Before DeAndre Ayton, There Was Rakeem Christmas: From The Caribbean To The NBA (Documentary)

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WATCH Ep. 1- Next Up | Chris McCullough: http://bit.ly/1Hswuti
WATCH Ep. 2- Next Up | Rakeem Christmas: http://bit.ly/1OmPVEs
WATCH Ep. 3- Next Up | Jarell Martin: http://bit.ly/1IF7Kvd

We live in an era of 1-and-done players leaving college early for the NBA Draft. Then there's Rakeem Christmas. He chose the 4-year-process. Even after being named a McDonald's HS All-American, Rakeem had to earn playing time at Syracuse University. As a freshman, Christmas averaged 2 points and 2 rebounds a game. By his senior year, he averaged 18 points and 9 rebounds. But it wasn't until his NBA Combine performance that teams started taking notice and his draft stock shot up.

Though, the question still remains, will the 2015 NBA Draft value a player with youth and potential? Or will they value maturity and production? We'll find out on draft night.

In Grit's newest series, "Next Up," we took a trip to Las Vegas to spend some time with Rakeem Christmas during his pre-draft workout.

"Next Up" is a Grit Media original series following the journeys of college basketball players entering the 2015 NBA Draft. On the path, we check out their pre-draft workouts, get to know them on and off the court, and find out how they deal with pressure to make an NBA roster.

About Grit:
Grit's mission is to inspire, inform and empower the next generation through sports culture. Sports media is filled with talking heads and scripted statements. So, we're moving beyond the scores and highlights to bring original digital stories about real people and real issues.

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CREDITS:
- Narrator: Colin Masahi Ehara
- Editor: Tom Yang

MUSIC:
- "The Preacher" by Brock Berrigan (  / brockberrigan  )
- "Three AM" by Brock Berrigan (  / brockberrigan  )
- "Theme for the Day" by Brock Berrigan (  / brockberrigan  )
- "Realness" by Wirebeats (   • Видео  )
- "Home is Where The Music Is" by Robot Orchestra (https://robot-orchestra.bandcamp.com/)
- "Youth" by Robot Orchestra (https://robot-orchestra.bandcamp.com/)
- "Favelas" by saib. (https://saibeats.bandcamp.com/)
- "Act Right" by saib. (https://saibeats.bandcamp.com/)

ADDITIONAL MEDIA:
-    • 2014-15 RAKEEM CHRISTMAS HIGHLIGHTS  
-    • Rakeem Christmas Hightlight Reel  
-    • RAKEEM CHRISTMAS'S MONSTER DUNK VS. C...  
-    • Видео  
-    • Видео  
-    • Видео  
-    • Rakeem Christmas Highlights