"Take it one day at a time": Former Duke star DJ Steward gives advice to his freshman self
DJ Steward took a chance on himself following a strong freshman season for the Duke Blue Devils in the 2020-21 college basketball season. He declared for the 2021 NBA draft, and although he went unselected, the Sacramento Kings invited him for the NBA Summer League.
Since then, Steward has taken part in the NBA G League and the CEBL. He got to learn a lot from his experiences, which put him in a position to give some advice to his freshman self.
In a recent appearance on the podcast, "The Brotherhood," Steward admitted he would urge his freshman self to put more effort into watching film to improve his game.
"Take it one day at a time. One day at a time, enjoy and then also film. Film is something that has become really important to me," said Steward.
"When I was here, I know I didn’t watch as much film. I watched some of it. But, like, diving into the film or watching myself or watching other players and stuff, watching other teams. That was something that I feel is like really important right now. Like, I would tell my freshman self for sure," he added.
The Kings, Boston Celtics and the Chicago Bulls have all signed Steward in the last three years. However, all those teams waived him off, and he continues to play in the G League with the hope of playing in the NBA someday.
DJ Steward enjoyed a memorable freshman season with the Duke Blue Devils
DJ Steward made quite the impression in his freshman year at Duke. In 24 games, he averaged 13.0 PPG and 2.4 APG. He also recorded solid shooting percentages with 42.6% from the field, 34.1% from three-point range and 81.1% from the free-throw line.
His impressive performances earned him a spot in the ACC All-Freshman Team, garnering the most votes after talented guard Scottie Barnes, who went to the Toronto Raptors as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft.
Steward currently represents the Chicago Bulls' G League team, the Windy City Bulls. He will hope to find his confidence in the 2024-25 season and make a case for breaking through to the NBA after years of hard graft.