Point guard Scoot Henderson laughs as the Portland Trail Blazers introduce their 2023 NBA draft picks to the media on Saturday.

Scoot Henderson, yet to play even a summer league game, already has a shoe, a slogan and an expectation that he is destined for superstardom.

Superlatives such as generational, transcendent and special, have been used to describe the Portland Trail Blazers rookie point guard.

Such adulation so early could be a lot for most 19-year-olds to handle. But Henderson, selected No. 3 overall during Thursday’s NBA draft, said he isn’t impacted by the hype.

“I don’t really pay attention to it,” said Henderson, who played the past two seasons with the G League Ignite. “It’s kind of hard not to see it. Obviously, I got social media. But I just always rely on the gym. I wouldn’t have none of this if it wasn’t for me and my work ethic. Me coming in days when I didn’t want to. So, I always just fall back to getting back to the gym. So, whatever it is, words like generational and special, I know who I am as a person and that’s all that matters.”

Henderson, who requested jersey No. 00 because the No. 0 he wore with the Ignite belongs to Blazers star Damian Lillard, is as humble as he is driven to be great.

That goal is represented by his slogan, O.D.D., which stands for, “Overly Determined to Dominate.”

“I was trying to find a slogan that represented me and something I could put on everything,” he said. “And basically, just being able to dominate the day. Just words that describe me, who I am as a person. I’m overly determined to be the best version of myself. Openly determined to help people around me and impact everybody’s lives. That’s the vision. It’s a way of life. It’s not just things on the basketball court. But also, being a great human being.”

That combination of competitiveness, desire to win, work ethic and personality is what led the Blazers to turn down trade offers for the No. 3 pick and select Henderson.

General manager Joe Cronin was under pressure to trade the pick in order to land a proven veteran star to pair with Lillard.

However, Henderson’s immense talent, Cronin said, caused his list of possible trade targets to shrink. Following the draft, Cronin said Henderson’s value eclipsed the deals on the table.

“He has a chance to be a special player in this league,” Cronin said.

Henderson’s rise to this point was rapid. He first realized he could have NBA potential prior to the 11th grade.

“That’s when I really started to lock in and I realized that my dream was closer than I expected,” he said.

Henderson, whose full name is Sterling Freeman Henderson, led Kell High School (Marietta, Ga.) to the state championship in 2021 by averaging 32 points, seven rebounds and six assists as a junior. In the 2022 recruiting class, 247 Sports ranked Henderson as the No. 13 prospect in the country and the No. 2 point guard.

But instead of returning for his senior season, Henderson signed a two-year contract worth $1 million with the Ignite.

It didn’t take long for Henderson’s name to race up the 2023 mock drafts. By last year, he was considered the No. 2 prospect behind Victor Wembanyama (France), who went No. 1 to San Antonio on Thursday.

Forward Brandon Miller, following a fabulous freshman season at Alabama, rose to Henderson’s level and ultimately went No. 2 to Charlotte, leaving Henderson for the Blazers.

Most considered the 2023 draft to consist of three virtual can’t-miss stars; Wembanyama, Henderson and Miller. So, it was close to a foregone conclusion that the Blazers, if they kept the pick, would take the last of the three remaining when their selection came up.

But the evaluation process beyond Henderson’s skillset helped convince Cronin and Blazers coach Chauncey Billups that it would take a fantastic trade offer to move the pick.

Cronin and Billups both stated that Henderson is not a typical 19-year-old in terms of his experience, maturity, temperament and leadership abilities. These attributes led them to believe that Henderson should hit the ground running quicker than most rookies at his age.

Henderson should not, Billups said, require the same adjustment period Shaedon Sharpe required last season as a rookie. The No. 7 pick in the 2022 draft, Sharpe put together an amazing array of highlights as a rookie but struggled at times with fundamentals and complicated schemes.

“When we got Shae, the last actual game he played was in high school,” Billups said.

That’s because Sharpe didn’t play one game during his freshman season at Kentucky. And his summer league was limited to the first five minutes of the first game after a shoulder injury shut him down.

“He missed some very valuable time to learn the game and learn how we play,” Billups said. “He ended up catching up at some point during the season. We did a good job at kind of speeding him up.”

Billups said he expects Henderson to experience less of a learning curve. But he also shouldn’t be expected to start as a rookie unless Lillard were to seek a trade.

Even if the Blazers trade Anfernee Simons, last season’s starting shooting guard, Henderson would have to win that job over the 6-4 Sharpe, which could prove to be a tall order.

Henderson said he is prepared for the role Billups gives him while playing behind Lillard.

Henderson’s desire for now is to play the game he loves at the highest level.

He described his joy for the

game to his excitement as a child when his mom would give him a piece of candy after previously denying him.

“That’s kind of what that feeling is,” he said with a smile. “It’s kind of hard to describe. It’s a real joy to be on the court. It’s a blessing to be there. So, I want to have fun.”

Shortly after the Blazers drafted Henderson, Cronin, Billups and franchise chair Jody Allen talked to the rookie via video conference call to congratulate him. They appeared ecstatic to have added Henderson to the team. On Saturday, Henderson appeared genuinely elated to be in Portland.

“I appreciate the organization for believing in me,” Henderson said. “And I’m going to for sure repay them.”