Bembry attended Rocky River High School before transferring to St. Patrick High School where he averaged 21.8 points and 9.0 rebounds as a senior, earning a New Jersey All-State First Team selection and being named the 2013 Union County Player of the Year.
College career
As a freshman, Bembry won the Atlantic-10 Rookie of the Year award and helped lead the Saint Joseph's Hawks to their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2008 by winning the conference championship. The team also featured future NBA guard Langston Galloway as well as Ronald Roberts and Halil Kanacević. In Bembry's sophomore season, the Hawks struggled as a result of losing four seniors. However, Bembry was a bright spot as he led the team in scoring, rebounds, assists, and steals. He was also named to the A-10's All-Conference First Team. As a junior, Bembry was again named to the A-10's All-Conference First Team and he won the Atlantic-10 Player of the Year award. He led the Hawks to a second NCAA berth in 3 years after winning the conference championship. In the title game against VCU, Bembry was at his best, scoring 30 points on an extremely efficient 13 for 16 shooting. The Hawks would go on to defeat the Cincinnati Bearcats in the first round before losing a close game to the Oregon Ducksin the Round of 32.
Professional career
Atlanta Hawks (2016–present)
On June 23, 2016, Bembry was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 21st overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft. On July 15, 2016, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Hawks. He made his NBA debut in the Hawks' 114–99 season-opening win over the Washington Wizards on October 27, 2016, recording two points and one rebound in two minutes off the bench. In February 2017, he twice had a season-high 10 points. During his rookie season, he had multiple assignments with the Salt Lake City Stars of the NBA Development League, pursuant to the flexible assignment rule. On September 13, 2017, Bembry was ruled out for four-to-six weeks after sustaining a strained right triceps. On January 5, 2018, he suffered a left adductor strain, which ruled him out for the rest of the month. On October 24, 2018, Bembry grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds in 29 minutes in a 111–104 win over the Dallas Mavericks.
Personal life
Two weeks before the 2016 NBA draft, Bembry's younger brother, Adrian, was shot and killed outside of an apartment building in Charlotte, trying to break up a fight. Bembry wears the jersey number 95 in honor of his brother, who was born in 1995.
