Can you imagine playing in the NBA with the game on the line, clock winding down, and your teammate throws you the rock? The whole team has worked their butts off to get to that ‘make or break’ point in the match, and all of their hopes ride on your final shot at the buzzer. That’s a dream and a nightmare all wrapped into one. Can you spell P-R-E-S-S-U-R-E? Now, think of that scenario, except you’re not the guy that the coach called the play for in the preceding timeout, and tack on top of that the fact that you’re playing in the NBA on a 10-Day Contract from the D-LEAGUE!
Well that exact scenario happened for D-League call-up Sundiata Gaines last night when the Utah Jazz player hit a game winning shot over the Cleveland Cavaliers at the buzzer to seal the victory for his new club. Livin’ the dream, living the dream…
NBA Fanhouse had this background information on Gaines:
Gaines came out of Georgia an undrafted rookie and played professionally in Italy before head coach Bob MacKinnon’s Idaho Stampede of the NBA D-League drafted him this year. Under MacKinnon’s fast paced offense, he learned to manage a team and produce points in a professional system. The Jazz signed him to a 10-day contract, then re-upped for his second 10-day just this afternoon. It’s hard to focus, not knowing where you’ll be in ten days, if the dream will be over and you’ll be back in Boise, trying to scrape your way back.
