Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.
Kyshawn George grew up in Switzerland so he never expected he would get to play an NBA game in front of a “hometown” crowd.
But because his Washington Wizards start the preseason against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday in Montreal, where his father grew up, he gets that chance.
“I never thought about it,” George said after Friday’s long practice. “I didn’t even know it was a possibility that existed.
“But yes, I’m lucky that I have the opportunity to do that.”
His father Deon George was born and raised in Montreal but played professionally in the Swiss league, so Kyshawn – pronounced kee-shawn – was born in Aigle, Switzerland. The younger George went to high school in France and then played a year of US college basketball for the Miami Hurricanes.
The six-foot-eight George averaged 7.6 points, three rebounds, 2.2 assists over 31 games for the Hurricanes last season. He started as a backup swingman but was promoted to starter due to injuries.
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Because Kyshawn’s grandmother, aunts and cousins ​​all still live in Montreal, mostly in the western island neighborhood of Côte-des-Neiges, he knows the city well. It also means that despite playing for Switzerland’s under-16 basketball team, he has been treated as a returning hero ahead of Sunday’s pre-season game against the Raptors at the Bell Centre.
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He said all the media attention hasn’t been that weird because he doesn’t know any better.
“I mean, it’s my experience. This is my first time. I have nothing to base myself on,” he said in a telephone interview. “I’m extremely grateful to have this opportunity and I believe it comes with it.
“Being an NBA player, you get great people around you and you also have responsibilities.”
George was selected 24th overall by the New York Knicks in the NBA Draft this past summer.
However, he was immediately traded to Washington for the 26th and 51st overall picks in the same draft. He signed with the Wizards within the month.
It is part of a major rebuilding project in Washington. The Wizards also selected French center Alexandre Sarr second overall and guard Carlton Carrington 14th overall in the 2024 draft.
“It’s great, though, it’s great,” said George. “We’ve got a great group of young guys who all look out for each other, a great coaching staff, and overall it’s been a great experience.”
He added with a laugh: “Working a lot.”
The biggest adjustment George has had to make so far is not the physical or strategic side of the game, but rather improving his vocabulary.
“We all know that now I’m playing against older men, but mostly the terminology,” George said on the differences between playing in the NCAA versus the NBA. “The habits you need to have to be able to play at a high level.
“At the end of the day, it’s just basketball. It’s about getting the reps in.”
This report was first published by The Canadian Press on October 5, 2024.
& copy 2024 The Canadian Press
(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
source link https://globalnews.ca/news/10796562/george-ready-for-hometown-nba-debut/
