Catching up With “The Messiah”
That’s what they used to call DaJuan Wagner in Camden, N.J., back in his high school days - Juanny even had the name tattooed on his arm. For those of us who got to see him do his thing high school, he was a force of nature with the rock. He wasn’t all that big, just 6-2, and while he was a gifted athlete, he wasn’t nearly as explosive as some of his peers (think much more O.J. Mayo than LeBron). But the guy could score. A lot. (Check the video evidence HERE)
The story of his NBA unraveling is relatively well-known - a string of injuries and the onset of a disease that almost killed him took away almost every hoop dream he had. But Juanny is still around, back in Camden, getting buckets, looking for one last shot at pro ball. New Jersey’s Courier Post caught up with him for a story HERE.
Found via True Hoop
August 12th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Celts Fan says:
sad story, Juanny was AMAZING in HS. Hopefully he can stay healthy and get his shot.
August 12th, 2008 at 11:41 am
Christian Grant-Fields says:
@ Celts Fan,
Yeah he was. Dude had a J, hops, and could get to the rack at will. I heard a yr ago he dropped like 80 at some game in Philly.
August 12th, 2008 at 11:51 am
shake&bake says:
DaJuan was amazing. It sounds like he is healthy which is awesome for him after what he’s gone through. I can’t believe he is only 25, for some reason I thought he was older. I hope he gets back in the leauge in a hurry. The Heat should sign him to play PG
August 12th, 2008 at 11:57 am
ali says:
An amazing talent, a scoring machine. He wasn’t a top ten pick after one year at Memphis for nuthin’. But the colitis really set him back, alot more than people realize. I’m glad to hear that he’s improved, his health is intact and he’s ready to make another run.
Oh, and his pops was NO JOKE at Louisville back in the day.
August 12th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Sho-Nuff says:
Shoot his pops was NO JOKE in hs. One of THE elite HS teams every. That Camden squad was LOADED!
August 12th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Kevin K says:
imagine oj mayo with derrick rose type of athletiscm… a dwade with a 3…
August 12th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Al says:
I lived in New Jersey for some time during 2002 , so I own a Dajuan Wagner Cavs jersey . This kid was so loved in Camden
August 12th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
Big Sia says:
Oh man Dime… props for this
Always with an Ear to the street
August 12th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Al says:
Kevin K : Dajuan could get up , but Derrick Rose is at another level with his jumping
August 12th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
the mamba says:
This dude should have a spot in the league. Juanny wags prolly gonna get that quape in europe
August 12th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
doc says:
@KevinK I wouldnt go there with the D-Rose hops but he was nice when we was young and he still nice.@Christian He scored 80 in that Drexel league I had 47 in a week ago.Im just glad he getting better.I remember everybody was saying he had that hot shit because he was looking all sick.
August 12th, 2008 at 10:30 pm
Ta!ented says:
Damn lol thought it was gon b about jesus shuttlesworth
August 13th, 2008 at 9:05 am
Young Lebron 23 says:
This cat was crazy. My dad and I saw him play when dropped 100+.