June 26, 2009 10:00 am  |  68 Comments

Brandon Jennings’s Late Arrival to the Draft


by Marcel Mutoni

On a night when no major trades went down, no one wore a memorably hideous outfit, and when the majority of folks were still reeling from the sudden death of Michael Jackson, this was far and away my favorite moment of the 2009 NBA Draft.

Brandon Jennings casually strolled into MSG last night, long after his name had been called, and shook a confused and slightly amused David Stern’s hand.

It was awesome in every way, as the kid who bolted for Europe immediately after his high school career continued to do things in his own, inimitable way.

The Draft was apparently not the only thing Jennings was late for last night, as CNBC’s Darren Rovell revealed on his Twitter page:

Brandon Jennings hasn’t showed for his own Under Armour party yet.

Jennings is nothing if not consistent in his tardiness. And, well, you just gotta respect that.

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This story is filed under: NBA, The Wire

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  • BETCATS Posted: Jun.26 at 10:04 am
    His triumphant entrance made me lol.

  • Z Posted: Jun.26 at 10:06 am
    At least tell the whole story. His agent was afraid that he wasn’t going to get picked in the lottery so he wanted to prevent a Rashard Lewis-type meltdown. When they saw that he went 10, they hustled to MSG.

  • Adam Fleischer Posted: Jun.26 at 10:17 am
    I was surprised that David Stern handled the situation that way, letting him come out during another team’s pick. It would have maybe made more sense for when he got there to just have the normal post draft sit down interview with ESPN and Mark Jones. Like the boldness of the move, though.

  • AlbertBarr Posted: Jun.26 at 10:19 am
    I think he is still a kid and he was embarrassed that he might not get picked…and then was embarrassed at not being there when his name was called. Showing up late was awesome though…gotta put on the hat! I think the Bucks had an awesome draft by the way.

  • AlbertBarr Posted: Jun.26 at 10:20 am
    I think it was on the liveblog that someone mentioned Stern might be high…I am pretty sure he was…he could wipe his sh!teating grin off of his face

  • jumpman3224 Posted: Jun.26 at 10:20 am
    Is Sessions done-zo in MIL?

  • B. Long Posted: Jun.26 at 10:24 am
    Brandon will avg. 20 and 5 out the gate in Millie. Isn’t it ironic that a kid who nicknamed himself Young Money is playing for the Bucks? Karma.

  • Jukai Posted: Jun.26 at 10:28 am
    Brandon may average 10-3.

  • jumpman3224 Posted: Jun.26 at 10:31 am
    3? Jennings will def. lead rookies in assists with Redd and Charlie “Tweet” V (if they keep him) to drive and dish to.

  • B. Long Posted: Jun.26 at 10:34 am
    He’s gonna start from game one and there is no one, Redd included, who is gonna take as many shots as Jennings. He’s not quite the playmaker for teammates that Rose was in his rookie year, but he’s twice the shooter and scorer.

  • Tarzan Cooper Posted: Jun.26 at 10:35 am
    thats my new catchphrase,”but, brandon jennings is here”

  • Moose Posted: Jun.26 at 10:35 am
    In Milwaukee, Jennings will get his.

  • B. Long Posted: Jun.26 at 10:35 am
    Taller young A.I. Him and Jrue where the steals of the first round.

  • Z Posted: Jun.26 at 10:51 am
    People are SLEEPING on Jennings. I can’t believe NY didn’t take him. From all the things I’ve read about the workouts, there wasn’t a single guard that could stay in front of him. Not one. He’s going to embarrass a few rooks out there.

  • Moose Posted: Jun.26 at 10:52 am
    More than a few, Z. I think we can count on that.

  • Ben Posted: Jun.26 at 10:57 am
    I didn’t see all that first stuff with David Stern saying that Earl Clark wasn’t there, but Brandon Jennings was, so I was really confused when I walked into the room and saw Jennings shaking Stern’s hand with Earl Clark’s name on the screen. I just remember thinking, “I thought Earl Clark was bigger than that?”

  • Jukai Posted: Jun.26 at 11:07 am
    You guys are CRAZY. Jennings can be an all-star if he was put in the right situation. Milwaukee is NOT the right situation. Charlie V and Michael Redd are NOT catch-and-shoot players. THEY take the ball, THEY shoot it when THEY want to. Jennings may get his points, but if he averages more than three assists, I’ll be in a state of shock.
    Z: Rubio stayed infront of him. A lot. With a broken hand. But you can blame European zone defense for that.

  • Jeff Fox Posted: Jun.26 at 11:07 am
    Jennings is a nice pickup for Milwaukee. I was glad to see he didn’t drop as far as some had predicited.

  • jumpman3224 Posted: Jun.26 at 11:15 am
    Z- COMPLETELY agree…he would have been a perfect fit for Mike D’Antoni’s system.

  • Ben Osborne Posted: Jun.26 at 11:22 am
    Darren Rovell should probably get a life. Brandon got to that party at about 11:30. Not bad for a party that “started” at 10 when no one was there. Considering all the media had to do and the dramatic, surely stressful day he’d had, I was impressed he got there when he did. By the way, the party was fresh.

  • Ben Osborne Posted: Jun.26 at 11:22 am
    And the Knicks 100% should have taken him.

  • Chendaddy Posted: Jun.26 at 11:27 am
    That was a great moment. They switched the background image to the Bucks, and Jennings came out the back WWE-style! But I’d have to rate my favorite 2009 draft momentslike this: 3. Jenning’s WWE entrance. 2. Discovering Stephen Curry’s hot girlfriend is actually his hot mom. 1. David Stern’s gigantic, goofy grin right before he announced Omri Casspi. You could tell he was deliriously happy. Hey, if I was announcing Yao Ming being picked, I’d be doing fist pumps and giving everybody in the front tables high-fives.

  • Anton Posted: Jun.26 at 11:44 am
    I loved how every pick after 10, the announcers had less and less to say about the players.

  • Z Posted: Jun.26 at 12:00 pm
    Jukai, are you serious? Did you catch the part about how I was talking of the workouts? He couldn’t do anything for that team in Rome. They didn’t even let him play on the ball. He had no opportunity to create.

  • Z Posted: Jun.26 at 12:04 pm
    1- How many pull up 3s does Mike Redd take? Someone has to pass him the ball when he’s jacking those corner 3s no?
    2- Charlie V scores 11 pts a game and plays barely 20 minutes. How much of a ball hog can he be?
    3- They have a big guy down low that can’t wait to be fed.
    4- He’ll start from day 1. I don’t expect Sessions to be re-signed. Or else, drafting him doesn’t make sense.
    5- I’m willing to take that bet. He’ll average more than 3 assists. I have a feeling that you don’t like those types of athletic pg. You were on the record saying that Rondo would always suck.

  • Tommy Patron Posted: Jun.26 at 12:39 pm
    You guys know that Scott Skiles coaches Milwaukee, right? I wouldn’t get too excited about some skinny kid who did OKAY overseas.

  • Kevin Wilson Posted: Jun.26 at 12:47 pm
    I’m not sure I’d trust my team to somebody who couldn’t handle the pressures of the green room.

  • Kevin Wilson Posted: Jun.26 at 1:06 pm
    Also, makes me wonder if Jennings showed up late to his prom because he was afraid his date would stand him up.

  • Jukai Posted: Jun.26 at 2:05 pm
    z:
    1) Redd loves to catch and shoot corner threes, but most of his shots come from horrible drives or shooting threes at the top of the key. Don’t you remember in the Olympics what a TERRIBLE three point shooter he was when he was running away from the ball?
    2) I know you didn’t watch the Bucks when Redd and Bogut were injured, and I don’t blame you. But Charlie V was on my fantasy team (awesome pick by me, btw) so I watched him play. That dude loves shooting those same contested threes and running with the ball with a chicken without his head. In fairness to Charlie, I haven’t seen him PLAY with a guy who can toss it to him, but when Vilanoava was the main man, he made SURE he was the main man
    3- This is a joke
    4- Yes. Good point.
    5- If Jennings went to the Warriors or New York, he’d average seven assists off the bat. To me, the draft was Rubio > Jennings > (lots of space between first two and rest) > Flynn > Lawson > (lots of space) > Curry. Jennings is a GREAT UNDERRATED PASSER. I just think he’s going to be playign 25 minutes a game and the ball wont be in his hands as much as it SHOULD be. Skiles doesn’t depend on point guards, despite PLAYING that position in the NBA. Redd and Charlie V like to get their own shots. Bogut is a garbage bucket dude. No one else really makes shots.
    IN FAIRNESS the Bucks never have had a pass-first point guard, so they (outside of Redd) may accept this with OPEN arms. I’m guessing not though.
    And to close, I have admitted I was more than 100% wrong about Rubio. That dude just owns the league.

  • Sterling Nunnally Posted: Jun.26 at 2:23 pm
    Brandon is Kenny Anderson with hops. The Knicks missed the boat. I have watched him since his first year of high school and he never ceases to amaze me. Young Money got game for days.

  • Z Posted: Jun.26 at 2:49 pm
    Fair enough, all your points are pretty valid. I like Jennings over Rubio but we won’t see eye to eye on that anyways. Curry should not even be in the discussion of pg’s since he’s a 2-guard through and through.

  • Jukai Posted: Jun.26 at 3:08 pm
    er, sorry Z, I meant to say I was 100% wrong about Rondo, not Rubio. I guess so much arguing about Rubio has implanted the damn dude in my brain.

  • Roy Posted: Jun.26 at 3:09 pm
    Brandon Jennings is gonna be beastin’ in Milwaukee. :D

  • Teddy-the-Bear Posted: Jun.26 at 3:33 pm
    The Knicks really blew it on this one. This is inexcusable. The Knicks friggin’ blew this draft. Again.

  • Jukai Posted: Jun.26 at 3:36 pm
    Teddy: not if they can trade for Rubio. And not give away David Lee.

  • Squad Posted: Jun.26 at 3:43 pm
    best moment of the draft, no question. except maybe for the slight pause before the Rod Thorn teleconference interview when a fan responded to Stu Scott’s question of “why trade vince carter?” by screaming a completely audible “because HE SUCKS!”

  • Anton Posted: Jun.26 at 3:52 pm
    He should have came back for an encore appearance on stage after all the picks have been announced.
    Sternbot: “Thank you all for coming, and once again heeeeeeere’s Brandon!”

  • Caleb Posted: Jun.26 at 4:23 pm
    Ty Lawson will be the best point guard of this class. In a few years, you guys can take that to the bank and cash it.

  • BETCATS Posted: Jun.26 at 4:54 pm
    I still cant believe they took this guy though. I just cant believe Scott Skiles does not recognize what a great talent Sessions is….oh wait, its Scott Skiles!

  • TADOne Posted: Jun.26 at 5:28 pm
    Attention wh*re.

  • Blinguo Posted: Jun.26 at 6:20 pm
    Nobody else got to come out and wave with both hands to the crowd. FREE RAMON SESSIONS!!! Or keep him and watch as Ra(Y)mon plays even better with the short contract re-up in prep for a bigger one, while being a consumate hungry pro on the come-up who can motivate Jennings in practice everyday as they battle it out to take Ridnour/Bell’s starting jobs. Hopefully nobody learns the Bowen run up under the jumpshot move - gesture hands up not looking in any particular direction mouth open to complete that play to get away w/ it.

  • BETCATS Posted: Jun.26 at 6:31 pm
    Blinguo: I thought you were at least 50% of a Sessions fan. HE IS A FREE AGENT THIS SUMMER! We shall see him free soon enough!

  • RIPKO Posted: Jun.26 at 7:12 pm
    happy 4 bj just don’t want that jerk of a coach he’s got (skiles) try 2 stop him 4rm playin his game

  • ab_40 Posted: Jun.26 at 8:19 pm
    uhm ramon sessions is better then him luke ridnour isn’t but he’ll start over those two. scot skiles is gonna break the kid’s soul

  • Daniel Posted: Jun.26 at 8:24 pm
    this is the one PG Minnesota should’ve took and didn’t

  • Blinguo Posted: Jun.26 at 8:39 pm
    Right, sorry BET. I did go looking around those salary pages to see what was up right after this post, plus another article here on SLAM saying Milwaukee doesn’t look like they’re even trying to keep him with any offers. And just came from the Jennings likes MIL post where you said Session is 40x Jennings will ever be. Bold!
    SLAM. Sessions article next season please. In your face 1 pager was nice but you know he’s on the brink of blowin up like you thought he would (but not same number - same hood).

  • BostonBaller Posted: Jun.26 at 9:20 pm
    Ny NY Big City Big Dreams, everything in NY is just as it seems…SCREWED UP!! Whether or not Jennings turns out to be legit or not he would have put butts in the Gasrden seats and that’s all NY seems to care about b/c they certainly aren’t trying to win games in the front office.

  • Gerard Himself Posted: Jun.26 at 9:21 pm
    Marcel: what Z said. He had a legit reason for being there “late”.

  • Stephen Bayer Posted: Jun.27 at 2:30 am
    everyones arguing about how good Jennings will be, well we can all agree it was pretty damn funny when he strolled in … i defintly cracked up at that point

  • blaze Posted: Jun.27 at 3:50 am
    seems the knicks are always in the lottery, and fans never like who they waste their pick on. long live Balkman.

  • Bostwik Posted: Jun.27 at 1:08 pm
    I was too angry to laugh because of the Suns’ horrible pick.

  • James Wrethman Posted: Jun.28 at 2:19 am
    Or just send him to Boston, LoL

  • Cam Posted: Jun.28 at 1:17 pm
    Damn…if Jordan Hill doesn’t come in from day one and make a big impact in the Big Apple,he’s catching holy hell from Knicks fans…Guarennteed.

  • dma Posted: Jun.29 at 1:50 am
    exit iverson. enter jennings.

  • Blaze Posted: Jun.29 at 2:55 am
    what do you get if you cross Chauncey Billups with the toxic avenger?

  • Blaze Posted: Jun.29 at 2:56 am
    Popeye Jones

  • Blaze Posted: Jun.29 at 3:01 am
    Popeye Jones.

  • DDB Posted: Jun.29 at 9:23 am
    What will be the greater amount of time: A. How late Jennings was for the draft? B. How long Jennings career will last?

  • iLL wiLL Posted: Jun.29 at 11:51 am
    Without a doubt, an epic entrance.

  • Chris Posted: Jun.29 at 1:09 pm
    Where’s the link to Jennings interview with Joe Budden. It’s hilarious. http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/The_Baseline/entry/view/26042/social_media_biting_back_at_brandon_jennings You’re slipping SLAM

  • [...] rather than serve an unpaid internship in Arizona’s backcourt, was last seen on Draft day making one of the more memorable sporting entrances not involving a paraglider. A few weeks ago, he lamely tried to play the dozens on Ricky [...]

  • [...] rather than serve an unpaid internship in Arizona’s backcourt, was last seen on Draft day making one of the more memorable sporting entrances not involving a paraglider. A few weeks ago, he lamely tried to play the dozens on Ricky [...]

  • edilvia4sho Posted: Jun.30 at 1:47 pm
    Stop hatin’ on Jennings, until we see where he goes in the NBA we can’t judge, period!

  • edilvia4sho Posted: Jun.30 at 1:47 pm
    Oh yeah, and I personally loved his entrance.

  • matlock Posted: Jun.30 at 4:54 pm
    I read some where that they told him not to come to the green room because they thought his stock had dropped too much

  • Dacre Posted: Jun.30 at 7:43 pm
    The fall out from all this is: Whoever picks up Ramon Sessions is going to look like a genius….Steve Kerr, time to make amends.

  • [...] rather than serve an unpaid internship in Arizona’s backcourt, was last seen on Draft day making one of the more memorable sporting entrances not involving a paraglider. A few weeks ago, he lamely tried to play the dozens on Ricky [...]

  • juan baez Posted: Jul.1 at 11:43 am
    jennings needs to shut up and put some numbers on the board then come back at the end of the season to talk…he hasnt proven anything in the nba….

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