Nets' first-round pick desperately wanted his mom not to call team ‘New York' in awkward live scene

New York Post

3 days ago

Mom just needs a quick refresher on the whole New York vs. Brooklyn basketball rivalry.
The mother of Nets' first-round pick Danny Wolf, the No. 27 pick out of Michigan, made the mistake on live television of stating how excited her son is to be headed to New York when there is a clear distinction between the two New York-based franchises.
And that created the awkward yet tender moment of Danny trying to subtly correct his mother mid-interview.
'We are so excited to go to New York,' Tina said on the ESPN broadcast while flanked by her husband, Joe, and Danny.
'It was what he wanted…'
Danny mouthed 'Brooklyn' toward his mother in a polite manner at this moment, and did so again while she finished her remarks by saying: 'And it happened.'
4 Danny mouths 'Brooklyn' to his mother.
@NBA_NewYork/X
Geography aside, the draft proved to be an emotional night for the Wolf family after the former Michigan and Yale star waited nearly the entire night to hear his name called at his new home in the Barclays Center.
Wolf averaged 9.7 points and 7.4 rebounds per game while shooting 33.6 percent from 3-point range this past year for the Wolverines, and he shared a big hug with his father moments after the Nets used the last of their five first-round selections to add the forward/center.
4 Danny listens as Tina speaks on heading to Brooklyn.
@NBA_NewYork/X
The gravity of the moment seemed to catch up to him while he celebrated with and hugged members of his entourage, with Wolf seemingly on the verge of tears.
Tina also appeared to be crying while the two shared a long hug, and she seemingly said, 'Oh my God.'
4 Danny and Tina Wolf celebrate a tender moment.
AP
The broadcast also captured one his brothers crying.
'I have the two greatest brothers in the world, I have an unbelievable sister who I love,' Wolf said after being told of his brother's reaction. 'They all helped me get to where I am today and they're going to help me get to where I am going to go in this league.'
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The Post's Zach Braziller gave the Wolf pick a B+ grade, stating he liked the selection the best among the five choices Brooklyn made during the evening.
Wolf is joined by No. 8 pick Egor Denim from BYU, No. 19 selection Nolan Traore from France, No. 22 choice Drake Powell from North Carolina and No. 26 pick Ben Saraf from Israel in the team's rookie class.
The Illinois native also has Israeli roots like Saraf, having played for the national team at the 2023 FIBA Under-20 European Championships.
4 The Nets selected Wolf with the No. 27 pick.
NBAE via Getty Images
'Being in the green room, I didn't know how long I'd have been sitting there for. I don't know if I would've said this long, but it's what happened, and it's out of my control,' Wolf said. 'And I ended up in a (good place). I'm just going to use that as a chip on my shoulder, as a motivating factor.'