The disappointment of falling out of the first round became a distant memory.
When Isaiah Whitehead knew his name was about to be called by the Jazz — and traded to his hometown Nets for the 55th pick and cash considerations — family and friends surrounded him, and section No. 25 at Barclays Center exploded when it was announced he was being selected 42nd overall in Thursday night’s NBA draft.
“That’s everything,” the Coney Island native said of one day becoming the first Brooklyn-born player to play for the Nets since the franchise moved to the borough. “Just to be able to wear that Brooklyn across my chest, it would be an amazing accomplishment, and I can’t wait for it.
“Since [the Nets] got here, I always wanted to play for them, so it’s definitely a dream come true.”
The 6-foot-4 combo guard follows in the footsteps of Coney Island greats Stephon Marbury, Sebastian Telfair and Lance Stephenson by getting drafted. After a standout sophomore season for Seton Hall, in which he led the Pirates to their first NCAA Tournament in a decade and first Big East Tournament crown since 1993, he became the first Pirates player drafted since 2001.
Whitehead worked out for seven teams, including the Knicks, and performed well at the NBA’s scouting combine. It was apparent Brooklyn liked him, he said. The Nets followed him throughout his college career and brought him in for a light workout and interview Tuesday.
“He fits what we want to be. He fits what we embody,” Nets general manager Sean Marks said. “His tenacity, his professionalism, for us he embodies what Brooklyn grit is all about. … He is a combo guard. We like what he brings to the table. We liked his fire, his energy and his passion.
“I think by sitting with him over the last couple of days we got really familiar with the type of person he is and have no concerns about him in Brooklyn.”
Whitehead hoped to be a first-round pick, but getting to play for his hometown team washed away any disappointment. Whitehead nearly came to tears when he found out the Nets were trading up to take him.
“I mean, everyone has their journey,” he said. “Everyone has their path, so I guess this is mine.
“There’s no rush to get picked. Wherever you get picked, you’ve got to go there and take care of what you’ve got to take care of.”
With the guard-needy and rebuilding Nets, he should get the opportunity to play right away, and do so in his own borough, in front of friends and family. And there will be a familiar face for him: Bronx native Chris McCullough, a forward the Nets drafted in the first round last year.
“I know he’s emotional, that’s where he wanted to go,” Whitehead’s mother, Ericka Rambert, said. “I’m very happy. I can’t believe it.”
Additional reporting by Joseph Staszewski