Photographs courtesy Washington Wizards
Playing close to home brings extra pressure to Washington Wizards’ rookie guard Carlton “Bub” Carrington. He grew up in West Baltimore and played high school basketball at St. Frances Academy in the eastern part of the city.
Carrington received about 150 ticket requests from family and friends for Washington’s home opener in late October against the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics. Being the local celebrity puts him in the spotlight more than other Wizards’ players.
Yet the 19-year-old Carrington won’t complain. Clearly, the pros outweigh the cons. “You can say it’s easily the ideal situation,” Carrington says.
Carrington’s playing time contributes heavily to his description. He started 12 of Washington’s first 18 games before settling into a top reserve role. Carrington gave a glimpse of his potential by scoring 18 points in a mid-November loss to the New York Knicks. His season high of 23 points came in an early-February game versus Atlanta.
The Wizards think very highly of the 6-foot-4, 190-pounder who was picked 14th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft. He was the youngest prospect in the class at 18 and left the University of Pittsburgh after one season to go professional.
“He is really getting a lot of great experience—extended minutes,” Washington point guard and star player Jordan Poole says. “And growing every single day. He can lean on me. He is asking all the right questions.”
Carrington left Pittsburgh after a stellar 2023–2024 season. As the youngest player in the Atlantic Coast Conference, he averaged 13.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. Carrington holds the program record for most minutes played by a freshman (1,986) and most three pointers in a game (7). He committed to Pittsburgh in 2023 while at St. Frances, where he scored more than 2,000 points and played football and baseball.
Since you’re from Baltimore, what does it mean to play for the Washington Wizards? It means a lot since I can play so close to home for myself, my family, and the city. They have shown great support over the years. That makes a big difference.
How do you feel emotionally when you have all those supporters in the crowd? I really feel some good things. I am blessed to have such a good support system. I have people that really want to see me win. They want to see me do well in this league. It really does take a lot of pressure off me.
You went home before the season began to mentor at a camp that you attended since you were in elementary school. Why did you return? I just wanted to give back. The kids are putting in the same work I did at that camp. I did the same drills, and I am blessed that I had opportunities to get where I am now. I wanted to show those kids that they can be in the same position coming from the same place that I did.
Throughout your career, so far, who has had the biggest impact on you? Carmelo Anthony. He has been a real mentor for me. He had a great NBA career [10-time All-Star, 19 years]. I have talked to him a lot this year. He gave me a lot of good advice on making the transition from college to the pros.
Is Jordan Poole a good role model for you? What have you learned from him? Jordan has been nothing but amazing to me, honestly. He is always giving me input and trying to help me do the right things and the best things. He always wants to see you succeed. My biggest take away from him is how he thinks about the game. He is always a few steps ahead. Not the next offensive play or the next defensive possession. He is thinking about what could happen three possessions from now.
Photographs courtesy Washington Wizards
You have received quality minutes from the start of the season. You must like your role with the team and the fact that you have been playing with top-10 first-round picks Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr? It was also an ideal situation for me just to get drafted. No matter where that was. I am happy just to find a spot here in D.C. One of the jobs we want to do here is change the culture and win games. We can grow together, and we plan to. We have a good relationship, and we are building that knowing we could be here for a long time. That’s the main thing. We want to maintain that. We are good friends. We play video games and shop together. We seek each other on and off the court.
What has been the biggest challenge as a pro? What has surprised you the most? Sleep has been a challenge. We have a lot of long nights. You must find a way to keep that at its highest level. That’s probably been the hardest thing I have had to learn. What has surprised me is how much they feed you. I am never hungry (laughing). Everywhere. On the plane, hotels, the arena, and practice facility. They make sure you are fed. They want you to maintain weight because you lose a lot playing 82 games.
What would you say is the most overlooked part of your game? My defense is underrated. I can really guard players. I think that is one of my strengths. I am not a flash in the pan. I can steal and prevent people from scoring.
At Pittsburgh, what was your biggest takeaway playing there? I learned the game from a different perspective. In high school, I just got the ball and scored. I didn’t have to think too much. In college, I really had to think about the game. I am going against a player who can really shoot the ball and another who plays great defense. I had a lot of different roles and learned how to use the court in a lot of different ways. That is something I really had to work on to prepare me for the pros.
