2020 NBA Draft: Kira Lewis Jr. drafted by New Orleans Pelicans

Kira Lewis Jr. is going from Alabama to Louisiana. The Alabama Crimson Tide guard has been drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2020 NBA Draft.

The Pelicans spent the 13th overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft on Lewis Jr., who had himself a fine career in college. He spent two years with the Tide and had his best year as a sophomore, with his efficiency marks rating pretty favorably both overall and in conference play.

He was a prodigious scorer as a sophomore, hitting at least 30 points three times, including a 37-point performance against this year’s No. 1 overall pick Anthony Edwards — who was drafted earlier Wednesday by the Minnesota Timberwolves — and the Georgia Bulldogs on February 8.

Lewis Jr. is the first Alabama player drafted since Collin Sexton in 2018. He is just the seventh player from the Tide to be picked in the 21st Century, joining Sexton, Richard Hendrix (2008), Jermareo Davidson (2007), Mo Williams (2003), Rod Grizzard (2002) and Gerald Wallace (2001). He’s just the third 1st round pick from Alabama this century (Sexton, Wallace and he).