Before being transferred to the Pelicans in the summer of 2021, Devonte Graham made a name for himself in Charlotte after being selected in 34th position in the 2018 draft following 4 years of university (Kansas). He recently told Theo Pinson son « welcome to the NBA moment ».
“Who was the first to kick your ass?
– Lou Will when he was with the Clippers. It was one of those games where I ended up on the floor because Tony Parker said he wasn’t going to play that night. Sometimes TP would get ready to play in the morning, and then in the middle of the day, when I thought I was going to spend the evening in a suit and tie, I was called and told ‘you are playing tonight’. You had to be ready. I was playing Fortnite quiet and bam (laughs). But yeah Lou Will man… They told me everything about the scouting report: he’s going to go left, fake the shot, get the foul. Twenty seconds after coming into play he had already caused a foul by starting on the left. Throw line, 2 points. He finished 30 points off the bench. It was my ‘welcome to the NBA’ moment.”
– And your first big game?
– When I put 35 points against the Pacers, at the start of my sophomore season. If I’m not mistaken, I think it was off the bench too, but I started the games quickly after that. »
In his rookie season at New Orleans last season, Graham averaged 11.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, peaking at 30 points on March 24 in a win over Chicago.