Brandin Podziemski’s Instagram profile has intrigued NBA fans for quite some time. The Golden State Warriors youngster still has his college offers from nearly five years ago featured in his highlight stories. During his latest interview on the Sloane Knows Podcast, the 21-year-old finally shared the reason behind his decision.
Advertisement
Podziemski saw this as a way to inspire the next generation. He thought that his Instagram will allow young fans to get a glimpse of his journey to the NBA from his college days.
“I kept it on there just to kinda show my journey… Just for someone who doesn’t know me and maybe a kid who watches me play one time and he is like, ‘Hey, mom! Hey, dad! I wanna be like him.’ He can look at my page and be like, ‘This is his journey, and this is what he has kinda gone through to get to where he is now.’ And I think it’s super impactful, especially for the new generation.”
View this post on Instagram
After all, his journey shows how talent from a place like Greenfield in Milwaukee County can make it to the league. Although he spent most of his teenage years in Wisconsin, his skills never went unnoticed.
Podziemski consequently received Division 1 offers from several reputable universities, including Arizona State, Kansas State, the University of Kentucky, the University of Kansas, and the University of Illinois. He eventually decided to take his talents to his neighboring state, Chicago.
How Podziemski made it to the NBA
Podziemski joined the Illinois Fighting Illini basketball team in 2021 but transferred to the Santa Clara Broncos the following year. That was where he truly flourished as a skillful player. During his sophomore year, he averaged 19.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.8 steals per game.
The Warriors took notice when Podziemski declared for the draft. They selected him with the 19th pick in 2023, and haven’t looked back since.
In his rookie NBA campaign, he averaged 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. As a result, the franchise is already counting on him to become a star player for them in the coming years.
