LeBron James' former teammate was livid with the Knicks fans for hating on him on draft night- "F**k y'all for booing me"
LeBron James' former teammate Iman Shumpert did not receive much love from the New York Knicks upon getting drafted 17th overall in 2011. Shumpert did not attend the draft either. He preferred to sit with his friends and family at home. The Knicks fans did not favor Shumpert getting drafted and heavily booed him once his name got announced.
He was not a top prospect entering the draft. Teams stopped working him out at one point, which hurt his draft projections. However, he proved his critics wrong at the draft combine to shoot his value. He did not receive his draft night invite until a day or two before the event.
The former NBA champion with LeBron James and the Cavs reflected on his initial journey with the Knicks, recounting the booing after the draft night during an appearance on the "No Chill With Gilbert Arenas" podcast, saying:
"I big-mouthed that they booed me. I said it in every interview, like, 'Nah, they booed me. They'll figure it out.' But I was really amped about it. It was probably the best thing that ever happened to me, though.
"I'm glad they didn't cheer me. I might would've came in there smiling and been a different person... They liked the ruggedness, but they didn't realize I was like, 'f**k y'all for booing me.'"
Iman Shumpert was unaware of the Knicks' fans booing him as his family was with him and cheered him on. He expected the same reception from the fans present at the draft night. However, he found out a day later that it was not the case. Knicks superfan Spike Lee also had a cold reaction to Shumpert's selection.
Iman Shumpert went from an underrated prospect to an NBA champion as LeBron James' teammate
Iman Shumpert's NBA journey was all about him proving his doubters wrong early on in his career. He did exactly that by leaving it all out on the floor. He was a monster on the defensive end. Shumpert even received Defensive Player of the Year votes in his rookie season.
After a solid stint with the Knicks, he got traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2014-15 season to play alongside LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. Shumpert enjoyed collective success in Cleveland, winning three straight conference finals. He was part of the team that managed to erase a 3-1 deficit in the 2016 finals against the 73-9 Warriors team.
Shumpert was a 3-and-D specialist who played around 25 minutes a game with the Cavs. There's always pressure to perform on a team with LeBron James, but Shumpert stayed ready, including in the playoffs. Shumpert made a remarkable turnaround, despite coming in as an underrated prospect and winning a chip as a key role player was the ultimate win for him.