WORTH THE WAIT
From agony to celebration: Baldwin’s long draft night ends with the Warriors
SAN FRANCISCO » Patrick Baldwin Jr. was nervous Thursday night as he watched the names of other college basketball standouts roll over the TV screen after being drafted to the NBA.
Despite his stock falling over the last year due to an injury, Baldwin didn’t have a doubt whether he would be selected in the NBA draft; it was just a matter of when and to which team.
“The draft is long, and it’s longer when you’re waiting for your name to be called,” Baldwin recalled Friday afternoon.
Baldwin considered attending the draft in-person at Barclay Center in Brooklyn. But family has always been extremely important to the 19-year-old, who turned down numerous offers from college basketball powerhouses, such as Duke, Kentucky and North Carolina, to play for his father who was the head coach at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. That’s why he decided to spend the biggest moment of his life back home in Wisconsin surrounded by those who supported him.
Around two hours and 45 minutes into the made-for-TV event, Baldwin’s wait was over. With the No. 28 overall pick, the Golden State Warriors picked Baldwin.
Finally, Baldwin saw his dream come to fruition.
“When my name was called, I definitely smiled, I definitely had an array of emotions,” he said. “I hugged my mom and my parents first and then went down the line... It was a really good night.”
The Warriors are taking a chance of Baldwin.
Being the son of a college basketball coach, Baldwin has been around the game his entire life. He has fond memories of putting up shots during halftime of Loyola University of Chicago basketball games, where his father, Patrick Baldwin Sr., served as an assistant coach from 2004 until 2011, before leaving for other opportunities.
Baldwin believes having a father as a coach gives him an advantage other players don’t have.