BIO: Justinian Jessup was born in Longmont, Colorado (USA). Jessup and his family later moved to Boise around the fourth grades and attended Longmont High School. As a junior, he led the team in every major statistical category with averages of 17.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 3.2 steals per game while leading Longmont to the state title game. He was named the 2015 Colorado 4A Player of the Year, Northern League Athlete of the Year, and was selected to the all-state first team.

In his senior season, he was ranked the No. 8 prospect in Colorado. He signed his letter of intent to play for Boise State on September 12, 2015. He averaged 18.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game and led Longmont to a 25–2 record, while once again being selected to the all-state first team and named the Northern League Athlete of the Year.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Justinian Jessup made his NBL debut with the Illawarra Hawks at 22 years of age. He scored five points in his first game.

After Illawarra finished the previous season at the bottom of the ladder with a 5-23 record, the club entered voluntary administration in April 2020 before creditors voted to liquidate the Hawks one month later. The NBL committed to keeping the club alive and on June 17 announced that Dorry Kordahi, Bryan Colangelo and Michael Proctor had been awarded the licence. Under the new ownership the team was renamed The Hawks and six-time NBL championship-winning coach Brian Goorjian was appointed head coach. With LaMelo Ball (to Charlotte), Todd Blanchfield (to Perth), Sunday Dech (to Adelaide) and most of the previous roster moving on, Sam Froling and Emmett Naar were the only full-time players retained. Goorjian rebuilt the team with Deng Adel (via Long Island), Cam Bairstow (via Vilnius), imports Tyler Harvey (via Ulm) and Justin Simon (via Chicago), along with Deng Deng, Isaac White and Max Darling. AJ Ogilvy also returned on a one-year deal as an injury replacement for Daniel Grida, who was recovering from an ACL tear suffered in March 2020.

Jessup joined through the NBL Next Stars program on a two-year contract after completing his college career at Boise State, where he had made a school-record 325 three-pointers. “It’s a great opportunity to get NBA exposure while playing against tough competition,” Jessup said. While in hotel quarantine in Sydney in November, Jessup was selected by the Golden State Warriors with pick 51 in the NBA Draft.

Jessup made his NBL debut against Brisbane at Nissan Arena on January 16, where Jessup (5 points and 4 rebounds) helped The Hawks defeat the Bullets 90-84, with Froling (19 points and 4 rebounds) and Naar (17 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists) leading Illawarra while Nathan Sobey (19 points) was Brisbane’s leading scorer.

Jessup (13.2 points and 3.6 rebounds across 38 games) became Illawarra’s second-leading scorer in his first NBL season and helped the Hawks begin the year 4-0. The start was overshadowed by continued public opposition to the removal of ‘Illawarra’ from the club’s name, with the issue becoming front-page news in Wollongong. After the new ownership increased membership numbers and corporate support, the NBL restored the Illawarra name ahead of the club’s first home game in February.

Jessup’s first major scoring performance came two days after his debut against Cairns, where Jessup (24 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals) made all four of his three-point attempts as the Hawks defeated the Taipans 92-76. Harvey (25 points, 7 assists, and 2 steals) led Illawarra in scoring and Simon (10 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocks) controlled the defensive end, while Majok Deng (20 points and 4 rebounds) led Cairns.

Jessup recorded the first of his two season-high scoring games against Brisbane at John Cain Arena on February 26, finishing with 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 block while making four three-pointers. Harvey (15 points and 2 steals) and Simon (13 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals) provided support, but Victor Law (29 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks) led Brisbane to a 97-91 win. His play during the opening half of the season also attracted further attention from Golden State, which sent scout Michael Lee to Australia in March to monitor Jessup’s development.

Jessup matched his season-high against South East Melbourne at the WIN Entertainment Centre on April 9, where Jessup (26 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals) made five three-pointers as Illawarra came from behind to win 82-80. Harvey (22 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists) joined Jessup in taking over the fourth quarter and Froling (10 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) provided support, while Kyle Adnam (22 points) led the Phoenix before Adam Gibson missed a three-pointer at the buzzer.

Jessup missed only one game during the season. After being listed as doubtful with a leg issue, he sat out Illawarra’s April 24 game against Sydney before the break between games allowed him to recover and he was cleared to return the following week.

Illawarra dealt with further roster issues during the second half of the season. Bairstow (11.4 points and 6.2 rebounds across 14 games) missed nine consecutive games with a minor hip issue before being ruled out for the remainder of the season on May 11, leading Coenraad (5.5 points across 11 games) to come out of retirement and replace him. Adel (5.9 points and 3.6 rebounds across 23 games) also mutually agreed to leave the club in early May after injuries and inconsistent form prevented him from establishing himself, having suffered a groin injury in his final appearance. Grida returned in April after more than a year recovering from his ACL injury.

Harvey (20 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.5 steals across 37 games) led the Hawks in scoring and was named to the All-NBL First Team while finishing second to Bryce Cotton in MVP voting. Froling (11.3 points, 7 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks across 39 games) was named the NBL’s Most Improved Player, while Simon (8.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.8 steals across 39 games) won the Damian Martin Trophy as Defensive Player of the Year. Deng (6.4 points and 3.8 rebounds across 39 games) provided further depth, while Jessup finished third behind Josh Giddey and Dejan Vasiljevic in Rookie of the Year voting. Only Harvey, Jessup, Bairstow and Froling averaged double figures as Illawarra’s scoring dropped from 90.5 points over its first 10 games to a league-low 81.5 across the season. The Hawks also finished last in field-goal percentage at 42.5 per cent, shooting 47.8 per cent from two, 33.2 per cent from three and 69.4 per cent from the free-throw line.

From Round 16, Illawarra won eight of its final ten regular-season games and never fell below fifth place during the season. The Hawks clinched their first postseason appearance since 2017 against Perth on June 1, where Jessup (12 points and 4 rebounds) helped Illawarra defeat the Wildcats 81-79, with Harvey (27 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Froling (14 points and 2 blocks) leading the Hawks while John Mooney (14 points and 16 rebounds) was Perth’s best. It was Illawarra’s only win over Perth in four regular-season meetings after losing the first three by double figures.

Illawarra closed the regular season against Sydney on June 3, where Jessup (10 points and 1 block) played 29 minutes as the Kings won 79-73. White (12 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals) and Naar (12 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists) led the Hawks, while Jarell Martin (23 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 steals) was Sydney’s best as Illawarra finished third with a 20-16 record.

The semifinal series opened at RAC Arena, where Jessup (17 points and 4 rebounds) scored all 17 of his points after halftime and made two three-pointers late in the fourth quarter as Illawarra defeated Perth 74-72. Simon (16 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals) produced the match-winning putback dunk with 15 seconds remaining and Harvey (10 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals) also contributed, while Todd Blanchfield (24 points) and Mooney (13 points and 15 rebounds) led Perth as the Hawks recorded only their second win in 24 games at RAC Arena.

Game two moved to the WIN Entertainment Centre, where Jessup (11 points and 1 block) and Harvey (24 points and 4 steals) led Illawarra, with Deng (9 points and 4 rebounds) also contributing. Mooney (18 points and 10 rebounds), Luke Travers (13 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Clint Steindl (12 points) led Perth to a 79-71 win, levelling the series and forcing a deciding third game.

Game three returned to RAC Arena, where Jessup (8 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks), Froling (14 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks), Harvey (10 points) and Simon (9 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists) led Illawarra, while Blanchfield (24 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals), Mooney (16 points and 15 rebounds) and Mitch Norton (15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals) led Perth to a 79-71 win.

2021/22
Having taken Perth to a deciding game in the NBL21 semifinals, Illawarra entered Brian Goorjian’s second season with Justin Simon (to Ludwigsburg), Cam Bairstow (to Adelaide) and Max Darling (released) departing. Tyler Harvey re-signed on a three-year deal, while Antonius Cleveland, Travis Trice, Harry Froling (via Brisbane) and Duop Reath (via Serbia) were added. Trice was released before the season after choosing not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, with Xavier Rathan-Mayes signed as his replacement.

After representing the Golden State Warriors at the 2021 NBA Summer League, the Golden State draft pick returned for the second season of his NBL Next Stars contract. “He is one of the league’s best shooters and helps us tremendously on the offensive end of the floor,” Goorjian said.

Illawarra opened its season at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on December 5, where Justinian Jessup (17 points and 3 steals), Reath (18 points and 9 rebounds) and Harvey (15 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 6 steals) led the Hawks to an 81-71 victory, while former Hawk Bairstow (15 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists) was Adelaide’s best.

Jessup (13.3 points and 3.8 rebounds) started all 28 regular-season games and both semifinals, appearing in every Illawarra game and not missing a match through injury or illness. He improved from 42 percent to 44 percent from the field and from 34 percent to 36 percent from three-point range while again providing the Hawks with perimeter shooting throughout his second season.

The following game saw Jessup (13 points and 4 assists), Reath (27 points and 7 rebounds) and Cleveland (19 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals, and 2 blocks) help Illawarra defeat Sydney 92-84 at Qudos Bank Arena and improve to 2-0, while Angus Glover (16 points and 7 rebounds) led the Kings. A late scuffle began after Glover stood over Sam Froling, with Jessup receiving an unsportsmanlike foul after pushing Glover before later accepting a $375 fine for engaging in a melee.

Jessup delivered his first 20-point game of the season against New Zealand at the WIN Entertainment Centre on December 17, finishing with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists as Illawarra won 97-96 in double overtime. Harvey (26 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals) made the winning floater with 2.8 seconds remaining, while Reath (21 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks) provided support and Yanni Wetzell (25 points, 17 rebounds, and 2 steals) led the Breakers.

Another strong shooting performance came against New Zealand at MyState Bank Arena on March 1, where Jessup (23 points, 3 steals, and 2 blocks) recorded a then season-high as Illawarra defeated the Breakers 102-87. Harvey (19 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Sam Froling (13 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists) helped the Hawks produce their highest score of the season to that point, while Hugo Besson (20 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists) was New Zealand’s best.

Jessup’s best scoring game came against Brisbane at the WIN Entertainment Centre on March 31, where he made 11 of his 17 shots and five three-pointers to finish with a career-high 29 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks. With Harvey unavailable through injury, Cleveland (14 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals) and Rathan-Mayes (14 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists) supported Jessup as Illawarra defeated the Bullets 87-70, while Robert Franks (13 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists) led Brisbane.

Illawarra completed the regular season against Sydney at Qudos Bank Arena on April 24, where Jessup (24 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals) made five three-pointers as the Hawks defeated the Kings 87-84. Cleveland (18 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals) and Harvey (15 points and 3 steals) provided support, while Xavier Cooks (20 points, 14 rebounds, and 3 assists) led Sydney as Illawarra secured the Adrian Hurley Cup, second place and home-court advantage in the semifinals with a 19-9 record.

Club legend Tim Coenraad (3.9 points) was initially added as an injury replacement before being elevated to the full roster after Daniel Grida suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Harvey (16.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.7 steals) remained Illawarra’s leading scorer, while Reath (15.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks) collected the Hawks’ MVP award. Cleveland (14.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1.2 blocks) won the NBL Defensive Player of the Year award and was selected to the All-NBL First Team, while Rathan-Mayes (10.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists) and Sam Froling (8.9 points and 7.5 rebounds) were other key contributors.

The semifinal series opened at the WIN Entertainment Centre on April 29, where Jessup (9 points and 6 rebounds), Reath (26 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks) and Cleveland (21 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks) led Illawarra, while Jaylen Adams (30 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists), Ian Clark (16 points) and Cooks (11 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks) helped Sydney win 89-79.

Game two moved to Qudos Bank Arena, where Jessup (12 points and 3 assists), Harvey (21 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals), Reath (20 points and 3 blocks) and Rathan-Mayes (14 points and 8 rebounds) led the Hawks. Adams (29 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists), Jarell Martin (23 points and 9 rebounds), Clark (17 points) and Cooks (16 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 blocks) led Sydney as the Kings won 99-87 and completed the sweep.

NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS
2023/24
Justinian Jessup returned to the NBL after one season with Zaragoza in Spain, signing a one-year deal to fill New Zealand’s final import position. The former Illawarra Next Star had previously played 68 NBL games and was selected by the Golden State Warriors with the 51st pick of the 2020 NBA Draft. He joined fellow imports Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Zylan Cheatham as the Breakers replaced Barry Brown Jr., Jarrell Brantley and Dererk Pardon.

Jessup’s best performance came in New Zealand’s season-opening game against Cairns at Spark Arena on September 30, where he made 6-of-10 field goals and three three-pointers to finish with 15 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal. Jackson-Cartwright (25 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, and 6 steals), Finn Delany (18 points), Mangok Mathiang (11 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks) and Cheatham (11 points and 3 rebounds) provided support as the Breakers celebrated Thomas Abercrombie’s 400th NBL appearance with a 98-87 victory.

Five days later, Jessup (4 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal) made 2-of-5 field goals in an 89-84 loss to Brisbane. Jackson-Cartwright (20 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal), William McDowell-White (19 points, 4 assists, and 2 steals) and Cheatham (17 points and 6 rebounds) led New Zealand, while Nathan Sobey (24 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals) starred for the Bullets. Jessup was subsequently sidelined with a pelvis injury after averaging 9.5 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal across his two appearances.

Anthony Lamb was signed as Jessup’s injury replacement, and although the Breakers initially planned to reassess Jessup in February, he did not return. New Zealand finished sixth at 13-15, defeated Sydney 83-76 in the first Play-In game and lost 88-85 to Illawarra, with Jessup unavailable for both games. He joined ratiopharm Ulm in Germany during March.

Justinian Jessup played three seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Illawarra Hawks and the New Zealand Breakers. He averaged 13.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 70 NBL games.