Anthony Bennett Explains His Meteoric Rise: "I'm A Great Guy"

A news conference starring a 20-year-old is generally doomed to devolve into scripted platitudes unless the 20-year-old in question strays into honesty. Therein, we prod Anthony Bennett into discussing the reasons the Cleveland Cavaliers made him the surprise top pick in this week's NBA Draft. His reply sounded like the sugary non-quotes that coaches and family usually babble: "I'm just an all-around great guy." And, "I always want the best for everybody. I'm a hard worker, too. On the court I'm unselfish."

Remember these words, kiddos. You may not fill a phone booth at 6-foot-8 and 240 pounds, you may not have arms that unfurl to more than 7 feet across, you may not combine "a force to be reckoned with in the lane" with ample 3-point range, you may not be "essentially impossible to defend" when you're hitting your long shots, and you may not evoke favorable comparisons to Larry Johnson and Blake Griffin. That's OK. Just remember to work hard and want the best for everybody. And when someone asks you the key to your success, don't dissemble. Let 'em know that good guys can finish first, especially when they're not one-dimensional great guys, because the Cavs landed an all-around great guy. We should all be really happy for them. Now if they can just convince him to give a single thin fuck about playing defense, they might even escape the lottery next year.

Anthony Bennett: Canadian star's character helped him get drafted No. 1 [Toronto Star]

Photo credit: AP