The passing along of wisdom, particularly in the Black community, is a rite of passage. Learning from an Elder or an “OG” is a core part of Black culture and can even find roots in the historic nature of storytelling and oral history exchanges.
NBA veteran Andre Drummond has found himself in the proverbial seat of an uncle and was recorded dropping some knowledge on a group of young athletes while coaching.
But what makes Drummond’s words of wisdom worth digesting for future and practical use?
Drummond is a Mount Vernon, NY, native. The center entered the league in 2012 as the ninth pick of the Detroit Pistons. As a current player for the Chicago Bulls, Drummond has experienced a range of career highlights, including making the NBA All-Rookie Team 2nd Team in 2013.
While he’s spent time with other NBA teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Brooklyn Nets during his ten-season career, his current placement with the Bulls is proving beneficial.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Fan Nation, the 29-year-old picked up his player option with the Bulls, manifesting a desire to return to the Windy City.
NBCSports reports Drummond snagged a two-year deal worth $6.5 million in summer 2022, using a mid-level exception. The move granted him a player option for the second year. After the NBA player opts into his contract, he will make around $3.3 million next season.
His current contract will take his overall career earnings to an estimated $141.7 million, based on data from Spotrac.
In addition to his on-court earnings, a 2020 Forbes profile notes that Andre Drummond has sponsorships from Anheuser Busch InBev, Electronic Arts, JBL, Pandora Media, and Panini, bringing his endorsement money to $1 million.
Drummond’s endorsements and on-court earnings have led to Celebrity Net Worth estimating his net worth at $40 million.
Although Andre Drummond’s fortune is no small amount, he is realistic in the financial difference from the height of his career in 2016 to now.
In a video clip posted on social media, Drummond shows tough love to a group of young athletes. Using himself as an example of what not to do and what attitude to avoid, Drummond keeps it 100 about how fast things can change.
“To be pouting on the bench, making faces, not cheering your f-cking teammates on when we’re down eight the entire game, come back and go up by three, and you’re not celebrating that,” Drummond said in the video posted on Instagram. “I’m gonna tell you something — fellas, I was that guy. I was a $100 million guy.”
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“I was pouting. I was upset when I wasn’t playing. And I had a bad attitude. I went from $100 million to a f-cking league minimum. They don’t care how many rebounds you get. How many threes you make; they care about you being as a person. Are you a good teammate? Are you a good locker room guy? Are you someone they can count on each and every night,” Drummond continued.
Drummond’s advice is more than hearsay. Spotrac data further showed that Drummond’s most expansive contract came in 2016, earning over $127 million over five years.
Based on the passion displayed in the video, it seems that Drummond hopes to motivate the young athletes and use his life as a lesson on how to handle themselves in the business and operations of basketball.
Kudos to him.
