Wearing a big smile and without hesitation, Arron Afflalo began his pursuit of a lifelong dream on Tuesday.
The junior guard announced that he will forgo his senior season and enter the NBA Draft, ending an accomplished three-year career as a Bruin.
“It’s been a wonderful three years,” Afflalo said. “I’ve learned a lot; I’ve matured physically and mentally more than I can imagine. I’ve got great teammates and I’m going to miss them a lot, but at this point in time, it’s time for me to move on and do some different things.”
As he fielded questions from the media, Afflalo reflected on his UCLA career with a wide grin on his face, proud of what the team has accomplished during his tenure.
The moment provided a stark contrast from just last week when Afflalo sat in front of his locker room in disbelief with tears streaming down his face after the Bruins lost to Florida in the national semifinals. A competitor to the core, Afflalo was caught up in a moment that he had never envisioned happening.
But as the days passed afterward, Afflalo moved on and came to the conclusion that he had to make the best decision for himself.
“Obviously time heals a lot of things,” Afflalo said. “I was very, very emotional at the time. Not that my opinion or statement at that point in time changed, because my intent was to come here and win a championship and that’s what I was recruited for. … I was very disappointed at the time and I still am, but as time went on and I could use my brain a little bit more, some different factors factored in.”
Not that Afflalo didn’t consider what a return to UCLA would mean. With highly touted recruit Kevin Love coming in next year, Afflalo’s return might have made the Bruins a favorite to get back to the Final Four for the third straight year and have another legitimate chance to win the title.
“I definitely factored that in,” Afflalo said. “The decision wasn’t easy; it’s not that simplistic ““ whether I want to go to the NBA or want to stay. It’s a life decision. I have to live with the decision that I made.”
Where Afflalo will be drafted on June 28 is still up in the air. Some mock drafts have Afflalo going in the late first round while some have him going in the second round. Afflalo himself expressed uncertainty on Tuesday.
“I don’t want to make any guarantees about my positioning because when it’s all said and done, it’s not up to me,” Afflalo said. “It’s hard for me to tell exactly where I’m going to land. … I don’t have any doubt about my position as a player, my decision, or where I end up.”
UCLA coach Ben Howland was less subtle with his opinion on where Afflalo will be drafted.
“Arron will end up being a first-round pick,” Howland said. “I’ve done a lot of research talking to NBA (general managers) over the last week since our arrival. There’s a lot of people who are very excited about Arron. He’ll have a long and fruitful career in the NBA.”
The decision to leave was one that Afflalo discussed mainly with his family and Howland. But in the end, it was Afflalo’s decision and his own conviction that he was ready to move on to the next level.
“It’s something that he felt he was ready for, and I was just supportive of him,” Afflalo’s father, Danny Afflalo, said. “I gave him my advice on different ways of looking at things and weighing it out, but he’s a grown man who makes his own decisions.”
As far as his educational status is concerned, Afflalo will drop his classes and focus on preparing for the NBA Draft for now. However, Afflalo is only a few classes away from graduating and vowed to complete his degree in the future.
“I will be graduating; I will be an alumni of this university,” Afflalo said. “That’s very important to me and that will not be sacrificed at all.”
WOODEN DOING BETTER: Former UCLA coach John Wooden, who was hospitalized on Sunday from a bad reaction to a combination of medicines, was doing better on Tuesday and may be released as soon as today. Wooden received four blood transfusions since his entry into the hospital and has been in positive spirits.
The coach was visited by some of his former players on Monday and was making jokes, according to Wooden’s daughter Nan Muehlhausen.
“He walked around a little bit today and is feeling better,” Muehlhausen said on Tuesday. “We think he might be released from the hospital (Wednesday) or Thursday, and then Dad needs plenty of rest to build back his strength.”