Being selected in the NBA draft is one thing but playing in your first few games is another. Stepping on the floor with players you've watched on TV growing up is a surreal feeling. Creating your very first poster is something high flyers can't wait to do. In an exclusive interview with ClutchPoints, Boston Celtics second-year guard Aaron Nesmith talked about his welcome to the NBA moment.
“I think it was the preseason, we played the Nets, and it was Jeff Green,” Nesmith continued. “I was on the opposite baseline. He blew by somebody and had a wide-open baseline dunk. I thought Jeff Green didn't really have bounce like he used to anymore. So I'm thinking I'm going to go up, block him, and make a highlight play. He jumped, and he kept rising, and I thought, oh man. It was definitely my Welcome to the League moment.”
It wasn't exactly the poster a rookie hopes for, but it's bound to happen in the NBA. Later on, in that same game, the Celtics youngster nearly put Brooklyn Nets forward Taurean Prince on a poster. He got fouled and missed the flush, but it wouldn't be the last opportunity he gets.
Nesmith is working hard to reach his full potential, and the Celtics have a competitor in this prospect. Two qualities you can't teach young players. Either you do it, or you don't.
The Celtics already have their stars, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but a third wheel is needed to be a real contender. That player could be Nesmith, and this could be his breakout season.
Follow Us
Subscribe