RELATED: Kennard picked 12th in first round
A dream 21 years in the making — the Franklin High School graduate and former Duke Blue Devils star Kennard celebrates his birthday Saturday — came true Thursday night at the NBA Draft and continued Friday in his new home city.
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“I’d like to thank the Detroit Pistons for giving me this amazing opportunity,” Kennard said. “It’s been a dream of mine since I was a young kid. There was a lot of sacrifice to have this opportunity. It means so much to not only me but my family, teammates, coaches, friends. I’m from Franklin, Ohio. This is a special opportunity for me, and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Credit: DaytonDailyNews
The Pistons drafted Kennard, a 6-foot-6 guard, with the 12th pick of the first round. Kennard played two seasons at Duke, averaging 19.5 points per game as a sophomore.
The Pistons see Kennard as a two guard. He joined a team that finished 37-45 last season. While the press conference was held at The Palace, where the Pistons have played since 1988, the Pistons will move into a new home in downtown Detroit, Little Caesars Arena, for the 2017-18 season.
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Kennard brings an outside shooting touch the Pistons lacked last season.
“When you’re looking at prospects, we’re looking for guys that are able to excel and have grit and grind,” Bower said. “We feel Luke comes true in all those areas, from his accomplishments on the court, from his mentality at Duke. (His career) was filled with improvement. It was filled with reactions and coming back from setbacks. (Those) were all qualities that stood out to us.”
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