DeShawn Stevenson is turning pro.
Stevenson, a 6-foot-5 high school senior guard from Fresno, Calif.’s Washington High, said Tuesday night he will today enter his name for the 2000 NBA Draft.
“It’s always been my dream. I’ve been told I’m going to be taken in the first round so I’m going to the NBA,” Stevenson said by phone from his home in Fresno, Calif.
“It’s very hard to make this decision. Coach Williams (Roy, head coach) and Neil Dougherty (assistant) are the two greatest coaches. Kansas showed me a lot of love. It’s a hard decision but I wanted to go and try to play in the NBA.”
Stevenson said he’d likely have fulfilled his commitment to play at Kansas — he signed with the Jayhawks in November — had he recorded a qualifying score on the ACT or SAT tests. He’s still awaiting scores on both tests, which doesn’t matter now. He can’t change his mind once he applies for the NBA Draft.
“I think if I’d have passed the test earlier I’d be going to Kansas,” Stevenson said, noting, “my mother is upset about it. She wants me to go to college. She told me, ‘You should be going to Kansas.”‘
Stevenson’s mother and stepdad, in fact, are livid Stevenson has chosen the NBA route.
Terry Popps, Stevenson’s stepdad, told ESPN.com he believes shoe company adidas pushed DeShawn Stevenson to declare for the draft.
Stevenson played for the adidas-sponsored and Fresno-based Elite Basketball Organization for the past four years.
Sonny Vaccaro, who runs adidas’ summer basketball program, denied Popps’ charge.
“The kid wants to come out,” Vaccaro said. “He came to me and asked me, ‘Where do you think I’ll go.’ My answer was, ‘You’re definitely going in the first round, but you could do a lot better.”‘
“(My family) is trying to hurt adidas,” the 19-year-old Stevenson countered “They had nothing to do with it. My family is being a poor sport about it.”
Stevenson is banking on the fact he’ll be a first-rounder.
“People told me I can go first-round,” Stevenson told the Journal-World, not identifying those people. “To hear I can go in the first round and play with Allen Iverson … it’s what I want to do.
“I’d love to play for the Sacramento Kings. They need a two-guard.”
As of Tuesday night, Stevenson had not informed KU coach Roy Williams of his decision.
“Coach is in California doing something, but I told coach Dougherty and he said he’d tell coach,” Stevenson said. “I feel real bad for coach Williams and everybody who expected me to come to Kansas. I think if I’d have come, we’d have gone to the Final Four every year.”
Williams did not return a phone call Tuesday, ostensibly because he was out of town.
Though some former high schoolers like Korleone Young have been left wanting on draft day, Stevenson is confident he’ll make it.
“Yes I can play there. If I sit the bench, I’ll learn. I know my game. I know I can play. I will not quit. I can be Kobe and sit the bench awhile. I’ll be making a living playing basketball.”
Kobe Bryant entered the NBA out of high school in 1996 and sat most of his rookie year with the Lakers. He’s currently a marquee player.
“Nothing scares me,” Stevenson said. “Kobe was the only other shooting guard to come out of high school and I’ll be the next one. Everybody else who has come out was a small forward or power forward.”
The sad part is, Stevenson may not have had his full attention toward taking the standardized tests, his dad indicated. Stevenson pretty much has had his mind set on turning pro, especially after winning the slam dunk contest at the McDonald’s All-America game.
“He knew all along that he was going,” Popps said. “We are scared for him. I’m not saying he won’t do well. The league is very young. I don’t think there’s enough room for DeShawn. I wouldn’t be disappointed if he went late second round. If he goes early first, I would be very happy. But we thought if he went two years at Kansas he would be a lottery pick.”
Second round means no guarantee money, but Stevenson says he’s not changing his mind.
“It’s my decision,” he said, simply.
