Congratulations, Jordan Hawkins! The New Orleans Pelicans selected the 21-year-old as the No. 14 pick in Thursday’s 2023 NBA Draft Pick night. Hawkins will be coming in straight from the University of Connecticut.
“He definitely understands who he is. He takes pride in what gets him on the court, and he understands what his game really is,” David Griffin, the Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations, said, according to The Athletic. “I think the winning nature of his background and the way he approaches the game really fits well with us. I know our coaching staff was really excited when they saw him work out.”
Hawkins was congratulated by Angel Reese, who is none other than his cousin.
“Proud of youuu! We in the CITYYYY,” she tweeted at the news of his draft pick.
Proud of youuu! We in the CITYYYY https://t.co/u5CAOaWVmW
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) June 23, 2023
Reese was hoping the Pelicans would pick Hawkins ahead of the 2023 NBA Draft Pick ceremony.
“@PelicansNBA get right tonight with @golive23 you getting a KILLA!” she wrote.
@PelicansNBA get right tonight with @golive23 you getting a KILLA!
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) June 22, 2023
Hawkins averaged 16.3 points per game on 50 percent shooting in his latest NCAA Tournament run, according to the New York Post.
Talent clearly runs in the family. Reese has led LSU to a historic victory with a championship win against the Iowa Hawkeyes last April. Since then, she has been pursuing her college career and has been racking up several NIL deals with brands such as Mielle Organics and STARRY.