It’s not unusual for a player to take a rookie under his wing. Indeed, the practice of players having “his rookie” is commonplace, not just in the NBA, but in most professional leagues.
Yet, when Andre Drummond invited Detroit Pistons rookie Stanley Johnson to live with him, it wasn’t because Drummond claimed Johnson as his rookie – it was simply the mark of a friend extending a hand to a friend in need. As David Mayo of MLive reports:
Any NBA team would be in nurturing mode with a 19-year-old rookie who played only one season, though the Pistons figure to be particularly attentive to Johnson, whose mother Karen Taylor passed away earlier this month.
“It’s been tough,” Johnson said. “I’ve had a couple family things going on, and this, that, and the third. But I’m a professional. I have a job. So I handled my family stuff. I got a lot of help, as well. That’s something that will always be, for the rest of my life. But I’m doing my job now and working out the whole time. But it is what it is, you know what I’m saying?”
Mayo also notes that Drummond and Johnson are long-time friends, so Drummond’s invitation isn’t out of the blue. Johnson’s young, but he’s an integral part of the Pistons’ promising future. And when one experiences such an unfathomable loss, especially at such a young age and just when they’re about to begin their professional career, it can be easy to lose one’s way.
Johnson, for his part, seems to be handling it tremendously well. Drummond and the rest of the Pistons organization are going to ensure Johnson has all the support he needs. Living with one of his good friends is a nice place to start.
(Via MLive.com)
