The reality of it all set in immediately, knifing through him harder than those biting winter winds whipping off Lake Michigan following the powerful snowstorm ripping through the region.
Upon making it to the initial destination not long after landing Thursday, that’s when it truly set in: Devonte’ Graham was about to rub elbows with some of the best basketball players in the world and do it alongside Hornets teammates Miles Bridges and PJ Washington.
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“Once we got to that media (obligations) the first day, me PJ and them, I think that’s when it hit like, ‘Man, I’m really here,'” Graham told The Athletic in a phone interview from Chicago on Saturday night. “‘I’m really doing this.'”
That would be participating in two events in All-Star Weekend, something no one predicted at the season’s outset. The kid from Raleigh, N.C. That same second-round pick who spent plenty of time shuffling back and forth on I-85 to Greensboro playing for the Hornets’ G League affiliate a year ago, rendered third-string behind Kemba Walker and Tony Parker.
Graham’s rapid ascension as a second-year player earned him a spot in the Rising Stars Challenge with Bridges and Washington, and his impressive display beyond the arc landed him a place in the 3-point contest. Just being a part of the festivities on consecutive nights at the United Center — capped by Saturday’s appearance in the weekend’s revamped long-distance shooting event — is an experience he will never forget.
“It was great,” Graham said. “It was a blessing. I enjoyed every moment. It was a blast being around all the guys. Good people to be around.”
Having three young players selected for the league’s annual showcase can be seen as a good sign for the Hornets. Bridges nabbing MVP honors of the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday night definitely didn’t hurt those optics, either.
Here’s how the three performed Friday:
- Bridges: 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting overall, 3 of 7 from 3-point range with five rebounds and five assists.
- Graham: 9 points on 3-of-7 shooting from 3-point range, six rebounds, five assists. He was eliminated in the first round of the 3-point contest after totaling 18 points.
- Washington: 8 points on 4-of-5 shooting with five rebounds.
Consider it validation for the way the staff is sharpening the player’s respective skillsets.
“The coaches, they did a great job of helping us get better,” Bridges said. “They stayed patient with us. We have a lot of young guys, so they did a great job of staying patient, and we’ve done a good job of listening. Just being sponges, listening to our vets and listening to the coaches.”
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Which isn’t necessarily always a given on teams loaded with youth.
“That just shows that if you have maturity in the league, that’s rare,” Bridges said, “because a lot of people come right out of college, they think they know everything. So we have good guys and we have smart guys that actually know this league is about learning.”
Along that line of thinking, the hope was for Bridges, Graham and Washington to potentially pick up a few pointers here and there in Chicago. Collect perhaps a tip or two during their many interactions with fellow players.
At least that was one of the edicts from Hornets coach James Borrego. He suggested they make communication a top priority throughout the weekend and Graham tried to heed that plea.
“We’ve all been talking, just about our teams, how the city is doing where they are playing and stuff like that,” Graham said. “Even joking around about how some of us killed each other in games. So it’s been good. And of course, I talked to my guy Kemba. It was great. Him, his mother. Seeing them all and just chopping it up. He’s like my big brother.”
Washington, too, understood the importance of speaking with as many peers as possible in his short time there.
“The biggest thing is just picking their brains, asking what they do on a daily basis,” Washington said. “Like what they eat, how they work, what times they work out, what are they focused on. And then the things they do off the court to get their minds away from basketball is important. Basically just trying to pick everybody’s mind.
“Someday I want to be an All-Star. I want to be one of the better players in the league. I feel like it’s just a great opportunity to learn from them because they are there and I want to be there.”
For now, Washington will have to settle for the distinguished honor of being one of just under two dozen first- and second-year players chosen to play in the game featuring some of the league’s best young talent. In a season strictly about player development, this educational pitstop prior to finishing off the final 28 games of the 2019-20 campaign with the other guys he accompanied to the Windy City was a bonus.
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Spending a portion of their All-Star break getting recognized for their talents on a world stage signals just how far they’ve come. Most notably their starting point guard.
“It’s a blessing,” Graham said. “It definitely puts a target on your chest, though. So you’ve got to keep grinding, stay motivated and can’t get complacent. And just keep grinding.”
(Photo of Miles Bridges: Nathaniel S. Butler / NBAE via Getty Images)