Pelicans Select Tide's Lewis With 13th Overall Pick In NBA Draft

TUSCALOOSA, AL. — University of Alabama point guard Kira Lewis Jr. won't have to travel too far to begin his professional basketball career, after the sophomore was drafted with the 13th overall pick by the New Orleans Pelicans in Wednesday's 2020 NBA Draft.

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"The one thing we know for certain, Kira Lewis is somebody we paid a great deal of attention to all season long we’ve been a very large fan of his game for quite some time," said David Griffin, Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations, following the selection. "As we went through the draft process and learned more about who he was a human being, we were very confident he fits everything we care most about from a character standpoint and the way he approaches the game."

During his sophomore campaign at the Capstone, under first-year coach Nate Oats, Lewis averaged 18.5 points and 5.2 assists over 36.7 minutes per game earning. This was good enough to earn Lewis 1st Team All-SEC honors.

Lewis nearly left the program prior to Oats taking the reins, as he entered the NCAA's transfer portal after a coaching change for the Crimson Tide, but eventually opted to stay on with Oats.

A product of Hazel Green High School in Madison County, Lewis averaged 13.5 points and 2.9 assists per game to earn SEC All-Freshman Team honors in 2019. He was also invited to play for the United States team that won gold at the 2019 FIBA U19 World Championship.

The Pelicans, led by highly-touted power forward Zion Williamson, finished near the bottom of the NBA's Eastern Conference during the 2019-2020 season, posting a 30-42 record.

Oats previously praised Lewis' speed moving from one end of the floor to the other, call him the fasted player he has ever coached.

"The NBA has gone to a game of pace and getting up and down, so I think he fits the direction the league is going," Oats said. "He is a great kid who wants to be in the gym and get better.”

The Pelicans underscored Lewis' potential as it relates to speed, saying in its draft announcementthat the 19-year-old's quickness could help a team that ranked No. 21 in defensive efficiency last season, allowing 111.8 points per 100 possessions.

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