Brandon Jennings was a mystery to those that are in the business of putting together mock drafts. Some had him going somewhere in the top five, while others had him dropping out of the lottery altogether. Because of the apparent uncertainty surrounding his draft position, Jennings turned down his green room invitation and decided to wait things out at a local Manhattan hotel. As it turned out, Jennings didn't have to wait long to hear his name called -- he was selected 10th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks. He wasn't there to greet David Stern initially. But he did make it down to Madison Square Garden just four picks later, in plenty of time to make a surprise entrance and get that ceremonial handshake from the commissioner.
After Stern announced that the Phoenix Suns selected Earl Clark with the 14th pick, Clark's absence opened the door for Jennings. "Earl is not here," the commissioner said. "But the 10th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, Brandon Jennings, IS here, so why don't you welcome him!"
Many in attendance felt this was one of the cooler moments of the night, and I would agree. While it might have been bad advice from his agent not to show up at all in the first place, Jennings definitely made the most of his better-late-than-never appearance.
