How Did Cavaliers Rookie D.J. Burns Handle Overnight Stardom?

Burns became a household name during the NCAA Tournament, leading NC State to. Final Four

N.C. State star D.J. Burns meets with the media as a member of the the Cavaliers summer league roster days before games begin. / Spencer German

It's hard to know how anyone would handle gaining instantaneous fame.

There are countless examples of athletes becoming overwhelmed by the fraudulent but addictive feeling of status that comes with being famous – think Johnny Manziel at Texas A&M. New Cleveland Cavaliers forward D.J. Burns is living proof of the opposite, however.

During the NCAA Tournament, Burns essentially became a star overnight as he helped lead NC State on a memorable run to the Final Four. The 6-foot-9 big man pieced together some impressive performances during the the Month of March, as the Wolfpack first secured a bid in the Big Dance by emerging as a surprising winner of the ACC Tournament. Burns scored in double figures in each round of the conference tourney, including a 20-point, seven-rebound effort against UNC in the championship game.

He wasn't done though,recording several more standout performances during March Madness as well – most notably, perhaps – a 29-point outing to take down four-seeded Duke in the Elite 8. Burns also caught people's attention for showing off some nimble footwork despite being 275-pounds at the time and for his infectious personality he showcased throughout the month-long tournament.

Several months later Burns is looking to parley his notoriety into fulfillin a lifelong dream of making it to the NBA. He'll spend the next several weeks with the Cavs as part of their summer league roster. As the 23-year-old heads to Las Vegas, he's already well equipped to handle the bright lines after experiencing overnight fame earlier this spring.

"It was kind of cool," Burns said of his meteoric rise to stardom. "I loved it until we got home and it takes like 20 minutes to get to my car. But other than that I enjoyed it a lot, that's the only thing."

Got a fun answer out of new #Cavs big man D.J. Burns about what it was like to become a star overnight during March Madness pic.twitter.com/lzp06RA1qy

— 𝚂𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛 𝙶𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚗 (@Spencito_) July 10, 2024

Burns certainly didn't become consumed by the experiences the way others have. After going undrafted a couple weeks back, he remains humbled by his journey to this point and is hoping to prove himself worthy of a roster spot with the Cavs.

Physically Burns may look a little different to those who followed him back in March. He dropped 45 pounds since then. But the personality the everyone saw on full display is still there. And hopefully that nimble footwork too.