Fansided

Frank Kaminsky: Wisconsin is great, NBA looks flat out boring

By Patrick Schmidt

facebooktwitterreddit
Apr 5, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Wisconsin Badgers forward Frank Kaminsky (44) shoots against the Kentucky Wildcats during the semifinals of the Final Four in the 2014 NCAA Mens Division I Championship tournament at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 5, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Wisconsin Badgers forward Frank Kaminsky (44) shoots against the Kentucky Wildcats during the semifinals of the Final Four in the 2014 NCAA Mens Division I Championship tournament at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports /

Frank Kaminsky surprised many when the Wisconsin center elected to return to the Badgers for his senior season after leading them to the Final Four this past season and in a blog post explained his decision to return to Wisconsin and delay fulfilling his dream of playing in the NBA.

“I am at the pinnacle of my basketball playing career, at least in my eyes. I know the NBA has their crazy fans and all, but if you look at all of their games, there are games when teams like the Bobcats get hardly any fans, and it looks flat out boring,” Kaminsky wrote.

“At the Kohl Center, we play in front of nearly 17,000 fans every single time we step onto the court. When we travel, we play in front of sell out crowds who absolutely hate us. Not because of who is on the team, but because of where we go to school. Who could leave that?”

Kaminsky admits the lure of a big payday was tough to pass up because he’s “tired of being broke” and the Lisle, Ill. native would love to play for the Chicago Bulls where his aunt and uncle worked when he was a boy.

However, he didn’t think he could live with the regret of possibly playing in the D-League considering he’s a “7-foot white kid with average athleticism” this season and not with the Badgers who Kaminsky thinks will be every bit as good, if not better, that they were this year.

“With the pieces we have returning, I believe we can win the Big Ten, and even win the whole damn thing,” he wrote. … “I have no doubt in my mind that I would have been drafted. I believe that one day I will be put on an NBA roster, but that doesn’t happen right away for most people.”

Kaminsky averaged a team-high 13.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game for Wisconsin–both career-highs–enroute to earning All-Big Ten honors and winning the Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA West Regional. He was projected to be drafted in the late 20s to mid-second round.