Portland Trail Blazers point guard Shabazz Napier’s name may not ring a bell to most casual NBA fans. He’s relegated behind the shadows of teammates Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, playing in just 11.2 minutes per game. He’s not going to let his limited playing time affect his work ethic, however.
In fact, it has inspired the two-time NCAA champion to work harder in hopes of getting more minutes. Napier isn’t the type who’ll just give up when faced with difficulties and he even tells Jason Quick of NBC Sports a quote he heard from his mother that serves as his daily motivation
“My mother instilled this quote in me,’’ Napier said. “She said, ‘The easiest thing you can do in life is quit.’ That has stayed with me since I was young. I never wanted to be a quitter. I always wanted to win.’’
Shabazz Napier’s dedication isn’t lost on Blazers head coach Terry Stotts, who has rewarded the 6-foot-1 guard increased exposure of late. Napier is playing sparingly this season, but has gotten a nice bump over his last three games, during which he’s averaged 18.1 minutes.
Napier isn’t new to being an underdog. When he won his second NCAA title, it was with him leading a seventh-seeded Connecticut Huskies team that upset the likes of Villanova, Iowa State, and Florida on their way to a win in the National Finals over Kentucky’s loaded roster.
Napier was picked by the Miami Heat in the second round of the 2014 draft, reportedly at the behest of LeBron James, who admired Napier’s play in UConn. He was traded to the Orlando Magic in 2015 before the Magic shipped him to the Blazers last year for cash considerations.
On the season, Shabazz Napier is putting up just 5.4 points and 1.2 assists per game. With the increased minutes though, the 26-year-old guard has upped those figures to 10.3 points and 1.7 assists in his last three contests.
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