tennessee. He averaged 2.9 points while shooting 37.7 percent from the field in 12.4 minutes per game for the Wildcats.
After the season, Juzang announced that he was transferring from Kentucky, citing loneliness away from his family and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on his desire to return home. He chose to transfer to UCLA, where he would reunite with coach Mick Cronin, and he was granted a waiver to play immediately rather than sitting out the standard transfer year.
UCLA Breakthrough (2020–2022)
Juzang missed the first four games of the 2020–21 season with a stress reaction in his right foot before scoring 10 points off the bench in his debut against San Diego. He moved into the starting lineup the following game against Marquette and soon became the Bruins’ go-to scorer. On January 14, 2021, he scored a then-career-high 17 points in a 91–61 win over Washington State. He later erupted for 27 points in a 73–72 overtime loss to Stanford, a game in which he scored 21 straight UCLA points across halftime, and finished the regular season with a 32-point performance in a 64–61 win over Washington, becoming the first Bruin to score at least half of his team’s points in a game since Reggie Miller 35 years earlier. His play earned him a second-team All-Pac-12 selection.
The 2021 NCAA tournament defined Juzang’s college reputation. He scored 28 points in a 51–49 upset of No. 1 seed Michigan, sending UCLA to its first Final Four since 2008, and was named the most outstanding player of the East Region. In the national semifinal against top-seeded Gonzaga, he scored 29 points, including a game-tying basket with 3.3 seconds left in overtime, before Jalen Suggs answered with a 40-foot buzzer-beater. Juzang averaged 22.8 points across six tournament games, was named to the 2021 All-Tournament Team, and finished with 137 total NCAA tournament points, the second most in UCLA history behind Gail Goodrich’s 140 in 1965.
After declaring for the NBA draft and testing the process, Juzang returned to UCLA for the 2021–22 season. He battled a sore hip from a scooter accident, a sprained right ankle, and a two-game COVID-19 absence, and he was the focus of every opposing defensive game plan. Still, he duplicated his scoring production, helped UCLA earn a No. 4 seed in the 2022 NCAA tournament, and was named a third-team All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, a first-team All-Pac-12 selection, a finalist for the Jerry West Award, and a finalist on the John R. Wooden Award ballot.
Utah Jazz Era (2022–2025)
Juzang went undrafted in the 2022 NBA draft and joined the Utah Jazz for the 2022 NBA Summer League, though his debut was delayed after he suffered a concussion in a car crash shortly after arriving in Utah. After Summer League play, he signed a two-way contract with the Jazz, but a serious wrist sprain sidelined him for more than a month. He finally made his NBA debut on February 28, 2023, scoring three points in a 102–94 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. He signed another two-way deal with the Jazz on July 19, 2023.
On March 15, 2024, Juzang scored a then-career-high 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting in 25 minutes off the bench against the Atlanta Hawks. He surpassed that mark on April 7, 2024, erupting for 27 points against the Golden State Warriors. On August 13, 2024, he signed a four-year contract with the Jazz, and he split his time with the Salt Lake City Stars of the NBA G League. The Jazz waived him on June 30, 2025.
Minnesota Timberwolves Era (2025–Present)
On August 1, 2025, Juzang signed a one-year, non-guaranteed contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves, opening a fresh chapter in his professional career. On October 18, 2025, the Timberwolves converted the deal into a two-way contract, pairing him with the Iowa Wolves of the NBA G League. The move gives Minnesota another perimeter scorer to develop while allowing Juzang to find regular minutes at the G League level.
Driving Style and Strengths
Juzang is best known as a polished mid-range scorer with deep three-point range, capable of creating offense both on the ball and as a catch-and-shoot threat. His footwork, body control, and ability to score in bunches, including extended personal scoring runs, have been the foundation of his production since high school. Defensive consistency and physical development remain areas of emphasis as he matures at the NBA level.
Notable Events and Milestones
Juzang’s signature moment came during the 2021 NCAA tournament, when he led UCLA to its first Final Four since 2008 with a 28-point performance against No. 1 seed Michigan. His 137 total NCAA tournament points rank second in UCLA history, and his selection as the East Region’s most outstanding player capped a sophomore season that placed him alongside Reggie Miller and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in UCLA record books.
Johnny Juzang Career Wins
Johnny Juzang’s career has been built on consistent scoring rather than championship trophies. His most celebrated win remains the 51–49 upset of top-seeded Michigan in the 2021 NCAA tournament, a victory that carried UCLA to the Final Four. He has also collected individual accolades including second-team All-Pac-12 in 2021, first-team All-Pac-12 in 2022, and third-team All-American honors from the NABC in 2022.
UCLA Highlights
In two seasons with the UCLA Bruins, Juzang earned Pac-12 recognition every year and finished as UCLA’s leading scorer in back-to-back seasons. He was named to the 2021 NCAA All-Tournament Team after averaging 22.8 points across six games and posting 137 total NCAA tournament points, second most in program history. He also helped UCLA reach the Sweet Sixteen in 2022 before a season-ending loss to North Carolina.
Other Wins and Performances
At Harvard-Westlake, Juzang won CIF Southern Section Division 1A as a freshman, captured a Mission League championship as a junior, and was named the league’s most valuable player. At the NBA level, he posted a career-high 27 points against the Golden State Warriors on April 7, 2024, his top scoring performance in a Utah Jazz uniform.
Johnny Juzang Family
Family Background and Basketball Lineage
Juzang comes from a multicultural household. His father, Maxie, is Creole, and his mother, Hanh, is Vietnamese, giving Johnny a blended heritage that has shaped his upbringing in Los Angeles. The family’s basketball ties run deep, with his older brother Christian having played college basketball as a point guard at Harvard before suiting up for the Saigon Heat in the Vietnam Basketball Association. He also has a younger sister named Lauren.
Personal Life
Juzang’s college transfer from Kentucky back to his hometown UCLA was driven largely by a desire to be closer to his family during the COVID-19 pandemic. He maintains ties to the Los Angeles community and continues to be recognized by fans as one of the city’s most promising basketball products.
2025 Season Performance
Juzang began 2025 with uncertainty after being waived by the Utah Jazz on June 30, 2025, ending his three-year stint in Utah. He quickly found a new home, signing a one-year, non-guaranteed deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves on August 1, 2025, and converting it into a two-way contract on October 18, 2025. The arrangement allows him to split time between the Timberwolves and their G League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves.
The shift to Minnesota offers Juzang a clearer development path, with consistent playing time at the G League level alongside periodic NBA opportunities. His track record as a proven scorer from UCLA and his 27-point career high with the Jazz suggest he can contribute immediately when called upon.
Looking ahead, the 2025–26 campaign gives Juzang a chance to round out his game, particularly on the defensive end, and to position himself for a longer-term NBA contract. With a two-way deal running through the 2025–26 season, his performance in Minnesota and Iowa will be closely watched by NBA front offices around the league.