'Never give up': Late parents fuel Washington State's Michael Flowers in Pacers workout
INDIANAPOLIS — Washington State star Michael Flowers was a late addition to the Pacers' pre-draft workout Monday, but the timing didn't matter to him. He was just grateful for the opportunity to compete.
Flowers joined New Mexico State's Teddy Allen, Washington's Terrell Brown Jr., Michigan State's Max Christie, Creighton's Alex O'Connell and UCLA's Peyton Watson. After wrapping up his first draft workout, Flowers looked around Indiana's practice facility and took a trip down memory lane.
"I used to come to Indiana to go to Spiece (Fieldhouse in Fort Wayne)," Flowers said. "(My parents were) right there with me. They used to drive me up here, drive all over the country, so they would be right here (after this workout) as soon as I get to my phone, just supporting me no matter what happen. They're gonna be there by my side, and I feel like they still are.
"I'm gonna keep pushing for them."
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Flowers' mother, Joyce, and father, Henry, died from cancer in 2018 and 2020, respectively. In the years since then, Flowers has used their memory as motivation throughout a winding college career that's led him to the doorstep of the NBA.
"That's everything to me. That's my journey. That's my 'why.' Why I do what I do," Flowers said of his late parents. "I feel like they're my inspiration and keep me going. A lot of people ask me how do I keep going through that type of trauma or whatever, stuff like that, and I just feel like the way that they raised me and everything that they (instilled) in me is what got me to this point."
Flowers, 23, is projected as a late second-round pick or could go undrafted. As a 6-1 guard, the odds are stacked against him to join an NBA team, including Indiana, which owns the Nos. 6, 31 and 58 picks in the draft on June 23. But after proving himself time and time again, Flowers doesn't care about the odds.
He just wants a chance.
"That's who I am. That's who I've always been," Flowers said. " ... I'm used to walking into the room and not everybody knowing who I am. That's how it is and it's fine with me. Everywhere I go, just show who I am, do what I do and let everything take care of itself."
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Flowers, a Southfield, Michigan, native, starred at Southfield A&T in high school but held only one Division I scholarship offer from Western Michigan after graduating in 2017. After hardly playing as a freshman, he emerged as one of the Broncos' top playmakers over his sophomore and junior seasons, averaging 16.3 points and 3.3 assists per game.
Flowers transferred to South Alabama following a coaching change at Western Michigan and ranked 15th in the nation with a career-high 21.0 points per game in 2020-21. The standout shooter was named the Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year and first-team All-Sun Belt before transferring again to Washington State for his final college season.
Flowers made an immediate impact with the Cougars, averaging team-highs of 14.2 points and 3.4 assists en route to second-team All-Pac-12 honors. He drained a single-season program-record 100 3-pointers, eclipsing the previous mark of 98 held by Klay Thompson, who's playing for the Warriors in the NBA Finals and chasing his fourth title. Flowers concluded his college career with 333 3s while shooting 36.8% from behind the arc.
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"I've had a hell of a journey. I feel like everything (is) coming full circle," Flowers said. "Starting at Western Michigan ... then going to South Alabama, then going to Washington State, everywhere I've been I just wanted to prove who I am. ... My last stop at Washington State was in the Pac-12, Power Five. I feel like I showed what I can do on that level, and now I'm here."
Flowers added that "nobody will give you nothing." So with his mother and father fueling him, he'll do whatever it takes to turn his NBA dream into reality.
"Responsibility, strength, courage," Flowers said of the values his late parents taught him. "Do what I do, be who I am and don't be afraid to step out that box and be you. You can get through anything if you just keep going, keep pushing and never give up."
Follow IndyStar Pacers beat writer James Boyd on Twitter: @RomeovilleKid. Reach him via email: jboyd1@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Washington State's Michael Flowers fueled by parents in Pacers workout
