Brandon Knight doesn’t regret being locked out of the NBA

While two freshman from last year’s Kentucky Final Four squad came back for their sophomore season, one did not. After a great season and a monster performance in the NCAA tournament, Knight’s draft stock soared. As a top 10 pick in this season’s NBA Draft, Knight does not regret leaving Kentucky to pursue his dreams of playing in the NBA, even though their season, his rookie year, has been put on hold.

Knight’s mother Tonya has stuck up for Brandon’s decision to go pro, saying that even though the season won’t start on time, Brandon is still enjoying his NBA lifestyle.

“He’s playing against the best point guards in the NBA, so he’s having the time of his life,” Tonya Knight said.

Brandon has been working out with fellow NBA point guards Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook who share the same agent as Knight.

The lockout hasn’t been all that bad for Knight. Knight’s been able to spend time at Kentucky, recently joining with former teammates Josh Harrelson and Deandre Liggins at Big Blue Madness on Friday. Along with working and spending time with some of the NBA’s biggest stars, Knight has also used this time to better prepare himself for if and when the season finally begins.

And while many have questioned Knight’s decision, his mother doesn’t.

“I tell everybody, if somebody was going to pay you millions of dollars to do the thing you always wanted to do all your life, what would you do? It’s just common sense,” said Tonya Knight. “I haven’t met one person yet that told me they would continue to do the opposite of the thing they dreamed of doing.”

It’s a hard argument to win, especially when going against motherly love. And Knight certainly did not lose. He was a top 10 pick in the draft and will eventually become a solid NBA point guard. But for now, after seeing friend’s Doron Lamb and Terrence Jones continue to enjoy the college lifestyle and play for a top five team in the country, Knight has to wonder, even just a little bit, if returning for one more year would have been the better route, even if it wasn’t the smarter one. Knight left unfinished business unfinished, meanwhile Jones and Lamb will be looking to rectify the situation.