Not every player takes the same road to the NBA, especially in today's ever-growing world of basketball. Although most attend college for at least a year, there are some who find themselves taking the less beaten path to the league.
That was certainly the case for Phonix Suns rookie point guard Mike James, who finally made it to the NBA after a five-year tenure overseas. Despite his late entrance, Minnesota Timberwolves veteran guard Jamal Crawford says he noticed how talented James was during a Pro-Am he hosted in Seattle some years back and that it was just a matter of finding the right opportunity, according to ESPN's Baxter Holmes:
“His talent was always there, it was undeniable,” says Crawford, the Timberwolves guard. “It's all about the situation and timing, a little luck and just things happen.”
It is one thing to have the talent, it is another to be able to lead the offense as a point guard, which one European-based scout says he learned to do overseas.
“He became a leader here,” the scout says. “And it seems to have worked out.”
It was not James' first opportunity to live out his NBA dream, but it may have been the perfect one. Phoenix was nothing short of a disaster to begin the 2017-18 NBA season. To make matters worse, the drama surrounding former starting point guard Eric Bledsoe made it seems as though the Suns season was already over after it had just started.
Timing has been everything for the 27-year-old rookie and this year was no different. Bledsoe's departure inevitably confirmed James' decision after now being thrust into the starting lineup and tasked with running the Suns offense.
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