The Allen File
- Drafted 22nd overall by the Brooklyn Nets in the 2017 NBA Draft
- All-Star, 2021
- 2015-16 McDonald's All American
"The Fro" is more than just the game
Jarrett Allen's career is anything but conventional. This 6'11" center is a nerd at heart, which contributed to a drop in draft stock as teams began to question Allen's, "love of the game." He's an incredible basketball player that apparently was too honest for some teams, answering a question about basketball about as brutally honest as only he can.
His reply would change the trajectory of his NBA career. The lover of computers, math, science, and his family believed that basketball wasn't the only thing in life, there were other things off the hardwood. Failing that interview led him to the Brooklyn Nets, where he developed under then-head coach Kenny Atkinson. His signature moment came on a December night in 2018, when he blocked a potentially posterizing dunk form LeBron James.
After a few years in Brooklyn, Allen blossomed and eventually found himself en route to Cleveland as part of the trade that sent James Harden to the Nets. Allen has become a star in Cleveland, a versatile big man that always demands your undivided attention. He might be a nerd, but he's a unique personality in a league that lets them shine. "The Fro" couldn't possibly be a more likable guy, so just try and remember that the next time he puts a ferocious block on your favorite player coming down the lane, only to then watch live feeds of whatever NASA is doing after the game. All in all, Allen reminds people that there is such a thing as work-life balance, that your job doesn't always have to be the only thing you do in life.