DETROIT, MI — If you’ve been following the Detroit Pistons this season you probably keep hearing the name Daniss Jenkins. The 24 year old guard from Dallas, Texas has been playing some critical minutes, and is a big part of this winning streak. But who is he, and where did he come from? We sat down with him to find out what’s his driving factor
“This is like kind of like the American dream type of story. You keep grinding and wait for your opportunity and then when it comes you have to seize your moment and seize your opportunity and take advantage of it, and that’s all I’m doing,” said Jenkins.
In the month of November, Jenkins has seized his moment. Averaging nearly 16 points a game, and was even nominated for the Eastern Conference Player of the Week.
I just wanted to win the game. I wanted to get out on an NBA court and just really show what I can do, that was my dream. It was just amazing, it’s been crazy ever since,” he said.
But the climb to this moment wasn’t an easy one. After finishing his college career at St. John’s, Jenkins went undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft.
“I felt I was better than a lot of people that got drafted. That’s just been the story of my life though. I’ve always had to get in on the back end and always push through wherever I was at,” said Jenkins.
So he ended up signing a two way contract with the Pistons, playing most of his rookie season with the Motor City Cruise.
I mean realistically I was like okay probably going to play in the G-League, I knew that. I didn’t know how much, and I didn’t know how much I was going to play with the Pistons. So I was really coming in and trying to get better. Trying to really figure out how to control the game on a professional level,” said Jenkins.
“He struggled as weird as that is to say. The game was really fast for him starting off as a point guard. The game just needed to slow down a little bit, he had to get used to his teammates and the lengthen and athleticism at this level, but it didn’t take him long. It did not take him long,” said Jamelle McMillan the Motor City Cruise Head Coach.
The game did eventually slow down for him though, and Jenkins was named to the G-League All-Rookie Team, but won’t ever forget about the grind to get there.
“I always use this word, but it’s like you’re in the trenches. It’s truly like that, but it’s humbling at the same time and it keeps you hungry. That’s what it was for me. You get a taste of the NBA life and you get a taste of the nice hotels, flying private, the food everything like that, and then you have to go down and you have to find you’re own way and you just have to get out of the mud,” said Jenkins.
While nothing in the NBA or any other professional league is guaranteed, Jenkins is trying to soak up this moment.
“I try to, I try to. Bits and pieces like I said, but I always try to keep going like I look it as I’m just doing my job, but with everything happening the way it actually played out you do try to soak it up and really take it all in and really just know like I always say I’m motivating a lot of people, I know that,”
