Always listen to mom: Collins will keep No. 20 in NBA
John Collins wore No. 20 with Wake Forest.
He will wear No. 20 with the Hawks.
The uniform decision wasn’t as easy as it might seem. There was a valuable lesson learned by the Hawks first-round draft pick. Always listen to mom.
Collins was introduced at a press conference in Atlanta on Monday along with second-round picks Tyler Dorsey and Alpha Kaba. Following the event, Collins was presented with his jersey with his name and a big No. 0 on the back.
A dream becomes a reality: Here's what the @ATLHawks' Draft Class had to say about the moment they joined the @NBA pic.twitter.com/uYwCNTyfcl
— FOX Sports: Hawks (@HawksOnFSSE) June 26, 2017
Wait, what?
Collins quickly said a change was coming at that he will indeed wear No. 20. Collins later said he intended to wear No. 0 for another former Wake Forest player - Jeff Teague. The point guard wore the number for seven seasons with the Hawks after he was chosen No. 19 overall, like Collins, in the NBA draft.
His mother, Lyria, wanted him to continue his college tradition and keep No. 20. There is also a family meaning involving Collins’ grandfather, who recently passed away.
“My mom really wanted me to continue everything from college to the NBA,” Collins said. “Mom wins. We get to add a two to the jersey.”
About the Author
Chris Vivlamore is the sports editor at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He has served as reporter and editor at the AJC since 2003.
