Jennings?s birthday was Sept. 23, and he celebrated by staying up late polishing his game. He texted Sampson, who lives less than a mile from him, at 9 p.m. and asked if he would meet him at the gym, and they worked deep into the night.
So far Jennings?s decision-making has impressed his coaches. He moved into a condo less than a mile from the Bucks? training center in St. Francis, Wis., far from downtown Milwaukee and its beckoning nightlife.
There is an Italian-made Ferrari in the players? parking lot, but it does not belong to Jennings. It is guard Michael Redd?s car. Jennings opted for a Ford Edge, with its sticker price of $26,000. ?I want to save my money,? he explained.
Jennings?s life experiences have given him a maturity that belies his youth. His childhood effectively ended in grade school with his father?s suicide. Jennings left his hometown, Compton, Calif., to play basketball in Mouth of Wilson, Va., at Oak Hill Academy, where he was the
Parade Magazine player of the year as a senior in 2008.