Former Gonzaga star Drew Timme scores first NBA points with Brooklyn Nets

Drew Timme waited long enough to score his first points in the NBA.

Following a stellar four-year college career with the Gonzaga Bulldogs, the 6-foot-10 Texan had to sit tight for almost a full two years and overcome a season-ending injury during that time before he was able to sign his first NBA contract, which happened this past week when Timme inked a two-year deal with the Brooklyn Nets.

As the Nets prepared to take on the Los Angeles Clippers Friday night at the Barclays Center, an injury to Brooklyn center Noah Clowney opened up a spot in the rotation and an opportunity for Timme, who finally proved his doubters wrong as he checked into the ballgame with 3:57 left to play in the first quarter.

Timme missed his first attempt from the field — ironically a 3-pointer — but cashed in his second attempt for his first career points in an NBA regular season game.

Drew Timme's first NBA bucket!

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— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) March 29, 2025

There were scouts who doubted the three-time All-American would even make a roster when he came out of Gonzaga, mostly over concerns regarding his 3-point shooting and overall athleticism in comparison to other players at his position. After going undrafted, Timme embraced his opportunities in the NBA G League.

Timme was likely close to earning a call-up from an NBA team last year with the Wisconsin Herd, though a broken foot in January 2024 derailed the rest of his season and forced him to work his way back up the food chain, starting with a Summer League opportunity with the Stockton Kings. That led to a contract to play with the G League squad. Timmen put up 11.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 52.3% from the field in 14 appearances with the Kings, though he played 19.0 minutes per contest.

The Long Island Nets unlocked the rest of Timme's game from the moment he joined the team in December. He had a 23-point, 15-rebound, 5-assist outing in his first game with the Nets, followed by five more 20-point performances in a row, including three double-doubles in that span.

Timme has taken things to another level in March. After dropping 40 points on March 11, Gonzaga's all-time leading scorer erupted for a career-high 50 points in an overtime win over the Motor City Cruise on March 22. Timme shot 21-of-26 from the field, including 3-of-5 from downtown, and grabbed nine rebounds in over 43 minutes of action.

The 24-year-old Timme stuffed the stat sheet during his time in Long Island. He averaged 23.9 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists while shooting 57.4% from the field, 38.4% from 3 and 73.1% from the free-throw line.