J.R. Giddens planted his seeds in The Pit. Now, all those seeds have finally germinated into a garden - the TD Banknorth Garden, that is.
Giddens, who was picked by the newly-christened champion Boston Celtics, was selected 30th in the first round of the 2008 NBA Draft.
"Just being in the organization gives you chills," Giddens said. "My journey's just beginning. I'm truly a blessed individual."
After Celtics' center Kevin Garnett captured his first championship last week, all he could say was: "Man, man, man."
Giddens, too, was in awe.
"I'm just ecstatic - ecstatic," he said. "I've been dreaming about this since I was 4 years old, shooting on my Fisher Price basketball goal."
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Giddens becomes only the sixth Lobo to be selected in the first round, the most recent being Danny Granger in 2005.
Giddens said he will benefit from having an established point guard in Boston.
"Rajon Rondo's a great point guard," he said. "I played against him when he was at the University of Kentucky when I was at Kansas. He's a really athletic guy. He has a great work ethic, and just for me to play with a point guard like that and Garnett, (Paul) Pierce, (Ray) Allen - I just can't even imagine it. It's a dream come true."
In two years at UNM, Giddens was the Lobos' centerpiece, averaging 16.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. However, Giddens said he's willing to take on any role with the Celtics.
"If I have to get water, clap in street clothes, I'm going to go out there and work my hardest," he said. "Find my niche and contribute to the organization as best as possible. As a ballplayer, now that I'm professional, I have to try to perfect my game and live up to what the Boston Celtics believe what I can do - be a great role model, a man of the community."
And for right now, that's all Giddens has to worry about - being a player and a man of the community - because financially, the only green Giddens has to worry about is the Celtics' green he'll don on in the upcoming NBA season.
Because he was able to squeak into the first round, Aaron Mintz, Giddens' agent from Priority Sports, said that Giddens is guaranteed at least two years at or around two million dollars, with the option for a third and fourth year.
If Giddens had slipped into the second round, he wouldn't have merited a guaranteed contract. Instead, he would have made the league minimum of $442,114, which would have been contigent on his making the Celtics' 15-man-roster.
UNM head coach Steve Alford said Giddens is the first player he has coached to be selected in the first round.
"It couldn't have been a better script for J.R.," Alford said. "Not only to have a chance to fulfill his dream and play in the NBA and be a first-round pick, but to be a Boston Celtic.."
