“I believed in my talent too much to just give up.”
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From Hoover High School, to Reedley College, a few other stops along the way, and now . . . France. This is Jeron Bowers’ hoops story.
It has certainly been a long road for the Fresno hooper. Many challenges have come up along the way as he pursues his dream of playing professional basketball. But, despite everything, he has never given up on his goal.
“One of the biggest challenges I faced was when I dropped out of college and lost my year of eligibility to play because after that I didn’t have many options to pursue my basketball career, so I was pretty much just playing basketball at open gyms or rec leagues for a couple years,” Bowers said. “But I love basketball too much to ever give up on it.”
Bowers’ hard work and patience paid off in 2022 when he earned an opportunity to play with the Dayton Flight in The Basketball League (TBL), a professional league consisting of teams across various U.S. cities.
“I just looked for any option possible and I ended up discovering this professional league called the TBL and payed for a tryout and ended up making a team,” he said. “Playing in the TBL has brought me the opportunities I have today.”
Bowers became a fan-favorite in the TBL, electrifying the crowd with his usual high-flying prowess and elite basketball IQ. At the same time, he regained the confidence he had in high school and college.
“I always felt like I was still going to play but at one point I didn’t think it was possible for me to play professionally and get paid for it how I always dreamed to because it’s kind of hard to make it happen after not finishing school, but I believed in my talent too much to just give up,” he said.
Now, Bowers is heading to France to play professional hoops with ALL Jura Basket. While this may be a big leap for the Central Valley native, who said this will be his first time leaving the U.S., he appears to be ready for the challenge.
“Honestly I’m just expecting to learn new things about another country and maybe even learning to speak French a little. I’m for sure excited for the experience,” he said. “This gives me a chance to do what I love and also to see another side of the world. I know the food will be different, people will be different, and just the way of life will be different, so I think it will be fun for sure.”
Before he heads to France, however, Bowers is taking care of business in the Fresno Pro-Am. Per usual, the Cali hooper is leaping above the rim, draining shots from anywhere on the court and dazzling the hometown folks with his playmaking skills.
“It definitely does give exposure to the talent that we have, so I’m definitely grateful for the opportunity to be able to play in it,” Bowers said about the Fresno Pro-Am. “I couldn’t play last year because I was still in season. But I guess I could say it’s sort of a benefit for me, more people seeing me play that’s from here and getting more followers on social media.”
The Valley baller also shows gratitude for the people who have helped him come this far with his hoop dreams.
“I have a lot of people that really have always supported me and told me to follow my dream even during the times where I felt like it wasn’t possible,” he said. “Most of my friends who watched me play or played with me definitely, my family of course played a huge role. They’ve always believed in me and tell me how talented I am, and lastly some of my coaches from every level really.”
