He helped lead the Holmes Bulldogs to the 2009 Kentucky High School Athletic Association basketball state title and then went on to star at Marshall University, and now Elijah Pittman is inching toward the sport’s biggest stage.
With the NBA draft looming on Thursday, June 26, Pittman is hoping to hear his name called. According to his representatives, Pittman has been declared a bonafide pro player by several NBA team scouts.
A star at Holmes in Covington, Pittman started his collegiate career at a small school in Florida before taking his 6’9″ power to the Thundering Herd where he averaged a team high of 16.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in his first season for Marshall.
The forward also co-led the team with 65 3-pointers in the season and ranks tenth on the school’s all time list for shots made beyond the arc.
Pittman’s accomplishments don’t stop there. The forward also co-led his team in 3-pointers with 65 in the season, tying teammate D.D. Scarver for tenth on the university’s all-time list for 3-pointers made in a season.
His skills on the court were not always evident, though. “In fourth grade I got cut from the grade school basketball team,” Pittman said. “Since then I always knew I wanted to play basketball. I saw all these other kids doing great and I just thought, ‘What’s wrong with me?’ It provided that extra push to improve.”
He did improve, and though he went on to star at Marshall, off-court issues, including a battery charge to which he pleaded no contest, forced him off the team. He left school to pursue professional basketball options.
“I realize that everyone’s not perfect,” Pittman said. “People learn from their mistakes and that’s exactly what I did. I’ve grown from that experience, and in no way is it a reflection of the person I am today. The most important lesson I learned was that life can take everything away just as quickly as it gives. If you’re not doing to right things, you can end up in a very different place.”
In spite of these off-court issues, the Covington native was quickly picked up by the Delaware 87er’s, the NBA D-League’s affiliate for the Philadelphia 76ers. Off the court, Pittman is committed to two things: the homeless and basketball.
“I’ve spent a lot of time handing out food for the homeless,” said Pittman. “I also helped administer used clothes to the homeless with Kroger grocery stores. But other than that, I eat, sleep and drink basketball.”
Pittman’s NBA Draft eligibility still stands, and after an impressive run with the 87er’s – including an average 10.0 points and 3.6 rebounds per game – he’s ready to progress to the next step in his career.
“I want coaches to know that I’m as hard working and humble as anyone else,” said Pittman. “I want an opportunity in the NBA more than anything, and to prove people wrong and that I am cut out for this.”
Photo: Elijah Pittman on the court/Andrew Paiper, Marshall University Athletics (used with permission)