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DJ Burns takes selfies with arena security after Elite Eight win

FaceProfileby:Thomas Goldkamp•03/31/24
DJ Burns
(Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Every year when March Madness rolls around a few teams or a few individuals steal the spotlight and become America’s darlings. Hello NC State and hello DJ Burns.

The 6-foot-9, 275-pound big man is an absolute bulldozer in the paint, though he’s surprisingly fleet-footed for his size. And the skills? Well, just ask any of the four teams NC State has sent home about those.

Burns can break you down in a hurry.

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But when the buzzer sounds and the clock hits zero, Burns turns into a cheery, lovably large human being. One who is willing to spend time with fans to put a smile on their faces.

In the aftermath of a 76-64 win over Duke that sent NC State to the Final Four for the first time since 1983, after Burns cut down the nets, the superstar spent some time inside the arena taking pictures with various security staffers.

What started with one or two pics quickly turned into nearly a half dozen. Burns entertained it all with a smile. Check it out below.

DJ Burns playing his best ball yet

The skilled big man has been elite in every sense of the word during this postseason run. He’s averaging 16.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game over the nine-game stretch.

Best of all, DJ Burns is coming off his most dominant outing yet, scoring 29 points against Duke while also chipping in four rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Burns’ ability to draw in defenders and then kick it out — or score over them anyway — is a sight to behold. He’s an elite passer for a big and that makes NC State incredibly difficult to defend.

With Burns firing on all cylinders, right now everything is coming up aces for the Wolfpack.

“There’s just been a total switch in our commitment,” DJ Burns said. “Nobody’s being late to things. Nobody’s being a problem on the court. Everybody’s come together. I don’t know what it is, but everybody’s handling it on-and off the court quite well.”

NC State will take on 1-seed Purdue in the Final Four on Saturday at 6:09 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on TBS.