13 Young Players Told Us Their 'Welcome to the NBA' Moment
SAN FRANCISCO—"Welcome to the NBA, rook!"
Whether they've heard it in those exact words or not, every NBA player has a moment where he truly felt like he arrived in the league. Sometimes, it's guarding a certain superstar and getting totally owned; other times, it's a triumph that confirms that they belong in the pros.
B/R spoke with 13 NBA players who shared their "welcome to the NBA" moments and we got some good ones.
Julian Strawther, Nuggets: 'They All Tried to Go At Me'
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Mine was definitely early in my rookie year.
We had a few injuries and we went down to LA to play in Crypto Arena against the Clippers.
Russ (my teammate now) and Paul George and James Harden were all on the floor in the 4th quarter in crunch time.
They had all tried to go at me for some ISOs late in the game and that was definitely my welcome to the league moment.
I did alright, but those guys are legends and they got me a few times.
Dalton Knecht, Lakers: 'I Just Kept Letting it Fly'
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When I dropped 37 against the Jazz, that was a cool moment.
Having Crypto Arena on their feet every time I touched the ball.
And nothing was really different about my approach, but I was just shooting and they kept going in.
They kept leaving me open and I just kept letting it fly.
Bron and them said I was there for a reason, so at the end of the day they gave me confidence to go out there, go put on a show and do what I did.
Gui Santos, Warriors: 'He Dunked Right on My Head'
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"At an early practice, Trayce Jackson Davis made a backdoor cut.
I was used to practicing a certain way in Brazil, so I just naturally went to help on defense and I got posterized.
He dunked right on my head.
It's a little different here because guys are more athletic than you think.
But after that, I don't try to get in the way once Trayce takes off already anymore. I'm like, 'Go ahead and get that dunk off brother.' "
Jared McCain, Sixers: 'It Was Classic LeBron'
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It was probably when LeBron scored on me in the post.
It was crazy when I was guarding him and he scored. I kinda laughed it off in my head, but still wanted to get a bucket on him.
He did a spin fade. It was classic LeBron.
Amen Thompson, Rockets: 'My Teammates Warned Me....'
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When I had to guard Demar DeRozan and my teammates warned me not to jump on his pump fake.
I bet Fred [VanVleet] $100 that I wouldn't and first play I jumped and he got the free throws.
Cason Wallace, Thunder: 'That Was Tough'
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Playing against Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander] in training camp my first year, that was tough.
It's a breath of fresh air now though, because the same things he did to me, he's doing to everybody else now.
So now I'm like, "it's not that bad."
But the takeaway for me is his work ethic and his drive to be different and do everything to the best of his ability and everything is a competition.
Gradey Dick, Raptors: 'Had a Pretty Solid Game Against LeBron'
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One thing I always think about is playing against the Lakers and LeBron and my whole family was up here.
I feel like any game where my whole family gets to make it out I remember the most.
I had a pretty solid game against LeBron at home and my brother got to watch that game.
Jaime Jaquez Jr., Heat: 'He's Gonna Get a Bucket'
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It was when DeMar Derozan hit one of his iconic go-ahead buckets over me, with my hand right in his face.
I think I fouled him, I don't know if they called it. But he knocked it in to go ahead and they ended up beating us.
That's definitely one of my welcome to the league moments. He knows how to put the ball in the basket.
Good defense, bad defense.
I mean, regardless, he's gonna get a bucket.
He's someone that I watched for a long time and really admired his game. He's just a pro and I really admire what he does.
Zaccharie Risacher, Hawks: 'He Was Just So Good'
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When we played the Suns, and I guess it wasn't even a single moment, it was the whole game when I took on Kevin Durant.
He was just so good.
I tried to do my best and I felt like I was defending well, but he kept scoring on my head.
He was just so good and for a week after I was really mad, you know? Now it's kind of fun to think about, but back then it was no fun at all.
Cam Johnson, Nuggets: 'The Whole Crowd Was Purple and Gold'
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We played the Lakers in 2019, early in the season, like November. It was a home game (for me) in Phoenix, but the whole crowd was purple and gold.
It kinda clued me into how much gravity specific players, in this case, as Lebron, have over fanbases.
Alperen Sengun, Rockets: He Literally Said 'Welcome to the NBA'
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When I got drafted, before the summer league, KJ Martin dunked on me and literally said to me "Welcome to the NBA."
So it's that.
Matas Buzelis, Bulls: 'It Was Super Tough'
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Guarding Jayson Tatum.
I like to compete, so it was fun for me, but it was super tough.
He's elite, he does everything on the court, he can handle the ball, he can shoot and he's athletic. I knew I'd be in this position one day.
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Warriors: 'He Dropped Like 40'
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I have a good moment and a bad one: My good moment was against Boston and I blocked Jaylen Brown my rookie year. And that's when I started playing a lot more and kinda solidified that I belong.
My bad moment was the same year when we played the Mavs and Luka. I got switched on to him like nine different times and he dropped like 40.
