How TJ McConnell Kicked Down the Door to an NBA Roster Spot
Every Pittsburgh basketball fan knows the name McConnell. The family’s generational success has turned them into a local basketball dynasty. With an aunt who played in two Olympics for Team USA and was WNBA Coach of the Year, a father who coached for over 30 years, and various other family members who had successful college careers, it was no surprise when TJ McConnell started to excel in the sport. But topping out at 6’ 1” and 185 pounds, it was no sure thing that he would ever make it to the NBA, let alone earn a four-year, $33 million dollar contract with the Indiana Pacers.
To earn minutes in high school, TJ had the added pressure of having to perform to a high standard for his father, who is a prep school coaching legend. “I think my dad held me to a higher standard and wanted me to be really good,” TJ said. “So when I would make mistakes, he would be tougher on me than any of the other players to set an example. He coached me hard my entire life, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Rising to the occasion, TJ showed his mettle and became a leader for the varsity squad. But when it came time to consider which D1 school would be the best fit, it was time to go back to the drawing board. Though he had put up a lot of points in high school, TJ had the humility and self-awareness to see that he needed to adapt to succeed at the college level.
“I knew that at my size at the college level, I wasn't going to be a shooting guard as I was too small,” TJ said.” And so I tried to change my game a little bit: be a distributor, shoot when I'm open, and be a pest on defense. And that's kind of what I hang my hat on to this day.”
The Moment I Relax is the Moment I’ll be Done
“When we were walking into NBA Summer League, the 76ers athletic trainer, Kevin Johnson, texted me a picture of a guy kicking down a door,” TJ said. “The he wrote, ‘When you’re at the door of opportunity, don’t knock – kick that MFer in!’ I’ll never forget that because it set the tone for my career.”
TJ put this sage advice into practice immediately. He had a strong showing in the Summer League and kept the momentum going strong into the Sixers’ pre-season camp. While lottery picks are guaranteed to make the cut, those who aren’t selected near the top of the NBA draft have to fight for the few remaining spots. If a player isn’t a jump through the roof athlete with obvious upside, they have to claw tooth and nail to stick around once the roster gets trimmed heading into late October’s first regular season games. So TJ did what he does best and fought for every loose ball and rebound while providing a steady hand at the point.
Putting in Extra Hours
He also pulled double duty with player development coach Chris Babcock, who led him and other would-be rookies through two or three workouts per day followed by full-court scrimmages every evening. Going into the last day before the team announced who’d made it and who hadn’t, TJ was confident that he had done enough to prove his worth, but still wasn’t sure when head coach Brett Brown called him into his office. Then came the big news: he was a member of the 76ers.
“First I called my wife,” TJ said. “I haven't seen or heard my dad cry a whole lot, but he was so choked up that he couldn't really say much. And same with my mom and my wife. It was just a very special moment between us three. But because I signed a four-year non-guaranteed deal, I had to make the team every season and stick around until January when contracts become fully guaranteed. And I did that for four years. So I said to myself, ‘The moment I relax is the moment I’ll be done.’”
The Upside of The Process
Though a lot of pundits have picked holes in the 76ers controversial rebuild known as The Process – which culminated in drafting future MVP and perennial All-Star Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, who was eventually flipped for James Harden – TJ looks back fondly on his time with the team.
“I think more people should pay attention to the Sixers’ culture that we developed back then,” he said. “Nobody could have done it any better than Brett Brown. We went from 10 wins to 26, and then had back-to-back years with more than 50. He was a huge part of that, and the rest of the people were important too. One of the things he’d do was ask each player to present on an interest outside of basketball. That helped to see the other side of everyone and see who they are away from the game. He got that from his time with Gregg Popovich in San Antonio.”
Still Proving Himself with the Pacers
For TJ personally, The Process enabled him to prove Coach Brown right and develop into a dependable NBA point guard who left a mark on both ends of the floor. He had multiple games with double digit assists and also set a team record for steals. His stellar play and the effort he put into every single possession started to gain attention from other teams, and the Indiana Pacers pried him away from Philadelphia with a four-year guaranteed contract. But while he could now offer his young family security, TJ’s mentality has never wavered.
“I still scrap and claw and give 110 percent in every practice and game,” he said. “If I ever start to feel like I can relax, then it will be time for me to hang it up.” With a promising young core and a budding star in Myles Turner, TJ and the Pacers are ready to make some noise in the competitive Eastern Conference. And their tenacious point guard will have a big part to play in guiding younger players with both their on-court play and mindset.
Listen to TJ’s full journey on The Basketball Strong Podcast here. And if you like what you hear, please rate, review, and subscribe on iTunes or Spotify.
