NBA Draft night is one of the best moments of the year for the league. It’s the night that young men get to realize that their life long dreams of making it to the best basketball league in the world are about to come true.
It’s filled with lots of special moments with friends and family who have seen all of the work a prospect has put in to get to this point. It’s a moment that these young men live for.
For former Illinois guard Terrence Shannon Jr., it meant so much more. Shannon heard his named called during the NBA Draft after the Minnesota Timberwolves used the 27th pick to draft him. For most, that’s a steal. In his final year at Illinois Shannon averaged 23 points and 4 rebounds on decent efficiency from the floor and three. Simply put, he was really good.
#illini guard Terrence Shannon Jr. gets the news that he’s been selected No. 27 overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves and shares a long hug with his mother. pic.twitter.com/SPEVROPzTq
— Joey Wagner (@mrwagner25) June 27, 2024
So why did he fall?
Someone with Shannon’s production, abilities, and upside should have gone higher than 27th? Especially in a draft that most have called weak.
So why exactly? It’s simple. He was dealing with a felony rape and aggravated assault charge and case right before the draft.
Back in December, Shannon was arrested for an alleged incident in September of 2023 at a bar in Lawrence, Kansas. In the complaint, a woman alleged that while they were at a bar, Shannon pulled her close to him and inserted his fingers into her vagina without her consent. After he was arrested, he was suspended for six games while the school opened up their own investigation before returning to the lineup. Shannon continuously denied all of the allegations.
Two weeks before the draft though, Shannon was able to get a huge sigh of relieve after he was found not guilty on all charges by a jury in Kansas. There was an overwhelming amount of evidence that proved he was clearly innocent.
Shannon’s DNA was nowhere to be found on the woman. Witnesses say he never approached in the manor she described. There was video evidence that showed someone else was close to her that could have been the one who assaulted her. There was even text messages showed she tried to set him up because she knew he was going to get drafted.
So when he was able to hear his name called in the first round after what has been a long last six months for him, it just meant more and it’s why he was moved to tears.
“It was crazy, grateful,” Shannon Jr. said. “It hit me like a bowling ball. I didn’t know if I would cry, I haven’t cried in a long time but it hit me, just happy, my dream came true. I was just hugging my mom, she’s been with me through everything.”
"That's when it really hit me right there"
Terrence Shannon Jr. reflects on a long hug with his mom after getting drafted
"My mom has been with me through everything. She raised me and she's my rock and just happy to share that moment with her" pic.twitter.com/XcHfozK4lm
— Bret Beherns (@WCIA3Bret) June 27, 2024
“She raised me, she’s my rock and was just happy to share that moment with her. Now it’s time to go to work.”
Something like this can follow you for a very long time. No matter if you’re found innocent. Especially for Black men. No matter how much evidence there was, people will always attach this to him. There will be those who are dumb enough to think he’s still guilty and some who are dumb enough make jokes about it.
Shannon’s life could have easily been over. Especially considering despite the amount of evidence that proved he was innocent, the Kansas district attorney still decided to take the trial to court and put it in the hands of jurors. Luckily, he was innocent and thankfully, the Wolves didn’t judge him for this.
“The off-court reputation is sterling. Wolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said Wednesday after the draft night one.
“Talk to the coaches at Texas Tech. Talk to the coaches at Illinois. They don’t say good things. They say amazing things. Obviously he was on the wrong end of a really unfortunate situation, and his ability to play through that and play winning basketball for a great coach in Brad Underwood…we just think he brings toughness.”
The Wolves saw beyond what was in the headlines and didn’t let a false accusation sway their decision. They did their homework and feel like they made the right decision.
“Oftentimes, the minute you’re accused, you’re found guilty. Thankfully he went through the legal process. He chose to go to trial because he knew he did nothing wrong,” Connelly said. “I just think it’s a shame he went through that, and I think it’s a testament to who he is as a kid and his ability to play through a really tough distraction.”
This is just the beginning for Shannon. He’s hungry. He has a chip on his shoulder.
“I took notes on who all passed on me” Shannon said after being drafted. “It fuels me a lot. Y’all gonna see next year…I got a chip on shoulder for sure.”
