Devendorf This Week May Achieve Lifetime Goal: Playing in the NBA
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Eric Devendorf: "This time, the goal is simple...make it to the NBA."
He shoots!
He scores!
Sometime soon, possibly this week, Bay City's Eric Devendorf will achieve a goal he set as an eight-year-old fourth grader -- playing basketball in the NBA.
The tale sort of reminds you of a young kid playing on the street, emulating the stars of the NBA. The kid makes a shooting motion with his arm and shouts, to himself, of course: "he shoots! he scores!"
Here's a kid from Bay City, Michigan, who could soon become the first boy from his town ever to play in the big time basketball leagues.
Barely a handful of players from Bay County have ever taken the court for a Division I university basketball team.
Let's see, there was Art Lipan, of St. James, who played for Temple in the 1920s; Central High's Milton Mead, 6-10 University of Michigan star of the 1950s; Tom Pacynski, St. Mary 7 footer who played at Boston College in the 1960s; Western High's Brenda Jezowski-Crump, All Big Ten at Michigan State in the 1980s; Kelly DeLong Henry, Western High, who led the nation in 3-point shooting at Western Michigan University, Ryan Janer of All Saints who played at University of Detroit-Mercy and a few who played in lesser divisions.
In the pro leagues, none that anyone can remember.
As a newcomer with the Reno Bighorns in the NBA Development League, Devendorf was on the roster but did not play last Monday as the team lost 103-95 to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of McAllen, Texas.
But perhaps Saturday or Sunday night this week the former Bay City Central and Syracuse University flash, may get a chance to show his stuff with the big boys.
Sure, it's not the REAL big time, yet, it's just the Development "D" League, but these are tomorrow's NBA stars and he will be out there among them.
Reno plays the Tulsa 66ers at home on Saturday (7 p.m.) and Sunday (3 p.m.). Whether Devo will get a chance to play no doubt depends on a coaching decision and how he has performed in practice. The addition of Devendorf brings the team roster to ten, small enough so most everyone gets a chance to play.
Cage mentor T.J. Newsham of Bay City recalls that Devendorf was eight years old when he entered St. Joe's gym for the first time to begin training for a basketball career. This training was to prepare Devendorf to become (in his own words) the best basketball player ever to play in Bay City.
Eric had five goals he began training for as a fourth grader, Newsham recalled, and they were:
1. To play varsity as a freshman;
2. To average 30ppg in high school;
3. To win Mr. Basketball;
4. To play college basketball;
5. To play in the NBA.
Newsham commented: "Flash forward fourteen years...you can check off #1, #2 & #4 on his list. Accomplished. The big argument is #3 where Eric was the #1 rated player in the state that year but he opted to play for the #1 high school program Oak Hill for his senior season. Had he stayed in state, there is a good chance #3 would be checked off that list."
Recently Devendorf spent a week back in Bay City at the St. Joe gym for more training with Coach Newsham, who said: "This time, the goal is simple...make it to the NBA."
"There is no question that playing in the NBA is still my top goal, my only goal really. I had great workouts for every team that brought me in last spring/summer and it gave me the needed confidence that I can play with those guys," says Devendorf. "Right now, its about me focusing on my game, on my conditioning, my strength, my ability and really not worry too much about other distractions," continues Devendorf.
Eric spent the summer attending pre-draft workouts, team workouts and training in Atlanta with several current NBA players as well as NBA hopefuls such as himself. He was in Bay City while awaiting for his destination coming back once again to where it all started, St. Joe's with Coach Newsham.
'I called Coach up last week and wanted to see if I could get in the gym to put some shots up and I walked back into the gym and it hit me, that is where it started. And when the workout started and I found myself running up and down the steps just like I did when I was eight! They seem to go up higher than they did when I was eight!" laughs Devendorf. And coach Newsham agrees and chimed in, "I think he ran faster and harder at eight than he does at 22 years old."
With daily workouts, Devo was putting in a real solid two hours of organized and timed workouts that is helping him condition himself and to be ready when he gets his chance. It looks like he has once again found himself back 'home' with a chance to knock out another one of his goals."
Newsham is certified as a professional basketball scout and provides scouting reports for over thirty leagues overseas. He likes Eric's chances of getting to the next level. "I think Eric has realized the amount of time, work, blood, sweat, etc. for him to get over the hump and show up in the NBA. Most youngsters don't have an idea of how much work needs to be put into it. Our workouts don't provide short-cuts because life doesn't work like that," added Newsham.
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