ORLANDO, Fla. — As the NBA draft went on, Ryan Boatright kept waiting to hear his name called. But after 60 picks came and went on June 25 at Barclays Center, the four-year standout at Connecticut never got the call he spent years dreaming he would.
But Boatright did get a commitment from the Nets a couple days later, keeping his dream of an NBA career alive. But don’t think Boatright doesn’t remember that every team in the league passed on him each time he takes the floor.
“Every time. Twenty-nine teams passed on me. I’ve got a national championship, played in a tough league, should have been the player of the year,” said Boatright, clearly not lacking confidence after scoring 23 points in a 71-70 loss to the Heat in summer-league action Sunday.