NEW YORK — Growing up in Niagara, N.Y. with his grandparents, Dexter Harris, Jr. shared more than just a neighborhood with Jonny Flynn.

The two played basketball and baseball together. Harris’ cousin, Paul, was a teammate of Jonny’s in high school and at Syracuse. Flynn was going to be the NBA star, and Dexter was going to manage stars – it’s why Flynn calls him ‘agent’.

On Thursday, part one of the dream came true as the two met off-stage at the NBA Draft. Flynn had just been drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the No. 6 overall pick at Madison Square Garden and Harris watched him walk by. Happy. Relieved.

‘When I gave him a hug as the security was walking him through, he was like ‘Man, Dex, I made it,” Harris said. ‘He gave me a big hug, and I’m just glad he made it. God bless him.’

For Harris, it was a special moment. He knew how passionate Flynn was for the game of basketball. It’s why the 27-year-old made the four-hour trek from Syracuse to MSG, the 22-hour trip to see him play in Miami at the 2009 NCAA Tournament and the reason he donned a T-shirt with Flynn’s picture on it with the slogan, ‘thanks for the memories.’ To Harris, Flynn simply deserved it.

But Thursday’s draft sprung Flynn into a whole new atmosphere. Away from the Niagara bubble and beyond the scope of Syracuse basketball, Flynn was now subject to the sometimes cold reality of the NBA, and a whole new set of fans. Into a hostile arena where draft picks are thrown to the unpredictable whim of the crowd.

Surprisingly though, public sentiment toward Flynn wasn’t so unlike that of Harris’ on Thursday. When his name was called, attendees donning every type of jersey cheered. Some pointed and mentioned the six-overtime game Flynn had played in at that same arena. Timberwolves fans, though few and far between, nodded in approval.

‘I love him,’ Charlie Gershman, a Timberwolves fan from Minneapolis, said. ‘I wanted him from the get-go. He had that six-overtime game, I mean, he’s definitely a leader, definitely knows how to play the game.’ Gershman respected Flynn so much that he hoped his team would trade away its earlier pick – flashy point guard Ricky Rubio – because of what he brings to the table.

In his two years at Syracuse – while averaging 16.6 points and 6 assists per game – Flynn carved out a unique niche for himself among basketball fans. His blue-collar playing style, coupled with his lightheartedness and passion has given him a reputation at every level.

It’s the reason why this draft is a little different for Michelle Tiffenberg and Michele Weisman, both Syracuse students. Collectively, the two have been at Madison Square Garden to see the last two Syracuse players – Donte Green and Demetris Nichols – drafted into the NBA. But watching Flynn leave was a little harder.

‘I’m very sad to see him go,’ Tiffenberg said. ‘Out of all three of them, Jonny was the most meaningful one.’

‘Jonny has the heart,’ Weisman said. ‘Donte just wanted to go to the NBA, he even said so. This is more like a celebration of (Flynn’s) accomplishments. It’s bittersweet.’

As Flynn donned the black and blue Timberwolves cap on Thursday, the journey had come full circle for so many that knew him in attendance, each carrying a memory of their favorite player. Niagara High School and Syracuse both watched as Flynn grew up before their eyes and anticipate him leaving his mark on yet another stage.

‘He’s got a lot of passion, a lot of passion for the game,’ Harris said as he watched a replay of Flynn and NBA commissioner David Stern on television. ‘Just God bless him, I feel so good.’

Published on July 9, 2009 at 12:00 pm