Four Former Grind Session Players Hear Their Names Called in the First Round of the 2024 NBA Draft

The Grind Session has now produced 50 NBA draft picks since 2016, including 22 first rounders .

BENTON, KENTUCKY, UNITED STATES, June 27, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — Four former Grind Session players were selected in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft last night, which was held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Dating back to the 2016 draft, the Grind Session – the first-ever and largest winter circuit of elite high school basketball events – has produced at least one first-round selection in seven of the last nine years, including 12 lottery picks.

This year’s first rounders included:

ROB DILLINGHAM: Dillingham was the first former Grind Session player off the board as a lottery pick, going No. 8 overall to the San Antonio Spurs before being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was a five-star recruit who played his junior year with Donda Academy, where he was named a Grind Session All-Star in 2022.

YVES MISSI: Missi was selected No. 21 overall by the New Orleans Pelicans. As a five-star recruit, he played his final year of high school basketball with Prolific Prep, where he helped lead the team to the 2023 Grind Session World Championship. Missi was also named to the All-Grind Session and All-Defensive teams, as well as an All-Star.

DARON HOLMES II: The Denver Nuggets traded up to take Holmes with the 22nd pick. Holmes was a four-star recruit who finished his senior year with Arizona Compass Prep and won the Grind Session World Championship in 2021.

AJ JOHNSON: Johnson was chosen with the 23rd pick by the Milwaukee Bucks. A four-star recruit in the 2023 class, he finished his prep career at Southern California Academy and was named a Grind Session All-Star at the end of his senior campaign.

“What a special moment for these young ballers. We couldn’t be happier for them and their families,” said Grind Session CEO Scott Waldrop. “They’re just scratching the surface with their talent and they’ll no doubt do whatever it takes to win on the court and make their teams better. We can’t wait to see them grow at the next level.”

Overall, 50 former Grind Session players have been chosen in the NBA draft since 2016. That includes 22 selected in the first round, including 12 lottery picks and two overall number one selections.

Here’s a list of former Grind Session players chosen in the NBA Draft as lottery picks:

– DeAndre Ayton (2018: No. 1 overall pick – Phoenix Suns)
– Paolo Banchero (2022: No. 1 overall pick – Orlando Magic)
– Jalen Green (2021: No. 2 overall pick – Houston Rockets)
– LaMelo Ball (2020: No. 3 overall pick – Charlotte Hornets)
– Josh Jackson (2017: No. 4 overall pick – Phoenix Suns)
– Jamal Murray (2016: No. 7 overall pick – Denver Nuggets)
– Jonathan Kuminga (2021: No. 7 overall pick – Golden State Warriors)
– Shaedon Sharpe (2022: No. 7 overall pick – Portland Trailblazers)
– Rob Dillingham (2024: No. 8 overall pick – San Antonio Spurs)
– Thon Maker (2016: No. 10 overall pick – Milwaukee Bucks)
– Miles Bridges (2018: No. 12 overall pick – Los Angeles Clippers)
– Joshua Primo (2021: No. 12 overall pick – San Antonio Spurs)

“Over the past 10 years, the Grind Session and its institutions have taken high school basketball to new heights, becoming the home and proving ground for the nation’s best prospects and teams,” said Waldrop. “We’re incredibly thankful for each and every one of them, and proud to have been part of their journeys.”

For more information about the Grind Session, visit www.thegrindsession.com.

Michael Misetic
The Grind Session
[email protected]
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