GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A University of Florida graduate is blowing up on TikTok after getting his name entered in the NBA Draft.
But it’s how he did it that’s shaking up the game.
Jordan Haber has only ever played basketball recreationally, but as an aspiring lawyer, he found a loophole in the NBA Draft paperwork and is now heading to the biggest stage in basketball.
The 21-year-old from Boca Raton may not be known for his skills on the court, but he has still been invited to the draft.
Haber will soon be heading to law school in New York after graduating from the University of Florida, but he’s already found that the key to being a good lawyer is reading the fine print.
“So I went through the collective bargaining agreement, and there are a few conditions in the contract that you actually had to meet,” he explained. “I had to be four years out of high school. I waived my NCAA eligibility and there’s just a bunch of small little things that I ended up meeting and I sent over an email to the NBA and they got back to me and sent over paperwork right away.”
Turns out, to be eligible for the draft, you actually don’t have to play college ball. You just need to be at least 19 years old, be a member of this year’s graduating class and give 60 days’ notice with a letter of intent.
Now, the lifelong Miami Heat fan is bound for the Barclays Center, gearing up for an experience most people can only dream of.
“I think when I walk into the Barclays Center, I will get pretty emotional just because of how far this has come,” Haber said. “It’s what you dream of as a kid, that small chance you get drafted. And if there’s a chance at a summer league contract, if there’s a chance at a one day honorary contract, I don’t know that at this point. I want to show people you can do anything if you just set your mind to it.”
Haber says he knows his chances of getting picked are slim, but really, he just wants to shake commissioner Adam Silver’s hand, and maybe get a one-day contract with the Heat.
The 2023 NBA Draft is Thursday at 8 p.m. and will air on Local 10.