North Carolina State basketball icon DJ Burns once had his hopes of a precious autograph dashed after bumping into an NBA star during his childhood.
The 6-foot-6 forward remembered the feeling of rejection well from that moment after his first Summer League game with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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Burns, 23, was still surrounded by young fans as he stood in front of giant elevator doors on the lobby level of the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, along with Cavaliers representatives on Friday, July 12.
Kids screamed to get his attention and get autographs for various souvenirs, even though the Cavs forward had just signed autographs at a meet-and-greet event.
He took orders with a big smile on his face, but noticed that the elevator was on its way – and once it arrived, he would have to head to the team bus on the floor below.
A ding finally sounded and Burns stepped onto the metal platform, still smiling as he looked at the group of young people through the closing doors.
“I won’t say names, but there was a guy, I went up to him when I was a little younger and asked for his autograph,” he told The US Sun three days later.
“And he basically said, ‘Get out of my sight, little boy.’
“I will never forget that. So yeah, I always try to be nice to the kids.”
Burns said he always tries to make it an “amazing” experience for young fans at games, noting that he and his fellow players were once kids themselves.
Mainly because, he pointed out, “You never know if they might see us again.”
Fans in Las Vegas reciprocated with love – they even sing We Want DJ in Cleveland’s 93-89 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.
“Man, it’s been amazing,” Burns said of his Summer League experience.
“The guys show crazy love. The people around show crazy love. The experience has been crazy. So have the fans.”
Burns went undrafted earlier this year despite reaching the Final Four of the 2024 NCAA Tournament with NC State — and then losing 45 pounds during the pre-draft process.
The former Wolfpack standout signed a No. 10 exhibition contract with the Cavaliers to showcase his Summer League talent.
And he basically said, ‘Get out of my way, little boy.’ I will never forget that. So yes, I always try to be nice to kids.
DJ Burns
He arrived in Sin City knowing he would have to be ready whenever his name was called.
“Continue to do things that result in winning and come in and make an impact whenever you get a chance,” Burns said of what he thought it would take to secure a spot on an NBA roster.
Burns also quickly learned about the improvements he needed to make as he took his first steps as a professional.
“Just adapting to the pace and how fast we play,” he said two games after his Summer League debut.
“Deciding to climb a lot faster, being able to recover and come back – and continue to do that consistently was an adjustment, I would say.”
Burns left Vegas averaging 5.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists while logging 11.9 minutes in four games for the Cavaliers.
He shot 55.6% from the field, ranking him in the top 40 in shooting percentage among players with at least three games in the 2024 Summer League.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
