T.J. McConnell accomplished on Monday what few thought he could.
He made an NBA roster.
When the former stand Arizona Wildcats point guard learned he survived the Philadelphia 76ers' final cuts, he "almost teared up in the coach's office. I had to sit down,” he told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Mike White.
McConnell was widely regarded as a standout college player who wasn’t built for the NBA game. He wasn’t drafted and many thought he would extend his career by playing overseas.
"It's OK," he said. "There are haters everywhere. Still haters today."
Philadelphia is in need of a reserve as Tony Wroten and Kendall Marshall rehabilitate anterior-cruciate ligament tears in their right knees.