P.J. Tucker’s NBA journey is one of the best examples of determination in modern basketball. While many fans remember him as a tough defender, corner three-point expert, and NBA champion, Tucker said that his basketball story nearly ended with heartbreak.
Speaking on the NBA Take Two Show after officially announcing his retirement, Tucker reflected on the emotions he experienced during the 2006 NBA Draft.
“I never thought I played 20 years looking at that kid. He has no idea. Like, and that is so crazy to me. Like now finally being, at the end, I could tell him.”
“But he would never believe or understand everything that he would go through and everything that he would experience and see, good and bad.”
“Just seeing the journey, because that day was like heartbreaking for me. Going 35th. I remember crying in the hotel room with my best friend, having a party at my mom’s house and everybody was there. I didn’t want to watch the actual draft with anybody except my best friend.”
“I was projected to go from like 16 to 35. So it was like getting to 35 was crushing, heartbreaking, going to a team I didn’t work out for. It was just so many things, but it ended up being a blessing in the end.”
Coming out of Texas, Tucker was projected to be drafted anywhere between the 16th and 35th picks. He had hoped that he would be taken in the first round, but more and more picks passed by and the disappointment kept growing.
And at that time, it felt like one of the worst nights of his life. But it turned out to be the start of an incredible career built through resilience rather than instant success.
Selected 35th overall by the Toronto Raptors, Tucker struggled to establish himself in the NBA during his rookie season and was quickly bounced out of the league. Instead of giving up, he spent years playing overseas in Israel, Ukraine, Greece, Italy, Germany, and Puerto Rico, as he became one of the toughest and most versatile role players.
Over the following years, Tucker suited up for the Raptors, Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers, and New York Knicks. No matter where he played, his role remained the same: defend the opposing team’s best scorer, battle on the glass, and make winning plays that never show up on the box score.
The crowning moment of his career came in 2021, when he helped the Milwaukee Bucks win the NBA championship next to Giannis Antetokounmpo. His physical defense and veteran leadership proved instrumental during the Bucks’ title run.
Across his 14 NBA seasons, Tucker averaged 6.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.1 steals while shooting 42.5% from the field and 36.6% from three-point range. He earned over $90 million in NBA salary, despite entering the league as a second-round pick.
For Tucker, the tears he shed in that hotel room on draft night became the first chapter of a beautiful story. What initially felt like heartbreak became a career defined by determination, sacrifice, and championship success, as he showed that draft position doesn’t determine a player’s legacy.
