Inside Kennedy Chandler's draft day journey and the full circle back to Memphis Grizzlies

Inside the overcrowded rooftop bar of the Hyatt Centric in downtown Memphis, Kennedy Chandler, his father, his sister, mother, agent and the abundance of friends and families that came to show support, waited anxiously to hear the hometown kid’s name called during the 2022 NBA Draft on Thursday night.

With each name that was called and hours that passed, the anxious levels increased, even some frustration. Fans mad about the hometown Memphis Grizzlies' pick, or seeing Chandler’s name climb up the “best available list” just to be disappointed when another pick came in and the point guard from Tennessee's name was still there.

Chandler, through all the ups and downs of a long evening, kept a calm demeanor. He didn’t look like an aspiring professional basketball player disappointed he wasn’t selected when he thought he would.

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Instead, he kept a bright smile across his face as he chatted with his family in the VIP section of the bar and talked with his agent about what was unfolding.

Then, with the 38th overall pick in the second round, the San Antonio Spurs selected Chandler.

And that pick was traded to the Grizzlies.

Before Deputy NBA Commissioner Mark Tatum could finish Chandler's name, everyone in the bar erupted. Not only because Chandler was drafted, but that his NBA journey came full circle, back home to Memphis.

"It’s all God’s plan,” Chandler said. “I’ve been away from my family so long, I think he wanted me to return and be back home with my family and play in front of them.”

What better way to celebrate after a flurry of hugs with his family, than with a FaceTime call with his new teammate and Grizzlies All-Star point guard Ja Morant.

"Let’s get to it,” Chandler said of what him and Morant talked about on the phone. “Us in the backcourt together, it’s a scary sight.”

Once the excitement died down, Chandler wasn’t shy about talking about the frustrations of falling lower in the draft than he and his agent anticipated. He was quick to acknowledge one of the reasons he fell was because of his size at 6-foot.

That doesn’t define him or what he’s going to bring to the highest level of basketball in the country, though. He’s used to people judging his potential based on his size. Yet, he found a way to thrive at Briarcrest and bring it a state championship. He won a national championship with MOKAN Elite in the 2019 Nike EYBL Peach Jam and thrived at Sunrise Christian Academy before playing one season at Tennessee and earning All-SEC Second Team.

“I’ve been proving everybody wrong since I was in middle school and high school because of my size,” Kennedy said. “And I can’t wait to do it again.”

Now, he’s an NBA player.

"It was worth the wait,” Chandler's dad, Kylan, said.

As much of a celebration as it was hearing Chandler’s name called during the draft, it was equally a homecoming for one of Memphis’ own.

When the Grizzlies begin play for the 2022-23 season, fans will have one more reason to cheer for the home team. One of their very own will have a chance to make an impact in the city that helped him reach the NBA>

“I’m home,” Kennedy said. “That’s all I can say, I’m home. I’m excited. Let’s do it.”

Reach Wynston Wilcox at wwilcox@gannett.com and on Twitter @wynstonw__.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Inside Kennedy Chandler's draft day journey to NBA's Memphis Grizzlies