Jared Dudley is naturally a fun guy, and whenever he speaks, you know he’ll come up with something weird that will make you laugh. That was the case when he played and now that he’s retired and coaching the Dallas Mavericks, nothing has changed for the 14-year NBA veteran.
Many people remember when he beefed with Ben Simmons during the 2019 NBA playoffs, criticizing the then Philadelphia 76ers’ star moves on the court, giving fans the rivalry we didn’t know we needed.
After that, Dudley went on to become an NBA champion with the Lakers, earning a lot of respect and admiration from fans. He’s always been that cool dude that can tell you a fun story at any time, and there’s one from his draft day that is pretty funny.
Jared Dudley Thought He’d Play Alongside Kobe Bryant On Lakers
Back in 2007, Dudley entered the league as the 22nd overall pick, selected by the Charlotte Bobcats. He thought he would be selected before, by one of the biggest winners in NBA history, but it was just a mistake he made. During a recent appearance on the Run Your Race podcast, Dudley revealed why he thought he would join the Los Angeles Lakers.
“Here’s a funny little story was, the 18th pick for the Lakers was Javaris Crittenton, right? And, how they announced it, it was, ‘with the 18th pick, the Los Angeles Lakers select Ja… Ja… Javaris.’ I think they’re saying ‘Jared.’ I’m like, ‘ooooh, I’m going with Kobe!’ He pump-faked me, I’m like, ‘oh, oh…'”
He fell for that and was convinced he would go to SoCal to join forces with Kobe Bryant, who would go to the Finals the next year. In the end, Dudley would join the Lakers to play alongside another all-time great, LeBron James. They won a championship together and were really close until Dudley left for the Dallas Mavericks.
Dudley was never a star, but he thrived at his role, even during his last season, where he served as a player-coach for younger players.
