Penn State’s Seth Lundy realized his NBA dream through diligence: He ‘has no quit’ in him

It’s true what they say, that it can take only five seconds to change your life. On Thursday, Penn State’s Seth Lundy felt the significance of that phrase.

The Paulsboro native got the call he’s been waiting for after the clock struck midnight. On hand for the NBA draft festivities, Lundy’s family and friends joined the 6-foot-6 small forward at Empire Sports Bar in Brooklawn, N.J., knowing that his name would be called moments later.

“With the 46th pick in the 2023 NBA draft...”

The celebration began. And Lundy, sitting between his parents, Gerald and Martina Lundy, could take a breath. He was selected by the Atlanta Hawks at No. 46 overall in the second round.

Lundy held his composure, soaking in the cheers and claps from those around him. Then it started to hit. He wrapped his arms around his parents, bringing them in as their eyes filled with tears of joy.

“I waited my whole life for this moment,” Lundy told The Inquirer. “To hear my name get called, it was just such a relief for me, man. So much stress that went through my mind during the draft, and hearing my name get called, a lot of that went away. Now, I’m living in the moment, sharing it with the people I love most.”

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It was a journey for Lundy, a Roman Catholic graduate who had a four-year collegiate career with the Nittany Lions, to reach this point. He knew from a young age that he wanted to play basketball at the highest level. Even if he wasn’t starting or playing the most minutes, Lundy knew his work ethic would prevail.

“He’s the type of person who has no quit, he knew from Day 1 what he wants to be,” said Maurice Clark, a Camden High assistant basketball coach who has trained Lundy since the future NBA draft pick was in seventh grade. “He’s always had an extra pump in anything he does. If you tell him to run 15 yards, he’s going to run 20.”

Lundy never took a day off, his parents recalled. Last year on Christmas, they made a large breakfast for the family, and while everyone prepared to eat and open presents, Seth was heading out the door.

Gerald said, “Where are you going?” He responded, “Dad, I got to put up a 1,000 shots before I can eat.”

“That’s hard work and dedication,” Martina said. “You don’t see that every day. Nobody has been more dedicated. Nobody has a bigger work ethic.”

But Lundy isn’t one to take all the credit for himself. It took a village, and there’s one family member in particular who helped steer him toward basketball: his older brother, Xavier.

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Xavier went to Paulsboro High School, where he finished with 2,135 career points. He went on to play at Rider University. Xavier introduced his little brother to Clark and offered guidance to further Lundy’s playing career.

“That’s the reason why I played basketball,” Lundy said about his brother’s influence. “I tell people that all the time. He put me in this position. I used to watch him work, I still watch him every time we go to any gym in South Jersey. He got me to this point.”

Lundy eventually joined Team Final, an AAU program with a history of sending players to the NBA — most recently sending Duke’s Dereck Lively II, a Westtown graduate, to the Dallas Mavericks as the No. 12 pick on Thursday. Instead of attending high school in New Jersey, Lundy’s coaches at Team Final suggested he play in the Catholic League to gain more exposure.

At Roman, Lundy helped the Cahillites achieve a PCL and state title in his senior year, playing on a team that featured St. Joe’s Lynn Greer, Villanova’s Hakim Hart, and the Detroit Pistons’ Jalen Duren. Lundy joined Penn State after being heavily recruited by Pat Chambers, who is now head coach at Florida Gulf Coast.

Chambers’ departure from the program in 2020 momentarily altered what Lundy envisioned for his college experience. But instead of entering the transfer portal, he stayed the course and continued to work.

“I’ve always felt like I was mentally tough and just ready for the world,” Lundy said. “I built good habits and showed discipline, so my game really went to another level with being consistent. I knew my goal was the NBA. I’m never messing around, and when you do that, the sky’s the limit for you.”

Lundy had a conversation with Micah Shrewsberry, who took over the Penn State program in 2021, at the start of this season and shared that he wanted to forgo his final year of eligibility in 2023-24 and declare for the 2023 NBA draft. He told Lundy, “I don’t see why now you can’t get to the next level, so we’re going to push you to get there.”

And that’s exactly what Shrewsberry did.

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The 23-year-old averaged 14.2 points and 6.3 rebounds with 40% shooting from three-point range this year, ranking 37th in the country in three-point percentage and second in the Big Ten in three-pointers per game (2.6). He also helped lead the Nittany Lions to a first-round victory in the NCAA Tournament, which hadn’t happened for Penn State since 2001.

Now embarking on the next chapter, Lundy expects to establish himself quicker than some folks may think.

“I’m going to have a long and healthy career,” Lundy said. “I’ll handle the things I got to do on the basketball court. I’m just excited because I feel like I’m going to be a very great player, especially in this league.

“I had a great workout with Atlanta two days ago ... I’m happy I met those guys — I can’t wait to get there and go to work.”