George ready for “hometown” NBA debut

Kyshawn George was raised successful Switzerland truthful helium ne'er expected he’d get to play an NBA crippled successful beforehand of a “hometown” crowd.

But due to the fact that his Washington Wizards are starting the pre-season against the Toronto Raptors connected Sunday successful Montreal, wherever his dada was raised, he’s getting that chance.

“I ne'er thought astir it,” said George aft a lengthy signifier connected Friday. “I didn’t adjacent cognize that it was a anticipation that existed.

“But yeah, I’m blessed that I person the accidental to bash that.”

His begetter Deon George was calved and raised successful Montreal but played professionally successful the Swiss league, truthful Kyshawn — pronounced kee-shawn — was calved successful Aigle, Switzerland. The younger George went to precocious schoolhouse successful France and past played a twelvemonth of U.S. assemblage hoops for the Miami Hurricanes.

The six-foot-eight George averaged 7.6 points, 3 rebounds, 2.2 assists implicit 31 games for the Hurricanes past season. He started arsenic a backup swingman but was promoted to a starter owed to injuries.

Because Kyshawn’s grandmother, aunts, and cousins each inactive unrecorded successful Montreal, chiefly successful the westbound land neighbourhood of Côte-des-Neiges, helium knows the metropolis well. It besides means that, though he’s played for Switzerland’s under-16 hoops team, he’s been treated arsenic a returning leader up of Sunday’s pre-season crippled against the Raptors astatine Bell Centre.

He said that each the media attraction hasn’t been that weird due to the fact that helium doesn’t cognize immoderate better.

“I mean, it’s my experience. It’s my archetypal time. I person thing to basal myself disconnected of,” helium said successful a telephone interview. “I’m conscionable ace grateful to person this accidental and I deliberation it comes with it.

“Being an NBA player, you get large radical astir you and you person responsibilities too.”

George was selected 24th wide by the New York Knicks successful the NBA Draft this past summer.

However, helium was instantly traded to Washington for the 26th and 51st wide picks successful the aforesaid draft. He signed with the Wizards wrong the month.

Trending Now

He’s portion of a large rebuilding task successful Washington. The Wizards besides selected French centre Alexandre Sarr 2nd wide and defender Carlton Carrington 14th successful the 2024 draft.

“It’s great, though, it’s great,” said George. “We person a large radical of young guys who each attraction for each other, large coaching staff, and this is simply a large acquisition overall.”

He added with a laugh: “Working a lot.”

The biggest accommodation George has had to marque truthful acold hasn’t really been the carnal oregon strategical broadside of the game, but alternatively improving his vocabulary.

“We each cognize that present I’m playing against grown men, but mostly the terminology,” said George connected the differences betwixt playing successful the NCAA versus the NBA. “The habits you request to get to beryllium capable to play astatine a precocious level.

“At the extremity of the day, it’s conscionable basketball. It’s astir getting the reps in.”

This study by The Canadian Press was archetypal published Oct. 5, 2024.