Why it’s Okay to Miss Grayson Allen

Four years. That’s how long ago it was when the world was introduced to Grayson Allen.

It really feels like longer than that doesn’t it?

When we first met Grayson, none of us could have predicted what his collegiate career would become. In fact, his freshman year was the exact opposite of what the following three years would entail.

Grayson was the forgotten five-star on the 2014–15 Duke Blue Devils. Above him was the phenomenal trio of Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones, and Justice Winslow. On the depth chart he was buried behind guys like Jones, Quinn Cook, Rasheed Sulaimon, and Matt Jones averaging just 9.2 minutes per game.

Grayson’s freshman year ended up being almost endearing. He came out of nowhere to put on a few fantastic performances in the Tournament as that Duke team rolled right on to a National Championship.

But it didn’t take long for the country to realize that freshman year was an aberration and not the expectation. Grayson became fixated in the spotlight. Preseason Naismith favorite,overrated, dirty player, spoiled brat….

Through all the tags he was given it became clear there was only one that could encompass it all: The next great Duke villain.

For people my age, the Duke villain was more legend than reality. We’ve all heard the Christian Laettner stories. We kind of remembered a time when JJ Reddick played for Duke. But prior to 2015, we hadn’t yet seen our first real Duke bad guy.

We associated Duke players with that title. Everyone who went to Duke was entitled. They were all jerks. Typical Duke, they get all the calls, they’re the worst.

But we never truly understood how it worked until we got Grayson.

Now it all makes sense. The trips, the dirty plays, the temper tantrums. This was everything we had been promised in a Duke bad guy but never got. And it was fun.

When we went to games we booed him. When Coach K suspended him we laughed. And when he went off against our favorite team, we couldn’t believe they let that jerk still play in the NCAA.

For the past three years we’ve all had one common enemy, and the best part was Grayson embraced it. He knew what he was. He never went out and tried to put on a PR show and win over the masses. He let us hate him, heck I think he loved it personally.

So yes, with Duke’s season done and Grayson’s career over, I stand before you saying I’m going to miss Grayson. We may never get the real Duke bad guy again in our lives. As much as we like to believe that Duke just grows these guys, it really takes a perfect storm.

You need chip on your shoulder attitude with no care for others opinions. The talent to make the rest of the world care about you, but not enough to send you to the NBA prematurely. And the love for Duke basketball that sends you there knowing full well who you’ll become in just four short years.

So let’s not take advantage of the perfect storm we got in Grayson Allen. We may never see it again.