(Ep039) Tyler Ennis: Battling Back from a Severe Leg Fracture and Achilles Tears, Taking Night School with Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Learning to Play the Point from Jason Kidd
When people talk about Canadian basketball players, they usually think of Steve Nash and Andrew Wiggins first. But there’s a new breed of ballers from the Great White North, and Tyler Ennis is one of the best. His father, Tony, is a legendary coach who basically invented AAU-style travel ball north of the border. Tyler’s parents moved the family south to St. Benedict's Preparatory School in Newark, New Jersey, so that their son would have a better chance of landing a Division 1 college scholarship.
As a standout guard, the five-star recruit did just that, getting a full ride to play at Syracuse. In his first season balling for the Orange, Tyler earned All-ACC second team, All-ACC Freshmen Team, and All-ACC Defensive Team honors. On February 28, 2014, Ennis was named one of the ten semi-finalists for the Naismith College Player of the Year, and proceeded to lead the Orange past Western Michigan in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Tyler’s decision to then go pro was validated when he was selected with the 18th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns. After spending time on the roster and in the D League, Tyler was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, and later played for the Houston Rockets and LA Lakers, before taking his talents to Turkey.
In this episode, Tyler riffs on:
What being in “Night School” with a young Giannis Antetokounmpo taught him
How Jason Kidd showed him what it means to be a floor general
Why playing overseas has added to his game
How he’s keeping the faith after battling back from a leg fracture and achilles tendon rupture
What young players should know about the hard path to college and the League
Keep up with Tyler’s basketball journey on his Instagram feed and on Twitter HERE
