Daniss Jenkins is the true story of inspiration for any low-major college basketball player chasing a dream. He began his career at the University of the Pacific, playing there for two seasons before transferring to a junior college, where many would have assumed his NBA hopes were done
That’s when legendary coach Rick Pitino discovered the hidden gem, bringing Jenkins to Iona and later to St. John’s, where he finally had the opportunity to compete at the high-major level. Jenkins delivered a standout season for the Johnnies, yet he still went undrafted. The chip on his shoulder was already there, but this ensured it would never leave.
Confidence has never been an issue for Jenkins. After scoring 26 points in his first Summer League game with the Pistons during his rookie year, he made his belief clear in an on-court interview: “I know I belong in this league.” It took time, but he proved himself right. Jenkins kept working, never giving up on his dream.
This season, he finally received a real opportunity to break out. During a five-game stretch in December while the Pistons dealt with injuries and lineup changes, Jenkins stepped in and averaged 20.2 points and 7.6 assists per game on 55/44/80 shooting splits, helping extend Detroit’s winning streak to 11 games.
The Pistons have overachieved this year currently sitting in the one seed with a 38-13 record. A $100 bet at the beginning of the season is now valued at $321 based on the DraftKings odds.
After dropping 18 points in just 18 minutes Friday against the Knicks team that worked him out, but chose to draft Tyler Kolek instead, Jenkins didn’t hold back: “If I’m being honest — and everybody knows I’m a very humble guy — but in college, most of these dudes that got drafted, what was the difference between me and them? He continued, “For me, going undrafted is insanity to me, literally insanity, and that burns inside of me every single day.”
Now, the Detroit Pistons have converted Jenkins’ two-way deal into a standard two-year, $8 million NBA contract. And this story is far from over. Jenkins will continue to work, compete, and carry the chip on his shoulder that fueled his rise from an overlooked prospect to a proven NBA player chasing an NBA championship.
