From high body fat to sixth man, Naz Reed is the toughest counterattacker

In the 2019 NBA Draft, the lights of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York flickered, but they couldn't illuminate the gloom in Naz Reid's eyes.

The five-star high school student who was once known as the number one power forward in New Jersey watched as Pascal, who had a similar style to himself but was nearly 10 centimeters shorter, was selected by the Warriors, but his name never appeared on the draft list.

The "14% body fat rate" on the scouting report was like a sting that could not be removed, putting his NBA dream in limbo.

Among all the players who participated in physical examinations in the past three years, Reid's body fat rate ranked first, which directly caused the team to question his professional attitude. And no one could have imagined that six years later, this player who was not drafted due to weight issues would win the Sixth Man of the Year award, renew his contract with the Timberwolves for a five-year 125 million yuan, and become the most valuable inside substitute in the league.

Looking back at the beginning of Naz Reid's basketball career, it was once brilliant enough. In high school, he was the third-ranked power forward in the country and a McDonald's All-Star. He scored 24 points and 15 rebounds in the finals and led his team to win the state championship.

With his outstanding talent, Reed quickly received invitations from prestigious schools such as Duke and Kentucky. However, in order to be able to take care of his mother nearby, he finally chose Louisiana State University in his hometown.

When Reed was a child, his family was poor, and he would do anything to fill his stomach. They even had to go to the community relief station to get food, and it was common to go to the convenience store trash can for expired bread.

Perhaps the experience of childhood hunger was too unforgettable. Reed developed the habit of stuffing things into his stomach first. Overeating and overindulgence in junk food made his weight once reach as high as 136 kilograms. In high school, he was suspended by the coach, and he could only sit at the end of the bench most of the time in the early stage.

He finally spent two years giving up junk food in high school and successfully lost weight through long-term high-intensity training. However, he slacked off again after entering college, which also cost him an even more painful price. Losing weight caused him to be suspended from the team. Although he averaged 13.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, he was selected to the conference's All-Rookie Team and led the school team to win 28 wins, the second most in a single season in team history.

From a common sense point of view, Reed's performance and talent should be able to guarantee his position at the end of the first round, but the negative label of not working hard enough and having poor self-discipline has been firmly attached to him. For the NBA that values ​​self-discipline, most teams simply do not dare to take the risk of selecting him. Coupled with his mediocre joint trial performance, this has once again lowered his draft prospects.

The blow caused by losing the draft once again became a turning point in Reid's life.

In a later interview, Reed admitted that that period was the darkest moment of his life, but looking at his mother's exhausted figure running for a living, he was determined to pick himself up again.

The two-way contract provided by the Timberwolves became a light in the darkness. In order to seize this life-saving straw, Reid then set up a devilish training plan. He got up at four o'clock in the morning every day to run with weights, and completely quit junk food. In two years, he lost 45 kilograms, and his body fat rate also dropped to the qualified standard for professional players.

After his outstanding performance in the 2019 Summer League, he won a four-year, 6.1 million partially guaranteed contract from the Timberwolves. Although he started at the end of the bench in the Development League, Reid cherishes every opportunity to play. Even if he only has a few minutes, he will try his best to do blue-collar work such as pick-and-roll and rebounding.

During this period, Reed lost nearly 14 kilograms, and at the same time began to practice outside shooting and lateral mobility, gradually becoming a space forward with both shooting and ball-holding abilities.

Beside star center Towns, Reid focused on polishing his substitute skills and gradually grew into the most popular spatial insider in modern basketball. In the second season of his career, he established himself in the team's rotation, averaging 11.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. In the 2022-23 season, he averaged 11.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, and his three-point shooting percentage reached 34.6%, gradually becoming the most reliable offensive firepower on the Timberwolves bench.

The 2023-24 season is a key milestone in Reid's career. He won the league's best sixth man with averages of 13.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, becoming the first best sixth man in the history of the Timberwolves and the third player in NBA history to win the sixth man award as an undrafted player.

In the 2023 offseason, Reid, who became a free agent, received high-paying offers from many teams, but he ultimately chose to stay with the team with a three-year contract extension of 42 million. This number is also far lower than the contracts offered by other teams. Reid's explanation for this choice was simple:

"The Timberwolves gave me a chance when I was in the most difficult time. This is my home."

This choice also deeply moved Timberwolves fans, and his persistence was quickly rewarded. As he broke out again in the 2023-24 season, the Timberwolves once again offered a five-year 125 million contract extension, completing his gorgeous transformation from a two-way contract to Mr. Billionaire.

Although he has become a multi-millionaire, Reid still remembers where he came from. He still maintains his personal habit of training in the early morning. He often returns to the Development League teams he played for to share NBA experience with some young players and inspire those who come after him to work hard.

Just like what he said at the Best Sixth Man Award Ceremony:

"My life started next to the trash can. It is a miracle that I can play in the NBA. This award belongs to all those who are not optimistic but never give up."