New York - Jalen Carey sat on the sidelines of the Brooklyn Nets practice facility Saturday as his fellow Jordan Brand Classic competitors auditioned for a room full of NBA scouts and influencers.
A few days earlier, the Syracuse basketball recruit was lifting weights at a local gym in his New Jersey neighborhood. He was holding a dumbbell to add weight and resistance to a jumping drill. And in one regrettable moment, an accident prevented him from participating in one of the nation's biggest, glitziest showcases for high school basketball seniors.
"The weight fell on my finger," said Carey, a 6-foot-3 guard.