Andre Drummond shares precious advice with young players

Andre Drummond been through a lot in the NBA.

© Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Chicago Bulls big man Andre Drummond has been playing in the NBA since 2012, and he's experienced his fair share of highs and lows. From being a two-time All-Star, an All-NBA team member, and a four-time rebounding champion to becoming a backup center in recent years, Drummond's NBA journey has been a rollercoaster, to say the least.

Having been in the league for so long, Drummond also knows what it takes to be successful in the NBA, but also how to be serviceable. While speaking to young basketball players, he shared some nuggets of wisdom, which he hopes would help them on their own basketball journeys.

Not just about basketball skills

Drummond emphasized that as crucial as basketball skills are, character is just as important. Players can demonstrate this through their behavior when they are on the bench.

"To be pouting on the bench, making faces, not cheering your teammates on when we are down eight the entire game and come back and lead by three, you're not celebrating that?" Drummond shared.

"Let me tell you something because I was that guy, a $100 million guy, 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. It's a personal story I'm sharing with you guys right now," Drummond continued.

Andre Drummond kept it real with young hoopers 💯

(via @AndreDrummond) pic.twitter.com/jZ4IW4or6O

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 10, 2023

In 2016, Drummond signed a five-year, $127-million contract with Detroit, where he was pegged to be the main man of the franchise. And while he did have massive individual success, the Pistons floundered, and Drummond was eventually traded to Cleveland in 2020. Stops in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Brooklyn followed before he signed a two-year deal with Chicago.

Preaching consistency

Drummond preached consistency to the youngsters, saying that having impressive numbers is great, but decision-makers ultimately want to know if you can be consistent in everything you do—whether you're playing a ton of minutes or not.

"They don't care how many rebounds you get or how many threes you make; they care about you being a good person, are you a good teammate, are you a good locker room guy, are you somebody they can count on each and every single night, it's all about consistency. Play 100% every single time you step on that f*cking floor," Andre shared.