Getty Image
DJ Burns knew he was facing an uphill battle to play in the NBA after being thrust into the spotlight during March Madness, but the man who reportedly attracted the interest of some NFL teams is still focused on basketball based on his latest move.
There are a number of college basketball players who’ve been able to take advantage of the spotlight that comes with playing in the NCAA Tournament to drum up some hype for themselves, and DJ Burns became the latest one to join that particular club after the NC State Wolfpack punched their ticket to The Big Dance.
Burns was a major reason NC State was able to secure a fairly shocking victory in the ACC Tournament to earn the automatic bid they needed to get a March Madness spot in the first place, and he was equally impactful in the majority of the games they won while staging an equally unlikely run as an 11th-seeded Cinderella team that ultimately lost to Purdue in the Final Four.
The 6’9″, 275-pound big man quickly emerged as a fan favorite, and there were a number of NFL insiders who said they spoke with teams who were genuinely intrigued by the possibility of attempting to turn him into an offensive tackle.
However, Burns made it clear his primary focus was on basketball, and he managed to shed 45 pounds in the span of two months ahead of the NBA Draft.
He wasn’t selected and ultimately signed a contract with the Cavaliers before heading to Las Vegas for Summer League play. He averaged 5.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, and a single assist in the four games he appeared in, and the team declined to extend another offer following that brief stint.
The 23-year-old could probably attempt to pivot to football if he so desired, but according to The News & Observer, he’s opted to keep his hoop dreams alive by signing a contract with the Sono Skygunners of the Korean Basketball League.
Burns and the Skygunners will kick off the KBL season on October 20th.