NBA prospect Kobe Bufkin goes viral for bizarrely rubbing his MOM’S leg live on ESPN after being drafted by the Atlanta Hawks
- Bufkin, 19, ended up being selected as the No. 15 pick of the NBA Draft, Thursday
- His mother, Kimberley, was speaking proudly of her son while being interviewed
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Highly-rated NBA prospect Kobe Bufkin’s gone viral for bizarrely rubbing his mom’s leg live on TV, just moments after being drafted as the 15th overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks.
Bufkin, 19, was interviewed by ESPN alongside his mother, Kimberly, following his hand shake with NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, on center stage, with his mom speaking highly of her son’s accomplishment on Thursday night.
‘[He has] dedicated himself to basketball,’ she said while Bufkin, who was wearing an all-white suit and a Hawks hat, caressed his mom’s knee. ‘Most importantly, he’s been faithful to the lord and to the game and it has brought him so far.’
‘He has played like the world is watching for the last 12 years. It’s what we stress as a family, play like the world is watching, have faith, and you’ll get here. We’re here.
Related Post
‘Grand Rapids, Michigan, is here.’
New Atlanta Hawks guard Kobe Bufkin has gone viral for rubbing his mother’s leg on live TV
Bufkin’s mom, Kimberley, was speaking proudly of her 19-year-old son while he caressed her
NBA fans were torn over the moment, during ESPN’s coverage of draft night, which saw the San Antonio Spurs select Victor Wembanyama as the overall No. 1 pick, with one user sharing on Twitter: ‘The story of the #NBADraft is KOBE BUFKIN RUBBING HIS MOM’S LEG.’
‘Kobe Bufkin moving mad rn with his mum’ another added, while a different fan wrote: ‘What’s Kobe Bufkin doing?’
However, some people were quick to defend the Michigan guard, pointing out that he was seemingly just trying to keep his mom calm while she was speaking on the live broadcast.
One person said: ‘I thought it was really sweet how close Kobe Bufkin is with his mom.’
‘That’s his mom, idiot,’ another fan added on Twitter. ‘Don’t s*** on the biggest moment of his career thus far.’
Bufkin poses for a photo with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being selected 15th overall
Bufkin played as a guard for the Michigan Wolverines during his time in college (seen in March)
After his name was announced, Bufkin admitted that he didn’t expect to be drafted by the Hawks, as he didn’t work out with the team ahead of Thursday night, although he’s now excited at the prospect of starting his career in Atlanta in October.
‘It was a sigh of relief for sure, happiness, a mix of emotions, but I actually have family in Atlanta so I’m looking forward to going down there and celebrating with them,’ he told 11Alive.
‘I didn’t work out with them (the Hawks), so it was kind of a shock, but I knew they were interested in me based off what my agents told me, but I’m glad and more than happy to go down there and compete with those guys for sure.
‘I know they’re competing their a** off no matter what they are doing.’
‘If they are winning or losing, I know they are going to go out fighting and that’s prevalent with Trae Young and Dejounte Murray leading the pack. I feel like I fit that DNA and I’m happy to go down there.’
