The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. The former Camden star, who won an NCAA title at Louisville and an NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers, watched his highly-touted grandson score 15 points in his debut for the Panthers. The Panthers finally broke through last season, winning the 2022 state championship. I love the spirit hell bring to practice every day, and I love that he wanted to be at Kentucky. Rick Brunson changes course, returns as Camden basketball coach November 12, 2021 Ron "Itchy" Smith, legendary Camden High basketball player, dies shortly after having number retired The six-foot-one guard, a member of the class of 1960, was the first player . After an introduction by the school board president, Wagner takes the microphone and thanks the crowd. Noah, who went from the Lawrenceville School to a two-time national champion at Florida, is a two-time NBA All-Star who was named the league's defensive player of the year in 2014. "That was big for me," Milt, now 59, says. With families sometimes struggling to make ends meet, the one thing these kids could count on was a ball and a hoop, and their local rec league team tearing it up. I tell him thats what determines great players. About Sharing Tools. But what no one knew at the time what no one dared dream . That flash of brilliance was enough to put him on this list even if his professional career is a series of what-ifs, with Wagner appearing in just 103 games after scoring 13.4 points a game as a rookie. He underwent surgery to have a portion of his colon removed, and by 2006 he was out of the league. Same hype. DJ Wagner the No. Steve Politi may be reached atspoliti@njadvancemedia.com. All-Time Roster - Camden Panthers Basketball (Camden, NJ) - MaxPreps.com The Perth Amboy native is a two-time ABA champion who successfully made the transition to the NBA, where he averaged a career-high 17 points a game for the Kansas City Kings in 1976. Camden High School's new head basketball coach Maalik Wayns instructs his players during the boys basketball game between Camden and Rancocas Valley . If you have or know of an interesting story to tell, reach out on Twitter at @JFriedman57 or via email at jfriedman2@gannettnj.com. He said he is most proud of his grandsons team-first approach to the game. With D.J. Everyone says thats your calling and Im like yeah, yeah, yeah, Brunson said. He didnt realize he was walking into a surprise birthday party, with a crowd of anxious family and friends around the corner. Youve lived a long life in terms of, basketball wise, you did a lot, so why not help them? He is a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2023 recruiting class. Camden High School, Camden (NJ) Basketball Players - RealGM Melchionni, who starred at Bishop Eustace Prep in Pennsauken, was a reserve on the 1967 NBA champion 76ers before moving to the ABA, where he played seven years for the Nets. He was drafted 6th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2002 NBA draft . 6 min read. But fans watching will recognize some of the top lineups in the nation, playing under team names inspired by their high schools. Meanwhile, D.J. 12 in the 1987 Draft and is the shortest player ever to play in the NBA. Wagner's colitis condition was not amenable to medication and, after consulting with New York Knicks head coach Larry Brown, who referred him to a New York medical expert, he underwent surgery to remove half his colon on October 25, 2005, at Mount Sinai Hospital. Along the way, he played in nearly 800 games and twice played in the NBA Finals. Thats unbelievable, Milt Wagner said. to drum up support. Wagner was named New Jersey's high school basketball player of the year. Yet, in the days following his decision, he couldnt sleep. For family of basketball stars, Camden's Dajuan Wagner Jr. proving best He finished six points shy of 8,000 for his career, and then became one of the top players for the expansion Minnesota Timberwolves. Wagner scored 15 points in his debut for the Panthers. The West Orange native was the No. In these cases, the average was taken. In a stunning turnaround, the same crowd that had been laughing at his size just hours before was now chanting his name. many NBA First Round Draft Picks, College All-Americans and McDonald's All-Americans. The team started looking out for each other, and ego no longer was an issue. [4][5] At the end of the season he had an average of 31.9 points per game. Growing up, the two friends would always play on the same team together. Each era has its uniqueness. I think it helped elevate my profile.". He's only getting better, too. While he only played in the NBA for one season, many believed that Hill --one of the greatest basketball players in Newark history -- was reportedly blackballed by the 1961-62 St. Louis Hawks in order to let the star white players score more points. ", Like they once celebrated his grandfather and father, the people of Camden have embraced D.J., and the block party is his way to give back. The Elizabeth native, known for an ever-present headband after he suffered a serious head injury as a child, played for eight different teams during his 12-season career. … Im committed to the long haul at Camden High.. Who did we rank too high? Last year, when Camden County needed help getting more people vaccinated against COVID-19, it called on D.J. With their dominance, they were unofficially crowned the best high school team of all time by many. The chemistry the team had was built years prior. This was Turner's last state championship team. Not many dispute it. Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. Wiping out every opponent, Dunbar was so good that they felt their practices were more intense than actual games. Featuring four future NBA players, the Dunbar Poets from 1981-1983 have made their case to be the best high school basketball team of all time. The Roselle native was never an All-Star in the NBA but he was, for stretches of his career, a prolific scorer. Youve lived your life. The basketball, his dad has that and the kid has a lot of natural tools, Milt Wagner said. The 48-year-old Washington Township resident reached out to the school and rescinded his resignation. The game was played on November 11, 2006 with the Warriors defeating the Detroit Pistons 111 - 79. He grew up in a Camden suburb and enrolled as a nonresident student at the Camden Big Picture Learning Academy, a city magnet school whose students can compete on Camden High sports teams. They looked on with joy as Muggsy and Kim who met him at a Dunbar alumni game renewed their vows. Both played in McDonald's All-American games before going on to college and eventually the pros. D.J. Why DJ Wagner, college basketball's No. 1 recruit in high school class Well, these have been two ridiculous seasons for the Piscataway native and St. Joseph's (Metuchen) star. But it is truly part of our fabric," Carstarphen says. [12], His coach, John Calipari, revoked Wagner's scholarship after his freshman year to force him to enter the NBA, because Calipari believed that Wagner should not avoid the money he would receive as a first-round draft pick.[13][14]. He won all seven state titles between 1974-87, a remarkable run of great players, great teams and great moments. I grew up with five brothers and sisters all having different fathers. He felt it was the right time to start pursuing those aims. In five years, Camden had lost only one game at home. Even more surprising, he didnt realize he was walking into a surprise wedding his own. Wagner, who signed with the Wildcats during the early period, chose Kentucky over archrival Louisville. He wants to lead an NBA franchise. No one knows your passion or heart like you do.. He played one season at the University of Memphis and was the No. The Columbia High and Seton Hall graduate had a long and productive career in the NBA, one that started in 1988 with Portland and ended in 2003 in Boston. In ESPN's initial mock 2024 NBA Draft, Wagner is projected as a top-10 pick. He has languished on some bad teams during his 12 years as a pro, including the woeful Brooklyn Nets last season. If D.J., ranked by ESPN as the No. He (Dajuan) was a middle-school phenom and D.J. Ford, who played at Holy Family Spirit High in Absecon, is better known as a head coach than as a player. They knew each others games well. He has verbally committed to play at the University of Kentucky. [10], In the middle of his junior season, Wagner saw his ranking of number one player in the class of 2023 drop to third by Rivals after holding the reign of consensus number one pick in the class of 2023 for two years since 2020. FindNJ.com on Facebook. Wagner came of age as a player at a time when his city was in a downward spiral, and even then, he could sense that Camden High basketball was a civic lifeline. Since retiring in 2001, Muggsy has coached in the WNBA, coached high school basketball, and been a team ambassador for the Charlotte Hornets. But the pandemic halted the school's drive for a state championship. Former Temple star, NBA player Rick Brunson coaching Camden High School It just kind of flows over.". Notes: Knox is the brother of former UK and current NBA player Kevin Knox; . He was born here. Milt Wagner, a legendary Camden High basketball player who won an NCAA title at Louisville and an NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers, watched his son Dajuan Wagner take the court for the Panthers as a freshman in the late 1990s. Noticing that players would start to falter defensively in the second half, he would have his players hold bricks while doing their workouts and sprints. A tragic car accident during his rookie year with the Sacramento Kings devastated his chances of having an elite professional career. I think he did well, Milt Wagner said of D.J. Send along your thoughts. Jimmy Butler and Tom Thibodeau remain linked. CAMDEN, NJ - The Camden High School community honored one of its best basketball players of all time on Friday night over 60 years after he graduated. 1 and it isn't Bronny", "Son of former Memphis star Dajuan Wagner excels at USA", "Basketball is a Passion Three Generations in the Making for Dajuan Wagner Jr", "Boys basketball: D.J. He played one year of college basketball at the University of Memphis. This biographical article relating to a United States basketball player, coach, or other figure born in the 2000s is a stub. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Camden basketball team to play Sierra Canyon at 2021 HoopHall Classic Taking it upon himself to win this game, Bogues led Dunbar to a dominating victory, 84-59. But college recruiting was no easy field. I just jumped in with them, I made it, why cant you? Just as a stunned crowd in a Camden High gym did almost 40 years earlier. There is no bigger name in this hoops loving city, where over the decades "Wagner" has become synonymous with championships.
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