Bryson Warren, a 6’3” Combo Guard, will represent his hometown of Little Rock as part of this year’s NBA Draft Class.
Warren made history by becoming the first sophomore in history to be named Arkansas Basketball Coaches Association High School Player of the Year after averaging 24,1 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.7 APG and 2.5 SPG per game for Little Rock Central.
While Warren had several incredible highlights during his time at Central, his fondest memory came from the very first game of the season and his first game at the new school.
“I was able to have 32 points that game and we came back and won,” Warren said. “That’s one of my best memories, and just with that game we won conference champs.”
As a highly sought-after recruit, Warren was ranked No. 14 in ESPN’s 2023 high school class and had offers from several D1 basketball programs, including Arkansas, Tennessee, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Missouri, Auburn and several others.
However, Warren’s journey in professional basketball has differed from many of his peers. In signing with Overtime Elite, he chose an alternative pathway to playing basketball at the next level. As Warren joined OTE in its inaugural season, he recognized both the potential risk and the potential reward in signing on with them and forgoing the rest of his high school and college career. He said that, ultimately, his decision has paid off for him, financially and otherwise.
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“Signing to Overtime Elite was definitely something new. No one had done it before, and it was great for me in developing as a player, and while I knew it would be a challenge, I was down for that, and I’m here now, in a great position,” Warren said. “It was new, but it wasn’t unproven. I’m happy that I signed with them because I feel like it’s made me a better player.”
In learning from great coaches such as Kevin Ollie and David Leitao, Warren said he felt like he was set up to succeed in both the game and in life. Warren said the lessons he learned from Ollie, his head coach and the head of player development, have been crucial to his continued success.
“Coach Ollie teaches a lot, and just being able to be around him is valuable. He’s got so much knowledge of the game, but he kept telling me that in everything I do, to go to something he likes to call level five,” Warren said. “Basically, it means to bring all of your energy into what you’re doing, no matter what it is. It could be practice and it could be film study, but he expects you to bring everything you’ve got to whatever situation you’re in.”
Warren also said playing with great players such as the Thompson Twins, Amen and Ausar, who were both Top 5 Draft Picks in the 2023 draft, was an invaluable experience. This year, six possible draft picks came out of OTE.
“I’m happy that I signed with OTE. I feel like it made me a better player,” Warren said.
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During his time at OTE, he became one of the most consistent scorers in the league and hit the first game-winner in league history on opening night against Vertical Academy. During his 2022-2023 season, Warren was voted Second Team ALL-OTE and averaged 14.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game in the regular season.
After two years with OTE, Warren entered the 2023 NBA G League Draft and was selected No. 13 overall by the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the affiliate of the Miami Heat. During this past season, he played 27 games across the Showcase Cup and Regular Season, with an average of 6.9 points across 17.4 minutes per game. At only 19 years old, Warren was one of the youngest players in the league, managing six 15-and-up point performances.
“The thing that most surprised me during my time on the Skyforce was how cold it gets in Sioux Falls; I have never experienced that before. We had a great team and a great season,” Warren said. “Being on a 9-0 winning streak was incredible, and it was pretty fun. I had a lot of great moments out there, from practice and just learning a lot”
Warren said his time in the G League has prepared him tremendously for taking his game to the next level.
“Last year, 14 of the 30 first-round draft picks spent time in the G League, and I feel that my time here has definitely prepared me this year. With me already getting this year of experience in, I feel like I’m a little bit ahead of the curve with knowing the different terminologies and spacing,” Warren said.
While Warren is on the come-up, he stays grounded in his Arkansas roots, which kickstarted and developed his basketball abilities.
“It’s definitely amazing to be able to represent the family and the brotherhood. I feel like being from Little Rock and being from Arkansas, that you know everybody’s built a little bit different,” Warren said. “Everyone you know has to get it out of the mud, so being able to represent the whole state of Arkansas has been amazing.”
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Warren considers Arkansas to be a basketball state through and through, although there are several athletes in different sports who have excelled as well.
“There are a lot of great players coming up, and there are a lot of great players that are still there,” Warren said. “In about two or three years, I think Arkansas is going to be in a great situation in basketball, especially with Calipari at the University of Arkansas. I think a lot more eyes are going to be looking toward the state.”
In an effort to give back, Warren founded Bryson Warren United, a grassroots AAU basketball program with boys’ and girls’ (11U—17U) teams based in Little Rock. The program’s main goal is to provide exposure for as many kids as possible in central Arkansas, and Warren hopes to play a role in developing basketball in the state.
“When I was in the eighth grade, I played for Blake Griffin’s team, and I knew that this was something I wanted to do after seeing him with his own team,” Warren said. “It’s mentorship. I help to look out for them, and they look up to me. It’s meant to show them that Arkansas is a basketball state, and having them see me achieve my dreams, it puts it in their hearts that they can do it, too.”
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Warren grew up with great examples in basketball, including Bobby Portis, Moses Moody, and Joe Johnson, who was his biggest mentor. He also spent a lot of time learning from his trainers and his parents, who were all committed to helping him improve.
“My biggest goal is to take care of my family and inspire the next generation,” Warren said, explaining he would like to show his little brother and United players the ropes.
While Warren is a Little Rock native, he takes pride in representing the entire state.
“I’m putting on for the whole state of Arkansas. We’re pretty tight-knit throughout central Arkansas, so I’m putting on for the city as well,” Warren said.
The 2024 NBA Draft will take place on June 26-27. The first round will begin at 7 p.m. CT on Wednesday, and the second round will take place at 3 p.m. CT on Thursday. To view the draft selection order, click here.
Feature Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski/NBAE via Getty Images
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