The Jalen Duren File
- 13th Overall Pick in the 2022 NBA Draft
- 2022 All-AAC Tournament (NCAA)
- Led AAC (NCAA) in blocks (61) and rebounds per game (8.1), 2021-22
Age is just a number
Jalen Duren might have entered the league in 2022 as the NBA's youngest player at the time, but unless you checked his birth certificate for confirmation, you'd believe there is a misprint. The big man is known as a mature, high character guy, which impresses even his head coach Dwane Casey. Although there are times that Duren can remind you of his youth, making many people take notice of his rather unorthodox method of contesting shots. Even if he's not in position, Duren likes to try and distract shooters, believing that can be just as effective as contesting a shot in someone's air space. It's something that has caught the attention of people around the league, as something goofy that others can laugh about, no matter how much the strategy might work.
Duren is no stranger to making history though. When he made his debut to tip-off the 2022 NBA season, he became the first player in NBA history born after LeBron James' debut, to make their own debut in the league. LeBron first debuted on Oct. 29, 2003, and played his 11th game in the league by the time Duren was born on Nov. 18, 2003.