Alabama basketball junior guard Jaden Shackelford is officially heading to the NBA.
The three-year Crimson Tide starter announced his decision in a post on social media on Sunday afternoon:
"I want to start by thanking my Lord and savior Jesus Christ for all the wonders he has worked throughout my life and blessing me with the gift to play the game I love," Shackelford's post on Twitter reads. "I am not who I am today without my relationship with God. I can't begin to thank my family enough for all of the sacrifice, dedication, love, and care they put into me and my love for basketball. I especially want to thank my amazing parents for laying an unbreakable foundation for me to be in the position I'm in today."
Over the course of his three seasons at Alabama, Shackelford averaged 15.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. In 97 career appearances for the Crimson Tide, Shackelford had a field-goal shooting percentage of 40.1 percent and was 35.1 percent from 3-point territory. He also amassed a 76.7 percent free-throw shooting percentage.
After crediting his family, Shackelford went on to thank his coaches and teammates with the Crimson Tide.
"These past 3 years have been unforgettable and some of the best times of my life!" Shackelford wrote. "I have been taught to be grateful and appreciative for everything you have and I just want to thank Coach Oats, Coach Pettway, and the rest of the staff for believing in me and allowing me to be apart of such an amazing program. To each and every teammate I took the floor with, thank you for pushing me each and everyday to be my best self. We put blood, sweat, and tears in this together and i'm forever thankful for the BROTHERHOOD we created. BAMA NATION! Thank you for embracing me and making me feel loved since day one. I appreciate you guys for believing in me and staying the course with our program over the years."
Shackelford closed his post with his official declaration.
"With that being said, I will be declaring for the 2022 NBA Draft and intend on signing with an agent," Shackelford wrote. "Hard work and a constant obsession to get better has gotten me where I am today. This is just the beginning of my journey and I am beyond blessed to be able to pursue my lifelong dream of playing in the NBA."
While Shackelford is the first Alabama player to formally declare his intentions to participate in the NBA Draft, he is not expected to be the last. Senior guard Keon Ellis and junior guard Jahvon Quinerly are also expected to make NBA Draft announcements soon, as well as standout freshman guard JD Davison.
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