09/22/2025
I’d just graduated from Yale and was working out at Temple University with my agency doing college/pro runs to stay ready for whatever.
One pickup I was going kinda crazy and Aaron Mckie happened to be watching.
Thank God I didn’t peep until afterwards but I saw him talking to my agent in the corner when it finished. I got introduced and later that night I got the call, “76ers want to see you for a pre-draft workout. Be ready”
I was beyond geeked.
So boom, the whole workout was a blur. I was so stressed out I still can’t recall a single drill.
Finally, it’s over and the last step is the exit interview.
Yes, my first job interview out of college was for an NBA team.
I walk in thinking, s**t, if anybody can talk their way into the NBA… it’s me.
I shake hands with the GM and front office and sit. They slide a piece of paper to me with 5 skills on it: shooting, rebounding, defense, ball handling, passing and ask me to rank myself 1-5.
It felt like I took an hour overthinking everything, tryna think what they might think about me based on how I performed that day or if it’s a measure on my stats or game film? I’m coming in as a shooter but I didn’t shoot that well, should I still say that? I am had a dime today, should that go over defense?
Yale kid failing a test about himself. Jokes.
I thought I finished and slid it back to them and the GM flipped it around quick and said, “you ranked a skill the same number twice.”
Then as if it came from the basketball gods themselves, he said,
“You have to know who you are before we tell you who you are”
I understood it then but haven’t lived it till now.