INVERCARGILL, NEW ZEALAND – NOVEMBER 03: RJ Hampton of the Breakers looks on during the round five NBL match between the New Zealand Breakers and the Perth Wildcats at ILT Stadium on November 03, 2019 in Invercargill, New Zealand. (Photo by Dianne Manson/Getty Images)
After being selected by the Milwaukee Bucks, R.J. Hampton’s crew launched his draft hat across the living room.
As is NBA Draft tradition, there are moments of confusion when it comes to draft prospects getting traded immediately after being selected by the team. Unfortunately for United States shooting guard R.J. Hampton, he had to go through that very experience.
Hampton was selected with the 24th overall pick by the New Orleans Pelicans, by way of the Milwaukee Bucks in the Jrue Holiday trade. However, the Pelicans then flipped the selection to the Denver Nuggets. Hampton’s family and crew were obviously puzzled as to which hat he was supposed to wear on camera for his interview. In said moment, Hampton hands off the Bucks hat to someone off-screen, who proceeds to launch it across the living room in frustration!
Welcome to NBA Draft confusion, R.J.
Players wearing the wrong hats during the NBA Draft is a moment that frustrates many a hoops fan. However, drafted players have to do this because the trades technically don’t go through until the start of the new league year. In this case, Hampton doesn’t officially become a member of the Nuggets until Nov. 20, which is when free agency begins. Hence why Hampton’s crew had to retrieve the Bucks hat from behind the couch for him to wear as a “newest member of the organization.”
Hampton was viewed as the top high school prospect in 2019 out of Little Elm, Texas, but instead of going to college, he opted to play professionally for the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian National Basketball League. In 15 games, Hampton averaged 8.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists, while shooting 40.7-percent from the field.
While Hampton won’t be playing alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee or Zion Williamson in New Orleans for that matter, he will get to join a solid Denver squad consisting of Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic.
Let this moment show you why the “wrong hat” protocol in the NBA Draft is stupid and needs to go away forever. It not only confuses the viewers at home but the players who get selected!