A varsity basketball player for a private Orlando school is a star not only for his hoops skills.
Julian Newman is 4-feet, 5 inches tall and in fifth grade.
"I've played with big guys older than me all my life, so it doesn't make a difference to me," Julian said.
The 11-year-old Downey Christian School student has been playing basketball since he was 3 years old.
"When he was born, as soon as we put the ball in his hands, he could dribble it immediately," said his father, Downey basketball coach Jamie Newman.
Julian's ball skills and dedication have caught the attention of national media. He has shot segments for "Inside Edition," "SportsCenter" and talk-show host Steve Harvey.
"With his skill level, he can handle the ball like NBA players right now," his dad said. "He has more handle than a lot of NBA players do. And that's just a tribute to his hard work and dedication."
Julian says his dream is to go to the University of Kentucky and then play for the NBA.
"Sometimes at night I play video games. But mostly in the day I play basketball."
Newman isn't afraid he's pushing Julian too hard.
"It's basically all him. He tells me, 'Daddy, come train me. Daddy, come outside. Daddy, let's go to the gym.' He's pushing me to push him harder.
"My dreams are what his are."
Jamie and Julian Newman host a basketball camp open to anyone interested in honing their basketball skills. Go to CentralFloridaHoops.com or @CFHoops on Twitter to learn more.
