According to the 24th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft himself, MarJon Beauchamp has chosen to wear the No. 0 jersey number for the Milwaukee Bucks.
On his Instagram Live stream during a late Saturday night, Beauchamp announced that he’ll be wearing No. 0 since the Yakima, Washington, native “came from zero… came from nothing.”
Beauchamp also stated that No. 14, his previous jersey number, was his first choice but that number is retired by the Bucks. Jon McGlocklin, a former All-Star for Milwaukee, wore No. 14 with the Bucks from 1968 to 1976.
Ironically, MarJon Beauchamp will be the first Buck to rep No. 0 since Milwaukee’s previous first-round pick, Donte DiVincenzo. The Bucks hadn’t maintained its first-round pick since drafting DiVincenzo with the 17th overall pick in 2018.
MarJon Beauchamp has a meaningful reason for choosing to wear No. 0 after the Milwaukee Bucks selected him with the 24th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
As most players do, MarJon Beauchamp has a significant reason toward choosing his jersey number. If you don’t know MarJon’s story, you wouldn’t understand what he’s been through to reach his hard-fought dream of playing in the NBA. It really is a great story that makes you want to root for him.
As a kid, Beauchamp battled homelessness, bounced around high schools, and doubted himself at times. He attended four different high schools. At his fourth high school in Arizona, the youngster evolved into one of the top high school prospects in the class of 2020.
Beauchamp was offered multiple NCAA Division 1 scholarships but chose to join a training program in San Francisco to prepare for the 2021 NBA Draft instead of playing college basketball upon graduating high school. Unfortunately, COVID-19 interrupted everything and once they weren’t allowed into the gyms anymore due to the virus, an upset MarJon decided to leave the program and head back home to Yakima to figure out the next step in his life.
At home, Beauchamp suffered from anxiety and depression. He didn’t know what to do after leaving the training program in San Francisco, which he thought was the golden opportunity to strengthen his body and prepare him for the NBA. He was lost.
MarJon was losing his love for the game of basketball and nearly quit, but his situation shifted after Yakima Valley College, a local junior college, convinced him to play for them during the 2020-21 season. Beauchamp went on to average 30.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game for Yakima Valley, absolutely dominating the league.
Top-tier NCAA programs, Oregon, Washington State and the University of Washington to name a few, reignited interest in Beauchamp, but he ultimately decided to accept an opportunity with the G League Ignite program for next year. In the G League alongside grown men and others pushing to make the NBA, MarJon Beauchamp proved to himself and everyone else that he’s worthy of setting foot in the NBA by showing off his promising two-way skill set and high motor.
Following one season with Ignite, Beauchamp declared for the NBA Draft and is now a first-round pick by the Milwaukee Bucks. Behind perseverance, hard work, and determination, the 21-year-old resiliently turned his dream into a reality.
It’s incredible how far he’s come while fighting homelessness, anxiety, depression, and overcoming a boatload of adversity throughout his unconventional journey. In his own words, MarJon Beauchamp “came from zero… came from nothing,” and he’ll remind himself as well as the world of that each time the born competitor steps foot on the hardwood with the No. 0 on his back.
The Milwaukee Bucks got themselves a special talent and special person that should become a seamless fit within their culture and an excellent asset with much room for growth moving forward. MarJon Beauchamp will blossom with the Bucks as a versatile wing with a desirable mentality and outstanding work ethic, and his new jersey number will always symbolize his inspiring path to the NBA.
MarJon Beauchamp will likely play on the Milwaukee Bucks Summer League team beginning July 8th.