COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - “From playing the stuff like on video games to actually being able to participate in it. Anxiety little nervous but it’s all just excitement,” Ethan Taylor said on joining the Lakers Summer League.
The Ultimate underdog. Air Force captain Ethan Taylor is getting his opportunity in the NBA. One the Academy believed he could get.
“They were fully behind me. I talked with Coach Scott and he expressed a lot of confidence in me and those guys all had good things to say. Right after graduation I had a workout with the Utah Jazz and a lot of time after that workout I had three more workouts but most of the time I spent in Arkansas,” said Taylor.
While Taylor did not get drafted. He did receive his chance on Friday.
“I didn’t get anything on Thursday, and my agent was telling me that he’s in the works, and keep your head up. So Friday morning I was actually on the way to go work out with one of my trainers in Houston, and 5 minutes before I get to the gym is when they called me and they were like hey I don’t know what you are doing right now but the Los Angeles Lakers want you to play Summer League. Are you ready to do that? And I was like yeah, I don’t know who would say no,” Taylor said.
A chance is all Taylor needs, a guy known for playing hard for a league where that is a talent itself.
“Me being a guy who necessarily doesn’t have a contract right now, but does have interest from a lot of teams and from the Lakers. I wanna show that I can play hard day in and day out. I know I won’t get the most amount of minutes but I am focused on is just playing hard and showcasing my abilities,” said Taylor
Taylor wasn’t the most excited member of his family. That would be his mom. Who’s the Biggest Lebron James fan.
“LEBRON... That’s all she heard, Lakers summer league and all the other stuff just went out the window,” said Taylor.
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