Decision-making is one of the toughest things in life. All players must make essential decisions about their careers, and they need to make the best ones. Failure to get it right could have a devastating impact on their career. Jahlil Okafor recently shared his regret about leaving Duke after his freshman year, despite wanting to stay and defend the NCAA title.
From Campus Star to NBA Regret: Jahlil Okafor Reflects on Leaving Duke Too Soon
Jahlil Okafor, born on Dec. 15, 1995, played his freshman college basketball season for Duke in 2014–15. He opened his college career with an impressive 19 points, six rebounds, and four assists against Presbyterian. He averaged 17.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in the 38 games he played for Duke.
Although he only played one college basketball season, he was named the Preseason Player of the Year by CBS Sports. He was the Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Year. He was also named ACC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year. These were just a few of the many awards he won after his first season.
After such a blistering start, many expected Jahlil Okafor to keep improving his career at Duke. On April 9, 2015, he declared for the 2015 NBA Draft. Unsurprisingly, Okafor was selected with the third overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers. He was that good, but the NBA was not what everyone expected from him next.
He has now explained the reasons behind this shocking decision. During a recent podcast posted by the Blue Devils on X, Okafor said, “Honestly, I didn’t want to leave!” Explaining his reason for wanting to stay, he said, “I loved Duke so much. I had such an amazing time, and we won the championship. Part of me wanted the opportunity to also defend the title we just won. Honestly, I wasn’t ready to leave.”
But he left. Shedding light on the decision to leave, Okafor admitted, “Being in the top league, the finances, being able to take care of my family, the risk of injury—I just felt like I was making a mistake if I were to stay.”
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The pressure and high expectations of being a top draft pick affected Okafor. Hence, his regret—and that of other players who left too soon—is real. Before jumping into the big league, all players must carefully evaluate if that is the best decision for their career. Otherwise, in a few years, they may regret the decision.
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