Former New Mexico guard, and Eddie House’s son, Jaelen discusses his pre-NBA Draft workout with the Celtics and the ‘viral’ moment with his dad during this year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Jaelen House, son of 2008 NBA champion Eddie House, worked out with his father's former team on Thursday, hoping to show the Boston Celtics that he is worthy of their selection in the 2024 NBA Draft.
House, a five-year player who split his time between Arizona State and the University of New Mexico, is currently projected to fall somewhere in the second round of this year's draft. The Celtics could have up to two picks in the second round, holding an unprotected pick from the Dallas Mavericks and a heavily protected pick from the San Antonio Spurs.
House joined his dad on NBC Sports Boston's Celtics Pregame Live ahead of Boston's Game 2 Eastern Conference Finals matchup with the Indiana Pacers to discuss his workout and how the draft process has treated him so far.
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"I think the workout went well today," House told his father's former teammate, Brian Scalabrine. "The process is the same for everybody -- just strength training and getting in the gym -- so I think the process is going well for me."
House finished his fifth and final year averaging 15.9 points, 3.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and an impressive 2.3 steals per game for the Lobos. House helped New Mexico earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament, but they ultimately fell short in the first round to No. 6-seeded Clemson, who would go on to the Elite Eight.
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New Mexico's 68-61 win over San Diego State University in the championship of their conference tournament helped the Lobos punch their ticket to the Big Dance. House had a game-high 28 points, including a game-clinching basket, which made his father visibly proud.
"It was cool," House said of the big moment. "It was the first time I made it to the championship in March, so it was a good moment to be in front of my dad."
One thing his dad is particularly proud of is how he's doing it -- making a name for himself and playing his own way.
"At the end of the day, everybody always says, 'oh, it's his son,' or this, that, or the other -- he's paving his own way, he plays his own way," Eddie House said of his son. "I'm here to support, I'm not a helicopter dad -- he'll tell you that -- I keep it a million with him all the time. I'm probably his hardest critic, and the one thing about it is I'm super proud of him and he's just beginning."
House also recently had the chance to showcase his abilities in the G-League Elite camp, logging 17 points, three rebounds, and an assist against other draft prospects.
House will hope that his ability to score from anywhere on the court, paired with his speed and pesky defensive skills, will lead to an NBA team calling his name in the 2024 NBA Draft.
