The name Michael Jordan goes beyond basketball and sports in general. He’s widely viewed as the greatest NBA player of all time, not only for the impact he made on the court for the Chicago Bulls, but also as one of the greatest athletes of his or any generation, not to mention his cultural impact at that time.
Yet, one NBA draft prospect, Nate Ament, candidly admits he’s too young to understand Jordan’s greatness. Instead, he named modern NBA stars he’s grown up watching, who have inspired his game.
Draft Prospect Nate Ament Admits He’s Too Young To Understand Michael Jordan’s Impact
Freshman forward Ament of the Tennessee Volunteers is ranked as the 8th best overall prospect on ESPN’s recent NBA draft big board. Although his game isn’t fully developed and could do with further seasoning, he is nonetheless an exciting prospect. A PFSN article recently described his game as “quietly magnetic.”
Paul Banks of Ratings reported Ament’s thoughts on playing at the United Center in Chicago, known as the “house that Michael Jordan built.” “I’m blessed to play in this historic gym, kind of been a little bit starstruck, seeing the jerseys up there: Derrick Rose and Michael Jordan, everybody. It’s been great.”
However, having been born in 2006, Ament candidly admitted that he’s too young to truly appreciate Jordan’s impact and greatness,
“I think I’m definitely too young to know his greatness,” the SEC All-Freshman star prospect said. “You only hear stories and watch highlights, so I couldn’t really understand his impact.”
He instead credited growing up with current NBA stars who have influenced him. “I grew up watching KD (Kevin Durant) and LeBron (James), Steph Curry, and a little bit of Russell Westbrook; those guys are all kind of up there for me. Just how exciting they were made me want to share my game like that.”
Ament’s mentioning of the game’s current greats speaks to how the NBA has evolved to the point that players like Curry, LeBron James, and Durant have carried the torch, inspiring the next generation of NBA prospects.
Nevertheless, perhaps his playing at the United Center will also inspire him to watch more of Jordan’s games and appreciate his impact. The draft lottery on May 10 and the draft combine will determine where Ament could end up in this summer’s NBA draft.
