2023 NBA Draft: LSU's Angel Reese predicted Pelicans would take her cousin, UConn's Jordan Hawkins
As cousins, LSU forward Angel Reese and UConn guard Jordan Hawkins grew up only 44 miles from each other in Maryland. Then in college, they both won NCAA basketball championships two days apart this past April.
Now, they'll be playing basketball home games 80 miles apart in Louisiana after the New Orleans Pelicans took Hawkins with the No. 14 pick in Thursday night's NBA Draft. It was a moment Reese wished for and perhaps manifested when she tweeted at the Pelicans about five hours before New Orleans drafted Hawkins.
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) June 23, 2023
Reese later wrote "So proud of you! WE IN THE CITYYYY," on her Instagram story after seeing Hawkins drafted.
It's been a big year for both Reese and Hawkins. After putting up a double-double in LSU's championship win over Iowa, Reese returned to the Tigers for her senior season and has since modeled for "Sports Illustrated," visited the White House, starred in a soft drink commercial and cameoed in a Latto and Cardi B music video.
Hawkins, meanwhile, powered the Huskies to a national title after he averaged 16.3 points and 3.2 rebounds in the NCAA tournament. He also shot 43.5% from the field and 50% from behind the arc. A little more than two months later, he was the No. 14 pick in the draft.
"This is for all the kids from Gaithersburg, Maryland, that didn't think they could do it. I did it. Now you can do it, man," Hawkins said after UConn won, per CNN. "Me and Angel paved the way. We did it."
Now, at least, their family can make one travel plan if they want to see Reese and Hawkins play during the same period of time.
