Effort: Osu! Challenge yourself to do better You have to be good to be lucky. But sometime you need to be lucky to be good. In professional sports, everyone is talented. Its a business and its ultra competitive. For the vast majority, it becomes a numbers game. To land a contract, its a matter of being in the right place at the right time. The important points is to be ready when you get a lucky break. BELOW Justin Dentmons hoop dreams: looking for a shot at the NBA Position: Point Guard ▪ Shoots: Right Height: 5-11 ▪ Weight: 185 lbs. basketball-reference/players/d/dentmju01.html In 2006, Dentmon saw then University of Washington backcourt mate Brandon Roy get drafted and win the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award. Roy would blossom into an All-Star while Dentmon developed hopes of nothing less. However, the road to the NBA for the 29-year-old journeyman wasn’t the same. In fact, the cards were dealt so far apart that Dentmon traveled 6,000 miles outside the U.S. and bounced around a few countries for a total of eight NBA appearances with three separate teams. “I was young and ambitious,” Dentmon said. “I didn’t care much about the money, it was all about chasing the NBA dream.” The former Huskie guard held pre-draft workouts in 2009 for the Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz and then New Jersey Nets before going undrafted. He received offers to play in Australia, South Korea, New Zealand, Italy and the Spanish LEB Gold, but opted to sign a one-year $60,000 deal in Israel. “Justin lied to his parents about going to Israel. He convinced them his rookie deal was in Italy,” a source close to Dentmon told Basketball Insiders. “During the season, Justin sent some money home and his mother found out the package came via Israel. She was going to kill him.” Dentmon captured the No. 1 scoring title in Israel, averaging 19.8 points per game on 36 percent shooting from the perimeter. His backcourt teammate was recent shooting guard for the Phoenix Suns, Dionte Christmas, as the two overcame an 0-2 series deficit to escape regulation to the minor league and eliminate Gary Forbes’ club 3-2. Dentmon then told one of his staff members, “Mark my words. I’ll play in the NBA.” Throughout the following season, Dentmon continued his pursuit of an NBA uniform and signed with the Texas Legends, and then the Austin Toros. During the 2011-2012 season he “accomplished” brief stints with the San Antonio Spurs and the Toronto Raptors while crowned the D-League’s Most Valuable Player, averaging 22.8 points, 5.5 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals. The Dallas Mavericks next rewarded Dentmon with a call-up, but he wouldn’t stick. This became a pattern for Dentmon. Week after week, year after year, he’d hunt for another shot in the league. Reality would ultimately sink in as Dentmon took his talents elsewhere. Again. Read full article here: basketballinsiders/justin-dentmon-regrets-not-going-overseas-sooner/
Posted on: Wed, 17 Dec 2014 08:20:00 +0000