Nikola Jokic, Trae Young and more react to NC State star DJ Burns Jr.'s run to Final Four

Brendan OSullivan

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Nikola Jokic, Trae Young and more react to NC State star DJ Burns Jr.'s run to Final Four image

DJ Burns has taken over college basketball with his unique size and skill combination that goes along with his joyous personality.

A few weeks ago, NC State's NCAA Tournament chances looked grim. The Wolfpack needed to win five games in five days to secure the ACC championship and punch their ticket to the Big Dance.

Burns and his crew did so, earning a No. 11 seed. After earning an automatic bid, the Wolfpack continued defying the odds, moving on to the Elite Eight for a matchup with No. 4 Duke.

Burns' 29 points on 13-of-19 shooting pushed NC State over the top of the storied program 76-64. It's the Wolfpack's first Final Four appearance since they won the national championship in 1983.

NBA players such as Nikola Jokic, Trae Young and more reacted to Burns' dominant performance. Here's some of the best reactions from social media.

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DJ Burns reactions

It's one thing to catch someone's attention, but it's even greater praise when said people speak up whether in press conferences or on social media. Burns has received a lot of that as NC State continues its Cinderella run to the Final Four.

Jokic, a two-time MVP for the Denver Nuggets, had an impressive stat line in the Nuggets win over the Cavaliers today. He recorded 26 points, 18 rebounds and 16 assists, which at times seems normal for him.

He discussed Burns' play following the game.

"He's amazing," Jokic said. "I think he's so skilled, especially lefty ... seems like teammates like to play with him. That'd be a good guy."

Young and Tyrese Haliburton, two NBA All-Star guards in the Eastern Conference, praised Burns' game on X, formerly Twitter.

Here's a thread of social media posts on Burns.

NCAA Tournament Final Four schedule

NC State is moving onto the Final Four and will play No. 1 Purdue on Saturday, April 6. Here's how the schedule looks.

Game Time (ET) TV/Livestream
No. 1 Purdue vs. No. 11 NC State 6:09 p.m. TBS/Sling
No. 1 UConn vs. No. 4 Alabama 8:49 p.m. TBS/Sling

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Brendan OSullivan

Brendan OSullivan Photo

Brendan O'Sullivan is an editorial intern for Sporting News, joining in 2024. He previously worked at Newsday on Long Island, New York after graduating from Quinnipiac University.