Former IU basketball guard Jalen Hood-Schifino gets major props from Lakers teammates D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves

The first day of the NBA training camp kicked off today and featured multiple former IU basketball stars getting settled in with the new season approaching very soon.

One of those IU basketball players that got their NBA training camp kicked off included former Hoosier guard Jalen Hood-Schifino, who is getting ready for his first year at the pro level.

After having only one year at Indiana where he won Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Hood-Schifino was selected with the No. 17 overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of this year’s NBA Draft.

With his first NBA training camp getting kicked off today, it was reported by NBA reporter Dave McMenamin that the former Indiana guard received major props from his Lakers teammates D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves, both who are in line to start in the backcourt for the Lakers this season, and said the Montverde Academy product had a ‘strong’ first day.

Related: Former Indiana basketball guard Jalen Hood-Schifino discusses his first interaction with Lakers teammate Lebron James

It has been well documented that Jalen Hood-Schifino being drafted by the Lakers was a huge dream of his as he grew up a Kobe Bryant and Lakers fans. As a Kobe Bryant fan, Jalen Hood-Schifino adopted the ‘Mamba Mentality’ early on in his basketball career…which ultimately led him into achieving his dream of playing for the NBA, for his dream organization.

“It’s honestly really crazy and kind of hard to say how I feel because growing up I was a big Kobe fan. I was always watching his videos, watching the Lakers,” Hood-Schifino said post-selection. “For me to get drafted by the Lakers is kind of surreal and kind of crazy.”

“(I’m) going to bring it every day, push the people around me. Just someone that is going to work hard,” Hood-Schifino added. “… For me to get drafted there, I’m going to bring it every day, like I said, try to impact as much as I can and learn from the guys that are there, especially for one of the all-time greats, LeBron James, and AD and the rest of the guys. It’s going to be great.”

In his lone season playing for Mike Woodson and Indiana, Hood-Schifino averaged 13.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. He was the first IU basketball player to have multiple 30+ point games in his first season since Eric Gordon. His 35 points against Purdue were the second-most points by an Indiana freshman. It was also the first time in the last 25 years for a freshman to score at least 35 points in a road victory over an AP top-5 team.

Hood-Schifino is in line for a four-year contract worth up to $17.9 million, according to the rookie salary scale. His contract includes $3.7 million in year one, with the assumption he signs for 120 percent of the standard rookie scale, which according to Hoops Rumors ‘virtually every first-rounder does’.

For the Los Angeles Lakers summer team, Hood-Schifino averaged 13.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game in six appearances in the Sacramento and Las Vegas. He shot 34.0% (32-of-94) from the floor, 21.7% (5-of-23) from the 3-point line, and 56.5% (13-of-23) from the free throw line.

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