Stephen A. reacts to Donovan Clingan getting drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers | 2024 NBA Draft

Stephen A. reacts to Donovan Clingan getting drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers | 2024 NBA Draft

young man is a phenomenal role model for people not just in the Bristol Connecticut in the state of Connecticut but just anybody who loves to play basketball as we got a closer look at the jacket inside as he remembers his mom Stacy I talked to Danny Hurley a couple days ago he got emotional talking about him said he got an nil deal he wanted to make sure his teammates got the money and that he could share it I mean there is Dan Hurley right now celebrating second time Yukon had multiple top 10 picks the last time 20 years ago with Oker and Gordon there is clingan’s dad of course Bill all smiles as well very proud of his son by the way backstory with this young man he was a seven-footer in high school in Bristol right he would still landscape and he would still shovel snow at like 1: in the morning and then make his workouts at 5:30 a.m. each and every day would you do that well yeah of course I would do stuff like that I didn’t grow up with a silver spoon you know I was out there mowing the lawn doing what I had to do no no listen but here’s the thing till I was interrupted um Kevin it’s all part of the story right I mean most people that are successful have a story and most times the story’s hard and he has had a very difficult journey to get here whether was what you alluded to losing a mother at at that time in your life um that’s tragic that and and to see how he’s honoring her is um it’s a tremendous tribute and I think that he is in a spot where he’s going to play a lot and I heard heard what Stephen A said uh that team still needs a lot of help but kingan has proved he can block shots he’s a great rebounder uh talking to people in the workouts they said his shot is better than people think the mechanics but no I I he looks like a guy I’m just going to make an assumption here that people want to play with he sounds like a good teammate he sounds like a winner and those are all parts of succeeding in the NBA those are all parts of winning and I think this guy’s already shown he’s got two championships he knows how to win and he want a State High School Championship to add to that I lost my mom at Agee 49 Battle of cancer and you deal with that and you live with that every day of your life you just you just you don’t get I just lost my mom at 49 same thing couple weeks ago yeah yeah you know it’s deating and but what happens is to be that young and to go out there and to be a part of the program it doesn’t just speak to him it speaks to the program it speaks to Danny Hurley there’s something inside of you that just drives you to be the very very best you can be because the person that supported you the most unconditionally you’re swearing to them and yourself you’ll never let them down and so from a character perspective there’s nothing to question about this guy his game is a lot of pluses I’m just looking at Portland in terms of what their needs are and I’m saying you had other needs but obviously there’s nothing to sneeze at when it comes to this guy no doubt about it and and you nailed it with moms I lost my mom when I was 47 2 years ago it it never leaves you it’s always there never and he’s carrying his mom’s Spirit tonight and uh Stacy is looking down with a smile as he is of course going to Portland to start his career in the NBA [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause]

Stephen A. Smith, Bob Myers and Kevin Negandhi react to the Portland Trail Blazers drafting Donovan Clingan out of UConn with the 7th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

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