By Mallory Mattingly
Detroit Pistons guard Daniss Jenkins played the game of his life on Sunday night and credited God for the performance.
“It’s Sunday. It’s the Lord’s Day, baby. It’s the Lord’s Day. My mom’s praying for me today — she said a great prayer. I believe in God, and I trust my work,” Jenkins said in a post-game interview shared by Christhlete.
Over the holidays, Jenkins returned to his high school in North Dallas to have his jersey retired.
When asked how he persevered through the trials of getting to the NBA, the athlete said he focused on his end goal.
Related: Detroit Pistons Star Plays for the ‘One Who Shed His Blood’
“The biggest thing for me is that my end goal never changed, no matter where I was,” Jenkins shared. “Even when I transferred schools, went JUCO, or went to different colleges, my goal was always to give myself a shot at the NBA, no matter what that looked like or what route I had to take.”
He also credited his friends, family and faith for their support.
“The circle is everything,” Jenkins emphasized. “Your circle and your village are what really keep you going and keep you grounded. All those times when you want to say, ‘Man, this is tough’ — because it is tough to do it by yourself — it’s really you, God, and your family saying the right things to you.”
“They keep you motivated and grounded, even when you have a little success,” he added. “Having people along the way who genuinely believe in you and genuinely want to see you do well — that meant everything to me.”
Jenkins never misses an opportunity to be express his gratitude to those who’ve helped him along the way, either.
“I can never repay them for that,” the NBA guard said. “They’re always going to be taken care of, and I’m always going to keep them included in everything I do, because that’s all I had. That’s all I know.”
Jenkins scored 25 points and had six three pointers on Sunday.
“Jenkins’ 21 pts (7-7 FG) are the most points in a single quarter from a bench player in Pistons franchise history and the most points scored in a quarter by any Pistons player since 12/11/22 (Bogdanovic, 25). Detroit’s 47 pts in the 2Q are a season-high for any quarter,” the Pistons reported.
As Jenkins steps into a bigger role for the Pistons, he looks to continue his impressive play. Even more, though, he plans to keep his faith in God, family and friends at the forefront of all he does.
Read Next: ‘Jesus Means Everything’: Timberwolves’ Mike Conley Relies on Faith Ahead of NBA Playoffs
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