Every year, 60 new players get drafted while hundreds more dream of making it into the NBA. While it is a lifelong goal for many, only a few get to live it. But imagine achieving the goal you had set out to attain, only for life to throw another curveball at you, like getting shot just months after getting drafted.
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This is the story of Andray Blatche, who was the 49th pick in the 2005 NBA draft. Coming straight out of high school like many stars had in the league, Blatche was ready to make a name for himself, only to get derailed by a senseless act of violence.
Blatche made an appearance on Above The Rim With DH 12. Joining 3x Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard, the former NBA center shared his story of getting shot right after being drafted by the Washington Wizards.
“I got shot…First couple of months, before training camp…They tried carjacking…All I remember is looking back. I seen that van with all them Ski masks and I was just like, ‘It’s over.’”
Blatche, as he tried to describe that near-death experience, mentioned getting shot in his right arm and in his chest. Had the bullet been an inch in the other direction, Blatche may not have survived as it just missed his heart.
He narrated the rest of the story, mentioning how he drove to a McDonald’s parking lot and took his shirt off to warp it around his arm. Unaware of being shot in the chest, a police officer came to check up on him, only to see a huge bullet hole in his chest.
Blatche passed out and woke up in a helicopter that was used to rush him to the hospital. The former center recalled passing out multiple times. By the time he was out of surgery, he saw the Wizards general manager, his former teammate Gilbert Arenas, as well as his family members in the hospital waiting for him.
Blatche’s journey back to the league
Blatche had a near-death experience, but what bogged him down even more was the fact that he had made it in life, only to be sidetracked by someone who tried to carjack him. Blatche’s injury caused him to miss training camp that year with the Wizards, with no exact timeline for his return.
Ernie Grunfeld, the former president of basketball operations for the Wizards gave a statement, as per ESPN.
“It’s a very scary situation. We’re just grateful he didn’t get hurt worse than he was. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He’ll learn from it.”
When asked when the 19-year-old will be returning to the floor, Grunfeld stated, “He won’t be a participant in training camp. He’ll start doing his rehab and we’ll see how all that goes, and that will determine how quickly we can have him back in action.”
Blatche eventually made it back to the court and went on to make his debut against the Seattle SuperSonics (now the Oklahoma City Thunder). However, he was then sent to a D-League team, the Roanoke Dazzle, where he played for a year before making it back to the Wizards roster.
