Nuggets Draft Pick Kenneth Faried’s Fascinating Back Story

The Denver Nuggets recently drafted Kenneth Faried, a hard-nosed rebounder out of Morehead State. He’s a young man with an interesting life story. From the Denver Post: “Your new favorite Nuggets player is a Muslim. Your new favorite Nuggets player was raised by his mother and her female life partner. Your new favorite Nuggets player could change the way you look at society. Kenneth Faried, Denver’s highest pick in the 2011 draft, has created a buzz across the Front Range, similar to when he led Morehead State to an NCAA Tournament upset win over Louisville last March at the Pepsi Center. Fans are giddy about the new power forward who wasn’t just one of the better rebounders in NCAA basketball, but broke Tim Duncan’s modern-era (post 1973) record with 1,673 career boards. ‘I don’t quit on plays,’ said Faried, who was drafted No. 22 overall. ‘I just want it more than anybody else.’ Faried is fascinating. He plays basketball the way he lives his life — unwavering, headstrong and proud. And he comes to town carrying an amazing life story in his gym bag. ‘As far as him being strong as a person, he got that from me, his father and my wife,’ said his mother, Waudda Faried, from back home in Newark, N.J. ‘He grew up in the ‘hood, but he’s not ‘hood.’ It was a totally different attitude. And I’m just proud of him. I’m so proud of him, I can’t express the words of how proud I am.'”