Brooklyn Nets rookie Egor Demin is still adjusting to life in the Big Apple. During a recent appearance on From The Logo with Jimmer Fredette, Demin revealed that his first rent payment was one of the most difficult parts of the transition from BYU to the NBA.
“I paid my rent, which was not easy. It was frustrating. Coming from Utah to New York and paying for rent, it's pretty hard, I can't lie. That wasn’t, mentally, the easiest thing,” he said with a laugh. “I [bought things for] some needs, some clothes, you know. Now I’ve got to be on the same level with the [NBA] status in clothes. And yeah, just kind of stuff like this. Furniture costs a lot here, too. I’m not planning to buy a car this year, so I don’t think there’s going to be a big purchase. I’m just going to try to be smart with my money and, yeah, look for the opportunities where to invest it and make sure they’re safe.”
Demin joined the Nets as the No. 8 pick in June's draft. He signed a four-year, $31 million contract that will pay him $6.9 million this season.
Egor Demin adjusting to NBA, New York City lifestyle after joining Nets
In addition to the cost of living, Demin said the social environment since joining the NBA has been a significant adjustment.
“In college at BYU, we do bonfires, we go play bowling, go on hikes, things like this,” he said. “And here, the majority of people have families. Some guys have kids, wives, and then everybody’s tired. Nobody wants to really go and hang out. And if they do, the majority of the time, it’s a club or something like this. Which—which I’m not—I’m not trying to go to those places, that’s for sure.”
Despite this, the rookie said he has developed close relationships with several of his Nets teammates.
“I'm actually good with everybody. I'm trying to really be a good guy around and be a friend of everybody, which is sometimes hard. I'm pretty good with this one guy named Tyrese Martin. And Terance Mann is a great guy for this group,” Demin said. “I'm really happy we got him. I got to know him a little bit more, and he's not the loudest one, but he knows what he's talking about when he speaks, for sure.”
There's no shortage of pressure on the Russian floor general as the Nets' first lottery pick in 15 years.
Following a slow start, Demin has shown promise while moving into Brooklyn's starting lineup. He's averaged 11.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists on 48.0 percent shooting from the field and 47.1 percent from three across his last three appearances.
