To Myles Turner, veteran center with the Indiana Pacers, social media often hurts the NBA because it leads to younger fans overhyping prospects with “cutesy handles.” As Turner said in a recent podcast, many of these prospects enter with a sense of entitlement.
He does, however, see an exception in Jalen Green, drafted No. 2 overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2021 first round.
Buy Rockets TicketsNow entering his third season, Green was Houston’s leading scorer at 22.1 points per game in 2022-23, and many around the team are hopeful of Green enjoying a further breakthrough in 2023-24.
If that happens, it sounds like Turner wouldn’t be surprised. Here’s what the University of Texas product said on a newly released episode of the Tidal League podcast (via Dave Hardisty, ClutchFans):
The one kid who I will say who had a lot of that hype, and I’m actually really impressed with how he’s handling it, is Jalen Green. Jalen Green came [into the league] with a lot of that hype, bro, even before he got to the [G League] Ignite with that social media stuff.
Watching him develop into the player he is right now… I have to give him a shout out. It’s actually really impressive. That sh*t is hard.
For Green, it’s a strong personal and professional endorsement from one of the NBA’s better defensive bigs of this era.
Coincidentally, Green and the Rockets will open up their 2023-24 preseason versus Turner and the Pacers on Tuesday, Oct. 10.
Myles Turner says social media is hurting the NBA with younger fans overhyping prospects with "cutesy handles" that come in with a sense of entitlement.
But he sees an exception.
"The one kid who I will say who had a lot of that hype, and I'm actually really impressed with how… pic.twitter.com/cANXAaPklU
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) September 14, 2023
