How Kris Dunn's tough upbringing prepared him for the NBA

Derek Bodner | Special for USA TODAY Sports

Show Caption Hide Caption Kris Dunn on NBA draft: 'This is a dream' USA TODAY Sports sat down with Kris Dunn prior to the 2016 NBA Draft where he discussed the excitement of taking his talents to the next level.

Kris Dunn grew up without a typical father figure in his life, with his older brother, John, filling that role. Dunn’s mother Pia had displaced the kids from their home in Connecticut to run away to Alexandria, Va., when Kris was one year old.

Life in Alexandria was a struggle even in the best of times, with Pia occasionally in trouble with the law during the boys' childhood, usually spending a day or two in jail for relatively minor offenses like credit card fraud, writing bad checks, or driving under the influence.

The struggle intensified when Pia was locked up for months.

Scared they would be taken away and separated, the boys initially told nobody. They got the money necessary to survive in part by hustling: John by gambling with dice, Kris by challenging local kids to 1-on-1 games of basketball.

More than 350 miles north, John Seldon, the boys’ father, had gone through his own version of hell after he came home that day to realize Pia had left home with his sons. Over the next eight years the courts provided little aid to Seldon as he tried to track down his family.

When Pia was locked up the final time, it gave he and the boys the break they needed.

In a desperate attempt to get her sons basic necessities, Pia contacted Seldon out of the blue, allowing John to go up to Connecticut to meet his father once again and return home with clothing and other various goods.

“I almost felt like it was unfair that my brother got to meet my father and I didn’t. I guess it wasn’t the right time,” Kris Dunn told USA TODAY Sports about that first bit of contact the boys had with their father. “I was very intrigued to meet my father. I wanted someone who could teach me how to be a man. Just having a father figure around, someone that I could just talk to about any situation. Having that relationship that fathers and sons should definitely have.”

Pia had gone out of her way to prevent Seldon from knowing where the boys were living, but Seldon didn’t give up.

After John boarded a train and returned home, Seldon checked his phone bill and started calling some of the numbers in Virginia that John had contacted during his stay. A couple of phone calls later, Seldon learned about Pia’s incarceration and where the boys were staying. With that information, Seldon was able to finally go to the courts and obtain legal custody of his sons. He drove to Virginia almost immediately, pulling his sons out of poverty and integrating them into his family, which already included a stepson and two daughters of his own, in New London, Connecticut.

“When I first got to meet him, it was very emotional,” Dunn explained. “We didn’t think it was ever going to get to this situation.”

It was a difficult transition for Kris. After years of fighting for survival, he had become a little standoffish. His world, while undeniably safer, had been flipped upside down. Seldon was trying to add structure to the lives of kids who had been anything but structured in the past.

“It definitely took time. It wasn’t like he came in and we were laughing right away. We had to get to know one another, to know each others tendencies and how we go about our every day lives,” Dunn said. “It really almost took us years to finally get that rhythm, but I think what broke the ice is we both love sports, and we’re both high level competitors, and we’re very emotional when we play sports. I think that broke the ice.”

Seldon was a football player growing up, something which Kris pursued initially. He showed talent as a running back, slot receiver, and defensive back. But Kris’ calling eventually proved to be basketball.

“I think he still wishes I played football. I think he feels like the game [of basketball] isn’t physical enough,” Dunn explained. “He’s definitely trying to learn it more and more. I don’t think he has a choice, going to all the games that he’s been to.”

Kris realizes that he may not be in this position today if not for the efforts of his father.

“He inspires me every day. He makes sure I’m doing the right thing, and doing the right thing for the right purposes,” Dunn said. “Without him I definitely wouldn’t be in this situation, there’s no secret to that. It’s a blessing to have your father have your back.”

A stellar high school career, which included earning All-American honors in 2012, made Dunn one of the top recruits in the country. Yet he ended up selecting nearby Providence, which hadn’t made an NCAA tournament appearance since 2004. He made the decision because of how Ed Cooley’s upbringing almost mirrored his own, and how he could relate to Providence’s new head coach.

Dunn underwent surgery to repair a shoulder injury in the summer before his Providence career started, eventually returning in December and finishing out the rest of his freshman season. Less than a year later he re-injured that same shoulder, missing the rest of what would have been his sophomore season after appearing in just four ineffective games.

As Dunn was weighing his options and preparing for yet-another surgery, he received news that his mother had unexpectedly died.

Dunn eventually picked himself back up, both from the injury that threatened to derail his NBA career and from his shattered personal life. He won Big East Defensive Player of the Year and Player of the Year in 2014-15 after averaging 15.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game.

He declared for the draft that year, but didn’t hire an agent and ultimately returned to Providence.

“I think my decision was best for me and my family, and I think I really did improve this year,” Dunn said. “What made [the decision] so special is they allowed me to make my own choice. I could have easily went to go get the money and impact my family right away, but I wanted to do the right thing for me. Just to have that support, and having your back and allowing you to make that decision, and allowing you to learn from your decision, it was great.”

Beyond improving on the basketball court, beyond winning a game in the NCAA tournament, Dunn wanted to set an example by getting his degree.

“It was really important. That’s something nobody can take away,” Dunn said. “I was doing it because I’ve been putting a lot of work into my education. I’ve been at Providence College for four years, and I was at both summer sessions.

“I was putting all that time into the education and trying to be a good role model to my family. Trying to be a good role model for my sisters. They don’t play sports, and I wanted to show them that sports aren’t everything. You can still be successful in the other side of the world.”

Dunn thinks he used the opportunity to improve his game. He improved his jump shot from 35.1% from three-point range in 2014-15 to 37.2% this past year. He cut down on turnovers, from 4.2 per game to a more manageable, but still too-high, 3.5. He recognizes he still has progress he can make, and has been training with former NBA player Don MacLean in California, competing against fellow point guard, and expected first round pick, Tyler Ulis daily.

“It helps both of us,” Dunn said about his daily head-to-head match-ups with Ulis. “Just the competitive spirit in there is incredible. We both don’t want to lose and we’re attacking at each other every day. We’re also helping each other. At the end of the day we’re trying to get each other better, giving each other pointers on how to become better for the next level.”

Dunn said that the NBA game, with its focus on floor spacing, three-point shooting, and defensive rule changes, could benefit his style of play. Still, he believes the best way to improve his effectiveness is continuing to learn the game of basketball.

“I think that’s what most people will believe. Hopefully I go to the NBA and it will help benefit me,” Dunn said about the rule changes. “But I think I will become better through the years as I learn the game more. I think that’s the biggest key for me, just going in there and being open to hearing the advice that the coaching staff and the older guys give me, and just trying to learn the game. Once you learn the game everything slows down and your game rises through the years, and I think that’s the biggest factor for me.”

Dunn believes his two-way potential and defensive versatility should help him get minutes early on in his career, minutes which he thinks are important for his long-term development. “I don’t think anybody wants to come in and sit on the bench,” he said.

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