His grandfather once played in the NBA, and his father once scored 100 points in high school. These achievements are family achievements that allow DJ Wagner to hold his head high, but they have also become a heavy pressure for him to play basketball. Now, his performance in the college arena is not as expected. He will face the crisis of plummeting in the draft…
Do you still remember who the stars you followed when you first started watching the NBA were? When the children of these players also show talent in basketball, would you want them to “follow their father’s footsteps” and continue to run on the court?
Perhaps, many people are looking forward to Bronny James, the son of LeBron James, standing on the NBA stage and competing with his father. After Carmelo Anthony announced his retirement, many fans began to look forward to his son Kiyan Anthony boarding the NBA to continue their love for Melo. miss.
Even with the development of social media, many sons of retired stars have gained a lot of attention, such as Carlos Boozer’s twin sons Cayden Boozer and Cameron Boozer, Gilbert Arenas’ son Alijah Arenas, etc., these “second-generation stars” ” He also works hard to improve his media ranking, hoping to reach the highest level of basketball like his father.
Among them, DJ Wagner is a little different, because if he can successfully enter the NBA, he will not only achieve the goal of a “second-generation star”, but also have the opportunity to become the league’s first “third-generation star”.
The name of Wagner is glorious and heavy
Just like Mr. Jin Yong’s famous work “Eternal Heaven and Sword of the Dragon”, he first writes about his father, Zhang Cuishan, and then his son, Zhang Wuji. Before talking about DJ, we must first talk about his father Dajuan Wagner and grandfather Milt Wagner.
“Watching videos of my father and grandfather playing basketball is so crazy!”
“I love watching their past videos. Their playing style is even wilder than mine.”
“I think it’s cool to see them wearing the same high school jerseys as me!”
When it comes to the Camden High School basketball team in New Jersey, the surname Wagner cannot be avoided. DJ’s grandfather, Milt Wagner, was a student at this high school, and during his high school days, he was already a star player. Not only did he lead the team to win the state championship, he was also selected to the highest hall that symbolizes high school all-stars, the McDonald’s All-Star Game.
And DJ’s father, Dajuan Wagner, is a legend in this school. During his four years at the school, his total score of 3,462 set a new high school record in school history and in New Jersey. He even scored 100 points in a game and was hailed as the best high school scorer in his class.
Of course, he also led the team to a state championship and was selected to the McDonald’s All-Star Game. No wonder DJ is so proud of his father and grandfather.
But even though he and his father had a glorious history in high school, Dajuan didn’t particularly want DJ to enter the basketball circle at the beginning.
“Many parents let their children play basketball because they want their children to realize their dreams.”
“When I was playing, my father was playing too, so I didn’t feel any pressure at that time.”
“But when I become a parent, I will consider this issue.”
“I want him to find his own path.”
“He knows we are a basketball family, but he also needs to make sure he really likes playing basketball.”
“We will do everything we can to give him the resources to realize his dream.”
Compared with their impressive achievements in high school and even college, Milt Wagner and Dajuan Wagner did not have a smooth journey after entering the NBA. Although Milt won a championship with the Lakers, he only played 53 games in the NBA throughout his career, averaging 4.1 points per game. Although Dajuan was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the sixth overall pick with many honors, he faced the dilemma of being only 6 feet 2 inches tall after entering the NBA, making him too short for the shooting guard position. Coupled with the team’s strategy of deliberately losing for the No. 1 pick, Dajuan has never been properly developed, making his transformation into a point guard difficult.
When No. 1 pick LeBron James joined the Cavaliers, Dajuan was almost completely deprived of the ball. Coupled with various injuries, Dajuan ultimately played only 50 more games in the NBA than his father Milt, leaving a record of 9.4 points per game.
Perhaps because of seeing his father’s and his own experiences, and worrying that his family’s reputation in high school basketball would suffocate his children, when educating DJ, Dajuan has always preferred to let him develop his own interests and let him go. Play American football, participate in different sports, and find a hobby that you really enjoy.
Be fearless of pressure and show your worth
“I never feel pressure playing basketball for me, I’m always excited.”
“I used to love hearing stories about my dad and grandpa when they were in high school.”
“It also made me think how cool it would be to play for Camden High School.”
Perhaps genes can’t fool people, but DJ also fell in love with basketball like his father, and also entered Camden High School. This school has never won a state championship since Dajuan graduated. In DJ’s freshman season, he directly led the team to the semifinals. In the end, if the game had not been canceled due to the epidemic, DJ would have probably won the state championship as a freshman. Lead the team to win the championship.
2024-01-07 10:27:58
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