Dane MizutaniWeb Editorial AssociateEmail / TwitterA pack of Bruins will occupy the court Wednesday night when the Wolves take on the Memphis Grizzlies to kickoff the NBA season — Zach LaVine and Shabazz Muhammad for Minnesota and Jordan Adams for Memphis.
And while the trio donned the UCLA uniform in recent years, the camaraderie will take a backseat for 48 minutes on Wednesday night.
Adams played with Muhammad for a season before Muhammad left early for the league, and with LaVine for a season before both players jumped to the NBA. LaVine was close with Adams in his time with the Bruins and said they still keep in touch.
“I’m about to text him tonight,” he said. “It’s always good seeing your old friends and teammates. I’m hoping and wishing him the best. I know he’s doing a good job.”
Muhammad had the best collegiate career of the trio. He averaged 17.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in his only season with UCLA. Adams wasn’t too far behind at 16.4 points per game in two seasons with the Bruins, enough to earn him the No. 22 selection in the 2014 NBA Draft. LaVine was a distant third with 9.4 points per game, though his athleticism stood out and made him a better prospect than Muhammad and Adams.
It remains to be seen whether any of the three players will breakout this season. Muhammad has a chance to work his way into the rotation for Flip Saunders, while LaVine will likely take most of this season to learn from veterans like Ricky Rubio and Mo Williams. That said he’ll definitely see minutes this season. Adams, on the other hand, will likely backup Courtney Lee and Tony Allen at shooting guard for the Grizzlies and will likely see limited action this season.
“It’s really cool that we accomplished our dream,” LaVine said. “We’re playing [in the NBA]. We’re at our highest goals, playing against each other in the NBA. It’s … crazy going in college playing against each other to playing each other in the NBA. It’s a blessing. I wish him all the best. … If we get in the game at the same time, we’re going to go at it just like practice.”