Basketball

Miami Heat's Kendrick Nunn credits faith in Jesus during historic start to NBA career

By Joshua Doering Nov 5, 2019
Miami Heat guard Kendrick Nunn (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Miami Heat rookie Kendrick Nunn’s NBA career is off to a flying start. Nunn scored 112 points in his first five games, the most by an undrafted player in NBA history. He is also the first player to reach the 100-point mark five games into his career since Kevin Durant in 2007-08.

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Nunn recorded 24 points in a season-opening win over the Memphis Grizzlies and has scored at least 17 points in five of the Heat’s six games. After leading Miami with 28 points in its 106-97 victory against the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday, Nunn pointed to his work ethic and Christ as the reasons for his confidence.

“It comes from hard work,” Nunn told TNT’s Kristen Ledlow. “My faith in Jesus Christ and just hard work and laying it all out on the floor.”

The 24-year-old, who attended the University of Illinois for three years before transferring to Oakland University, has the word “God” with an emoji signifying “No. 1” as the first thing in his Twitter bio. Nunn spent last season with the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League, averaging 19.3 points per game. He signed with the Heat in April and scored 40 points in a preseason game against the Houston Rockets back on Oct. 18.

Nunn was one of six nominees for the first Eastern Conference Player of the Week award of the season, which ultimately went to Hawks guard Trae Young. The Heat are back in action on Tuesday night, when they play in Denver against the Nuggets.

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