Good luck, buddy, you’re going to need it…
My San Antonio: An elated Chinemelu Elonu watched the sun rise Friday morning, hours after his selection by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the NBA draft.
Had Elonu been up all night, celebrating his move from Texas A&M to Tinseltown? Hardly, prompting Aggies assistant coach Byron Smith to marvel at the resolve of the 6-foot-10 A&M forward who’s on a mission to make the NBA.
“Some guys, when they learn they’ll be taking it to another level, take it to another level all right — that night in the clubs,” Smith said. “But he was up early in the morning, running sprints and running hills.
“He understands what’s ahead of him.”
What’s ahead of Elonu, who spent Friday in College Station saying goodbye to his teammates and coaches, is a fight to make the roster of the NBA champions, after the Lakers selected him 59th, next to last, in the draft.
“Whenever you go from college to the NBA, you have to start all over again,” said Elonu, who had a year of eligibility remaining at A&M but has already graduated. “To show how hard I work, the hustle, rebounding, shot-blocking that I’m capable of — it’s a process that starts all over again.”
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