Kris Dunn has led an extraordinary life. You’d never know by simply looking at him, but when can you ever? Everyone has their own stories of grief and strife, but the story of Kris Dunn is wrought with emotion and triumph unlike many I have ever heard. Dunn grew up bouncing from home to home without a “typical” father figure around, with his older brother, John, often filling the void left by his absent father. Dunn’s mother Pia had displaced her children from their home in Connecticut when Kris was only a year old, deciding to run away from her life in Connecticut to Alexandria, Va.
Chapter One – The Struggle
Even at its high points, life in Alexandria was a near constant struggle, as Pia would often find herself at odds with the law, usually spending a day or two in jail for relatively minor offenses like credit card fraud, writing bad checks, or driving under the influence.
One fateful day all those little problems metastasized and came to a head when Pia was finally locked up for a longer stretch, which ended up being several months.
Terrified they would be taken by the state and then separated, the boys told nobody at first. They got by for a time, acquiring the means to survive by hustling… John by gambling with dice, Kris by challenging local kids to 1-on-1 games of basketball. And that is where the legend of Kris Dunn was born.
More than 350 miles north, John Seldon, Dunn’s father, had been going through his own version of hell. The day Pia fled to Alexandria, Seldon came home in shock and awe, not knowing what the hell had happened, or where his family had gone. Without starting rumors or relying on conjecture, one can only imagine what drove Pia to up and vanish on a whim. On the other side, over the subsequent eight years, the courts provided little aid to Seldon as he tried to track down his family.
In a desperate attempt to get basic amenities to her sons, Pia contacted Seldon out of the blue from jail, setting the groundwork for the eldest son, John, to rendezvous with his father in Connecticut and return home with clothing and other necessities.
“I almost felt like it was unfair that my brother got to meet my father and I didn’t. I guess it wasn’t the right time,” Kris Dunn told USA TODAY Sports about that first bit of contact the boys had with their father. “I was very intrigued to meet my father. I wanted someone who could teach me how to be a man. Just having a father figure around, someone that I could just talk to about any situation. Having that relationship that fathers and sons should definitely have.”
For what seemed like a lifetime, Pia went out of her way to make damn sure Seldon could never contact the boys, but she had come to the end of the line and thus, her hand was finally forced to do the right thing.
In order to return home to his brothers, John Dunn boarded a train due south to reunite with his siblings, In a last ditch effort to stay in touch and not allow his family to escape him again, Seldon checked his phone records and jotted down various numbers his eldest son had contacted during his stay to put together a trail. After calling every last number, Seldon learned about Pia’s incarceration, and in turn why she had contacted him after so long with such desperation. Finally, after many years and so many restless nights Seldon found out where his boys were living. A grief stricken father had finally caught his big break, and by using the information he had gathered was finally able to go to the courts, obtaining legal custody of his sons. Seldon took to road immediately, rushing to free his sons from poverty and save their future.
Chapter Two – The Reunion
By the time Seldon was able to reunite with his sons he had already added a stepson and two daughters to the fold; however, it was an utter joy for him to integrate his lost sons into the routine of his everyday life in New London, Connecticut, but it obviously did not come without undeniable obstacles.
“When I first got to meet him, it was very emotional,” Dunn explained. “We didn’t think it was ever going to get to this situation.”
Kris reportedly had some difficulty with the transition. After years of fighting for his survival, playing basketball to eat, he had become cold and standoffish. His world, while undeniably safer, had been flipped upside down.
“It definitely took time. It wasn’t like he came in and we were laughing right away. We had to get to know one another, to know each others tendencies and how we go about our every day lives,” Dunn said. “It really almost took us years to finally get that rhythm, but I think what broke the ice is we both love sports, and we’re both high level competitors, and we’re very emotional when we play sports. I think that broke the ice.”
Seldon was a football player growing up, something which had captured Kris’s immediate love. He showed talent as a running back, slot receiver, and defensive back. Watching him play now none of this should come as a surprise. As such, Kris eventually gave in to his true calling of basketball despite his father’s wishes. Basketball was after all, the sport that saved his life.
“I think he still wishes I played football. I think he feels like the game [of basketball] isn’t physical enough,” Dunn explained. “He’s definitely trying to learn it more and more. I don’t think he has a choice, going to all the games that he’s been to.”
Kris realizes that he may not be in this position today if not for the efforts of his father.
“He inspires me every day. He makes sure I’m doing the right thing, and doing the right thing for the right purposes,” Dunn said. “Without him I definitely wouldn’t be in this situation, there’s no secret to that. It’s a blessing to have your father have your back.”
Chapter Three – A Dream Realized
Kris ended up having a phenomenal high school career, earning All-American honors in 2012. His mix of athleticism and tenacious play, coupled with those accolades made him a top recruit coveted all over the country. Yet, despite all that, he ended up selecting nearby Providence, which hadn’t made an NCAA tournament appearance since 2004. Perhaps it was because after all the trials and tribulations he had overcome in his life, he couldn’t bring himself to stray far from his father again. One thing that isn’t up for debate, however, is that he made the decision largely because of how Providence’s new coach, Ed Cooley, had an upbringing that practically mirrored his own. They were a match from the start.
Despite an enormous amount of promise and a limitless ceiling, Kris had a rocky start to his college career, suffering two shoulder injuries in his first two years that kept him sidelined the majority of his freshman and sophomore seasons.
As Dunn was weighing his options and preparing for yet-another surgery, he received news that his mother had unexpectedly died.
The Next Chapter
After that, Dunn did what Dunn does best, he picked himself up, brushed himself off, and just did the damn thing. After everything he had been through up to that point in his life, no injury could threaten to derail his NBA career. His personal life was just that, personal, and he had learned to live with problems life presents long before college. He owed it to himself, and he owed it to his father. He won Big East Defensive Player of the Year and Player of the Year in 2014-15 after averaging 15.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game.
He declared for the draft that year, but didn’t hire an agent, thereby eventually returning to school for his final year.
“I think my decision was best for me and my family, and I think I really did improve this year,” Dunn said. “What made [the decision] so special is they allowed me to make my own choice. I could have easily went to go get the money and impact my family right away, but I wanted to do the right thing for me. Just to have that support, and having your back and allowing you to make that decision, and allowing you to learn from your decision, it was great.”
Beyond improving on the basketball court, beyond winning a game in the NCAA tournament, Dunn wanted to set an example by getting his degree.
“It was really important. That’s something nobody can take away,” Dunn said. “I was doing it because I’ve been putting a lot of work into my education. I’ve been at Providence College for four years, and I was at both summer sessions.
“I was putting all that time into the education and trying to be a good role model to my family. Trying to be a good role model for my sisters. They don’t play sports, and I wanted to show them that sports aren’t everything. You can still be successful in the other side of the world.”
After being drafted by former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau and the Minnesota Timberwolves, Dunn played sparingly, as all rookies experience under Thibs, in his first NBA season.
He got his break on draft night 2017, being traded to Thibodeau’s old team in the Bulls, along with teammate Zach LaVine for Jimmy Butler.
Since joining Chicago, Dunn has been a godsend for a young rebuilding team in dire need of their future point guard. Dunn is currently averaging 13.3 ppg, 5.2 apg, 4.7 rpg, with a player efficiency rating of 14.88. All enormous leaps from a year ago. Needless to say, he has been making the most out of his opportunity in the Windy City, not only on the court, but off of it.
Dunn has made himself a valuable member of the community as well.
As part of the #ChicagoSafe program, Dunn took the initiative upon himself to provide some relief by teaming up with home security company Canary, donating 400 security cameras to South Side families.
“I think is a great thing to have people protect themselves, have a little bit more peace of mind,” Dunn said.
Chicago fans have quickly embraces Dunn and love to watch his lightning quickness along with his fiery temperament on the court. If all goes well, he should form a team to be reckoned with in the East for years to come alongside high flyer Zach LaVine and the “Finnisher” Lauri Markannen.
But whatever the case, Chicago fans should just be happy to have someone with the integrity and mental fortitude of Kris Dunn. Because, if there’s anyone out there who can weather the storm of a rebuild, it’s this kid. Stay positive Chicago, as was the case for Kris, better days are certainly ahead.
