D.J. Steward has a confession.
"I had been eating a lot of McDonald's the previous days and previous weeks," said the standout Whitney Young guard.
Turns out the fast food streak paid off. Or more likely, it was his elite skill level on the basketball court, as Steward was recently chosen to play in the prestigious McDonald's All American Game.
"It means a lot," said the 18 year-old. "A lot of great players have played in the McDonald’s All American Game ... it's just a blessing."
Shockingly, Steward is the first boy from the state of Illinois to be selected to play in the McDonald's Game since Jalen Brunson in 2015. He's the third player in Whitney Young history to receive the honor, joining former DePaul standout Quentin Richardson and Duke's Jahlil Okafor.
"It’s crazy because those are great players that played in the NBA, one of them playing currently, and that’s somewhere that I want to be, eventually," Steward reflected. "I want to be an NBA player – not just make it to the NBA, but be a player that can stay for multiple years."
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Before playing in the McDonald's Game on April 1 in Houston, the senior says he hopes to lead the Dolphins to a City Championship and a State Championship.
After that, it'll be off to Duke, where he will look to make a big impact next season for the Blue Devils.
"It’s just a lot of history behind Duke. They’re a winning program. Playing underneath a great coach such as Coach K is just a blessing," Steward said.
