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Juju Watkins’ Locker Room: Kevin Garnett Applauds Viral Speech

Published 03/11/2024, 1:46 AM EDT

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JuJu Watkins has changed the way the Trojans perform on the floor. The super-talented guard has even crushed the PAC-12 regular season title holders — the Stanford Cardinals — on more than one occasion. The eyes that the No. 12 on the USC roster is bringing to the game and herself is remarkable. Following the same, NBA legends like Kevin Garnett also cannot keep their calm about the USC standout.

The 15x NBA All-Star shared a post on his Instagram story appreciating the young talent and talked about JuJu’s viral speech before their semi-finals matchup. Ahead of the game against 1-seeded Stanford Cardinal, 18-year-old JuJu Watkins shared some inspiring words with her teammates.

“So you guys know it’s been a long season, just grateful for you guys. I’m trying not get emotional. You made this year really cool for me. It’s been a long season but I’m glad to have you guys. So want to go into this game with positive vibes something to boost us up. So there’s a surprise for y’all in the next room,” the freshman announced in the locker room. She gifted the entire USC team and support staff with a Nike Zoom Vomero 5 in Yellow Ochre.

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Kevin Garnett shared a clip of the speech and captioned his story, “Shout to Ms juju n her team then Lady Trojans…Out here doing her one two. Dope ishh” The ‘Big Ticket’ followed his comments with saluting and 100 emojis.

Apparently, her NIL deal with the sports apparel giant Nike started before she even made a significant impact in her college career. Still, as a freshman, she is the breakout star of the 2023-24 NCAA season. Further, she had signed multiple contracts, bringing her NIL value to $212,ooo as per On3.

But this is not the first time that Watkins has garnered the attention of these monumental players.

Not just Kevin Garnett, but everyone notices JuJu Watkins

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From her very first game, the USC freshman had t in everyone’s mind. In fact, in the very early days of this season, LeBron James gave her a shout-out and even went to watch her rip her opponents to shreds. By then, she was three games in with USC as a freshman to grab more than one 30-point game consecutively. Sharing the spot with the WNBA legend Lisa Leslie in USC history.

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Recently, A’ja Wilson also cheered for the 6ft2 in Angelino when she smashed Cheryl Miller’s 39-year-old record of most 30-point games in a season. Watkins’ 1st 30-point game came in her debut and she was unstoppable thereafter.

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She is undeniably becoming a force to reckon with on the court, but her humility and the wish to do good for others continue off the court. Moreover, she is also known for her selfless games, bringing victories to her team and putting them before her. Did you like the special gesture of the 18-year-old for her team?

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Written by:

Srashti Sharma

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Srashti Sharma is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports, known for her in-depth researching skills. From the very first time that she heard about Kobe Bryant, she herself cultivated a Mamba Mentality. She loves the competitive nature of the sport which fuels her inner sportswoman.
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Edited by:

Aakash Nair