When NBA Commissioner David Stern announced Trajan Langdon the 11th pick of the draft and a new Cavalier, Langdon didn't put on a Cleveland hat and walk up to the podium to shake hands with Stern.
As it turns out, the Duke graduate was not one of the 16 players invited to wait in the green room. Instead, Langdon was at the Washington Duke Inn, watching the draft on television with his parents.
When Stern walked up to the podium, Langdon was barely watching the screen. He figured he was in store for a much longer wait, just hoping to get selected in the first round. But the announcement came, shocking Cavs fans, draft experts and Langdon himself.
"I was very surprised," Langdon said at his first NBA press conference. "When they were calling No. 11, I was like, there's no way. Coach K said there was a good opportunity I could come [to Cleveland] and I thought I had a good workout, but in no way was I expecting to be drafted here. I'm just really excited."
And while Cavalier fans certainly shared Langdon's surprise, they did not share his excitement. Many fans in Cleveland's Gund Arena booed Langdon's selection; others simply got up to leave, unhappy with the choices of Langdon at No. 11 and Utah's Andre Miller at No. 8.
"I'm certain everyone in the nation is surprised," Langdon said. "But I've been doubted at every level my entire life and I'm sure I'm doubted now by people everywhere besides the Cavaliers organization."
Langdon believes these questions of doubt will help motivate him to excel in the NBA, a level at which many believe he is simply not athletic enough to succeed.
"I've been looked at throughout high school and throughout college," Langdon said. "Can I get it done in the big game? Can I get it done at that level? I think the fear of not getting it done has always pushed me to make sure I get it done. It's the fear of disappointing myself. That's one thing I don't want to do at this level.
Langdon worked out with Cleveland a week before the draft. He believed it to be one of his better workouts, but certainly didn't expect it to lead to such an early selection. But it was that workout, along with Langdon's shooting touch and maturity, that sold Cleveland General Manager Jim Paxson.
"I felt we needed shooting, and we came out of this draft with a very, very good shooter," Paxson said. "He comes from a great program and a very solid team.... We wanted to get a shooter out of one of those picks, and Trajan filled that bill for us."
But with the selection of two guards in the first round, the Cavs have an overloaded backcourt. Miller and Langdon will be joined by Derek Anderson, Wesley Person and Brevin Knight. Although one of the guards may be sent elsewhere, Langdon will have to earn his time on the court.
"There is a log-jam at the two-spot, but I'm not really concerned about that," Langdon said. "I want to come in and do whatever the organization and the coaches ask of me on the floor. There are some talented players here, but they're all guys who can help me get better. That's what I'm looking forward to.
"I just want to come in right away and learn from them and see what I really have to work on even harder."
Most experts believed Langdon would be a late first-round pick. Even though Chris Carrawell was in Spain for the World University Games, he was so stunned to hear the news he had to call Langdon immediately.
"I talked to him and congratulated him," Carrawell said. "I was surprised, he was surprised, but he kept working and his stock kept rising. He just kept doing it, and to go No. 11, that speaks loudly. I was so happy for him."
Despite a stellar collegiate career at Duke, many experts believe Langdon does not have the athleticism to play defense or create his own shot. Langdon agreed he needs to improve in these areas, he said the criticism is somewhat unjustified.
"There's two ways to create your own shot: You can create it off the dribble or you can create it before you get the shot," Langdon explained. "I tend to do the second thing, really well I think. I come off screens and I'm able to get my shot off before I even really catch it.
"The last couple of years we've been really talented. My need to break somebody down and shoot a fade away jumper is unnecessary when you have Elton Brand on the low block, Will Avery, Corey Maggette. It's a waste of time, a waste of movement and a waste of effort, so I think I played within the system and I did what had to be done. I scored a lot of points and I shot the ball well and we won. There was no need for me to do any more than I did.."
No one knows that success better than Mike Krzyzewski, who believed Langdon was one of the most NBA-ready players in the entire draft.
"Trajan, to me, right now, is the most professional [of the four Blue Devils in the draft]," Krzyzewski said before the draft. "He should be a long-time NBA player. He's solid, he's been through everything. There's very little variance in his game."
Langdon has dealt with transition before. His overcoming knee surgery to excel for the Blue Devils is well-documented and his move to Durham from Alaska, at least according to Langdon, makes him prepared for any transition.
"I've always been motivated my whole life just trying to be the best player I can be and to help whatever team I'm on to win and be successful," Langdon said. "This is just another challenge for me. I'm just trying to step in and help out in whatever role the coaches have me play. That's what I'm going to try to do, help the team win every way possible.
"I've been doubted a lot my whole life. I just want to come in here and show people I can play and I can perform at this level."
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