World News – US – Jared Dudley set to move from Boston College to the championship ring – The Boston Globe

ORLANDO, Florida a ???? There were opportunities for Jared Dudley to play more, to take part in a bigger role on the field for a team that probably had no chance of winning an NBA championship. Or there was a chance to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers

The former Boston College star has accepted this latest offer and is set to win his first title Dudley, 35, has played in the NBA for 13 years, but only once – ???? with the Phoenix Suns 2009-10 â ???? Did he have a legitimate chance of reaching the final This team lost in six games to the Lakers to Kobe Bryant in the Western Conference Finals

Dudley has had playoff stints since, including with the Brooklyn Nets last season, but never really got that opportunity And luck like this required sacrifice

Dudley wasn’t going to play much He was going to have to serve as a veteran presence, cheerleader and mentor in the locker room Dudley knows the game, has his stripes and has earned the respect of his teammates for his advice and basketball sense

This season is the next step towards Dudley’s goal of becoming a head coach or general manager of the NBA He enjoys running, being teammates with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, being part of a team that has a goal of collective championship, mixing with players of his time Dwight Howard, JaVale McGee and Rajon Rondo

For me, this is what I wanted I envisioned it for the last few years, â ???? he said â ???? I wanted to get a taste of my future job as a coach or general manager, how a championship team goes about dealing with egos, superstars, ups and downs, how coaches in the game is adapting, how Bron and AD think, their mentalityâ ????

The Lakers are bursting with talent and veterans in every position The club added JR Smith and Dion Waiters for depth, and they barely played here in the bubble Dudley played a total of 29 minutes in eight games, but his road to a potential championship is nothing new A lot of veteran players over the last nine have accepted a chance to play with a title contender to cap their careers with a ring

For Dudley, it’s a means to an end It’s year 13 of what he hopes to be 15, before swapping the uniform for a suit and tie

– It’s an easy adjustment, because you have to know your worth and your role, and you have to evolve over time, « he said – So be up for it, get off the bench, then my role these four or five years ago, even when I was in Milwaukee, it’s coaching young guys One of the things I’ve sold this team on is letting LeBron and AD worry about the basketball I’m gonna worry for the locker room I’m going to worry about [Kyle] Kuzma I’ll take them and when we go through some drama or trouble I’m the guy so I can talk to Rondo, Dwight Howard, etc.at ????

Dudley has recorded career lows in all categories this season because he only played eight minutes per game, but that was not his goal As the Celtics may have learned during of their elimination in the playoffs, elite teams need veteran leaders, even if they are little-used reserves The Miami Heat kept former starter Udonis Haslem on their roster for years due to his presence and veteran leadership

There are still places in the league for the Jared Dudleys, even though injury stole their athleticism GMs have fallen in love with young talent, but many have overlooked the importance of mentors and aging veterans who can have a positive influence on young players Dudley embraced the role, officially an old boss, an ’80s baby in a league full of millennials

– The Lakers, they had so many free agents, and you knew the AD was coming, you wanted to have that exposure, and you see [Phoenix’s] James Jones and other guys who are GMs and coaches -potential bosses When these guys sign you, they just don’t sign on everyone Dudley said – I have a reputation for helping young guys, and LeBron and Anthony Davis will be the first to tell you that I speak in movie shows, I’m on their [tails] in downtime I believe in holding someone to account, and if you can break bread and hang with them on the ground, they know when you step on them during the game that’s all the loveâ ??? ?

On a side note, Dudley saw the cardboard cutout of himself BC in the alumni stadium bleachers for the Eagles football games He thinks it’s nice

– I don’t think people understand the whole BC problem Even LeBron, he remembers when I had braids, so being able to have my imprint is great, ???? he said « People go to Kentucky and there are so many guys There ain’t a lot of guys that went to BC who did it So I could have that, financially I gave back, I helped with the recruiting, I went back for All-Star breaks to watch the games, when they beat Duke [in 2009] I try to be everything BC stands for

– You never know, maybe one day I could train in BC I’m close to the athletic director; I’m close to the team so for me I always want to bond My daughter was telling my wife the other day that she wanted to get good grades so she could go to Boston College I don’t know if she will never, but that’s what I’m trying to apply to himâ ????

Jared Dudley, Los Angeles Lakers, Rob Pelinka, NBA Executive of the Year Award, Los Angeles Clippers, Anthony Davis