- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,198,476
- Reaction score
- 59
Joshua Jefferson was Mr. Do-it-All with Iowa State basketball and since that chapter with the Cyclones closed back in March, he's seemingly experienced all the emotions one can possibly feel.
Although known for his unflappable, stoic demeanor, the 6-foot-9 forward hasn't been shy when it comes to expressing his sentiments throughout the whirlwind of the last few months.
There was the frustration he felt when he suffered an ankle injury in the opening minutes of a NCAA Tournament first-round beatdown of Tennessee State.
There were publicly shed tears when that injury proved to be the devastating end to his illustrious All-American season. He didn't get a proper ending to his collegiate career and was forced to watch his team fall to Tennessee in the Sweet 16.
Jefferson battled back with resilience, as he rehabbed and tried to put his best effort on display throughout the pre-draft process.
He dealt with nervousness and excitement while he took in the atmosphere at the Barclays Center for the 2026 NBA Draft. He didn't receive a green room invitation, but he made sure to be in attendance, even if it meant sitting in the stands until it was time to hear his name called.
Now, he's experiencing the joy and gratitude that come with the culmination of a childhood dream.
"I'm just waiting on my agent to give the call," Jefferson said of his experience sitting in the stands on draft night. "Let me know what's happening and before he was even able to call me, there's cameras and ESPN people like, 'Are you Joshua?' Then Adam Silver walks up there, got a call from my agent, lets me know what's happening.
"It just happened really fast, kind of blacked out for a little bit. Don't even remember what the commissioner said to me when he shook my hand, but all in all, it was a great experience. Really happy that I went, a once-in-a-lifetime type thing to happen in your life."
More: Iowa State basketball's Joshua Jefferson bets on himself again | Hines
Jefferson was drafted 28th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves, but he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets.
Since draft night, he's gotten to know the personnel around the Nets and toured the facilities. He's met half of his teammates so far, but unfortunately for Jefferson, he's been limited in terms of practices.
The trade from Minnesota to Brooklyn will be finalized on July 6. In the meantime, he's been working out individually and mentally preparing himself, since he can't officially practice with the team.
As a result, he will also miss the California Classic Summer League, a four-team, round-robin event that will serve as a precursor to the NBA Summer League. The Nets will compete in a four-team pod from July 4-6 that is hosted by the Sacramento Kings, and it will also feature the Golden State Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks.
The wait is a buzzkill after a momentous moment for Jefferson. However, it has only built the anticipation for NBA Summer League, which will run from July 9-19 in Jefferson's hometown, Las Vegas.
"Kind of sucks that I won't have some of the reps that the guys are getting right now within the system, and then getting those three games in Sacramento, but trying to get as many mental reps as I can," Jefferson said. "Learning the terminology, then Vegas is just trying to go in there and compete, win as many games as we can."
In his final college season, Jefferson earned All-Big 12 honors for the second year in a row. He was also Iowa State's first unanimous All-American since Georges Niang in 2016.
He averaged a career-best 16.4 points, with 7.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. He shot 47.1% overall and 34.5% from long range. Jefferson became the first player in school and Big 12 history to record multiple triple-doubles during conference play in a single season.
A versatile, playmaking big man with a high usage rate at Iowa State, Jefferson initially expected to see the ball less in his hands as a rookie — at least to start — but his conversations with the Nets' front office may suggest otherwise.
More: What the Brooklyn Nets are getting in Iowa State's Joshua Jefferson
"As rookies, usually you don't walk into that kind of role, and the GM was like, 'Well, I think that's what your value is, having the ball in your hands and processing,' and so I think I'll have the opportunity to still showcase my skill set in that way," Jefferson said. "But, overall, they're really high on me. They think I'm a great fit within their team. I think that's why they traded up to pick me, so a lot of gratefulness from them believing in me so much. Just going to make their choice really worth it."
Brooklyn finished 20-62 last season.
In addition to Jefferson, the Nets also drafted Louisville's Mikel Brown Jr. (sixth overall) and UCLA's Tyler Bilodeau (43rd overall).
They have also tried to improve their roster by bringing in three-time NBA All-Star Julius Randle via trade this offseason, among other moves.
While he was at Iowa State, he studied plenty of film on Randle, who is another playmaking big man. He's excited to learn from him and his new teammates, as he tries to carve out his place in the NBA.
"Just seeing what my role is going to be for the team that our coach wants from me, then accepting that and excelling in that," Jefferson said. "Being able to learn from all the vets that we have is going to be huge for me. ... I'm going to be asking a lot of questions, just kind of going back four years to when I was a freshman, just taking on that same role of being a sponge, learning as much as I can, and then getting better on the fly."
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State star Joshua Jefferson aims to be a sponge for Brooklyn Nets
Continue reading...
Although known for his unflappable, stoic demeanor, the 6-foot-9 forward hasn't been shy when it comes to expressing his sentiments throughout the whirlwind of the last few months.
There was the frustration he felt when he suffered an ankle injury in the opening minutes of a NCAA Tournament first-round beatdown of Tennessee State.
There were publicly shed tears when that injury proved to be the devastating end to his illustrious All-American season. He didn't get a proper ending to his collegiate career and was forced to watch his team fall to Tennessee in the Sweet 16.
Jefferson battled back with resilience, as he rehabbed and tried to put his best effort on display throughout the pre-draft process.
He dealt with nervousness and excitement while he took in the atmosphere at the Barclays Center for the 2026 NBA Draft. He didn't receive a green room invitation, but he made sure to be in attendance, even if it meant sitting in the stands until it was time to hear his name called.
Now, he's experiencing the joy and gratitude that come with the culmination of a childhood dream.
"I'm just waiting on my agent to give the call," Jefferson said of his experience sitting in the stands on draft night. "Let me know what's happening and before he was even able to call me, there's cameras and ESPN people like, 'Are you Joshua?' Then Adam Silver walks up there, got a call from my agent, lets me know what's happening.
"It just happened really fast, kind of blacked out for a little bit. Don't even remember what the commissioner said to me when he shook my hand, but all in all, it was a great experience. Really happy that I went, a once-in-a-lifetime type thing to happen in your life."
More: Iowa State basketball's Joshua Jefferson bets on himself again | Hines
Jefferson was drafted 28th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves, but he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets.
Since draft night, he's gotten to know the personnel around the Nets and toured the facilities. He's met half of his teammates so far, but unfortunately for Jefferson, he's been limited in terms of practices.
The trade from Minnesota to Brooklyn will be finalized on July 6. In the meantime, he's been working out individually and mentally preparing himself, since he can't officially practice with the team.
As a result, he will also miss the California Classic Summer League, a four-team, round-robin event that will serve as a precursor to the NBA Summer League. The Nets will compete in a four-team pod from July 4-6 that is hosted by the Sacramento Kings, and it will also feature the Golden State Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks.
The wait is a buzzkill after a momentous moment for Jefferson. However, it has only built the anticipation for NBA Summer League, which will run from July 9-19 in Jefferson's hometown, Las Vegas.
"Kind of sucks that I won't have some of the reps that the guys are getting right now within the system, and then getting those three games in Sacramento, but trying to get as many mental reps as I can," Jefferson said. "Learning the terminology, then Vegas is just trying to go in there and compete, win as many games as we can."
In his final college season, Jefferson earned All-Big 12 honors for the second year in a row. He was also Iowa State's first unanimous All-American since Georges Niang in 2016.
He averaged a career-best 16.4 points, with 7.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. He shot 47.1% overall and 34.5% from long range. Jefferson became the first player in school and Big 12 history to record multiple triple-doubles during conference play in a single season.
A versatile, playmaking big man with a high usage rate at Iowa State, Jefferson initially expected to see the ball less in his hands as a rookie — at least to start — but his conversations with the Nets' front office may suggest otherwise.
More: What the Brooklyn Nets are getting in Iowa State's Joshua Jefferson
"As rookies, usually you don't walk into that kind of role, and the GM was like, 'Well, I think that's what your value is, having the ball in your hands and processing,' and so I think I'll have the opportunity to still showcase my skill set in that way," Jefferson said. "But, overall, they're really high on me. They think I'm a great fit within their team. I think that's why they traded up to pick me, so a lot of gratefulness from them believing in me so much. Just going to make their choice really worth it."
Brooklyn finished 20-62 last season.
In addition to Jefferson, the Nets also drafted Louisville's Mikel Brown Jr. (sixth overall) and UCLA's Tyler Bilodeau (43rd overall).
They have also tried to improve their roster by bringing in three-time NBA All-Star Julius Randle via trade this offseason, among other moves.
While he was at Iowa State, he studied plenty of film on Randle, who is another playmaking big man. He's excited to learn from him and his new teammates, as he tries to carve out his place in the NBA.
"Just seeing what my role is going to be for the team that our coach wants from me, then accepting that and excelling in that," Jefferson said. "Being able to learn from all the vets that we have is going to be huge for me. ... I'm going to be asking a lot of questions, just kind of going back four years to when I was a freshman, just taking on that same role of being a sponge, learning as much as I can, and then getting better on the fly."
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State star Joshua Jefferson aims to be a sponge for Brooklyn Nets
Continue reading...
