Charles Bassey signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Hawks this week, and that's great news for the ears of Spurs fans. While it was time for him to leave San Antonio, nobody really wanted to see him out of the league. He's still only 24 years old. It was trending that way, though, as we're approaching training camp, and he still wasn't on a roster.
He had intrigue from teams overseas, and that was beginning to look like it may be his only option to continue playing the game he loves. Quite frankly, that's still a possibility. Exhibit 10 agreements don't guarantee you anything. It's a training camp deal. A try out. He'll need to prove himself worthy of a full-time roster spot, but at least he's getting the chance to try.
Bassey's career has been held back by injuries
No player wants to be injured. Unfortunately, the reality is that some players' bodies betray them, preventing them from reaching their potential or even brushing up against it. Bassey is one of those guys. He's been fighting the injury bug since his first year in the league, and there hasn't really been any sign of it letting up.
After being drafted by Philadelphia in 2021, he only played 23 games for them, but that was mostly due to being a second-round pick. He was taken with the 53rd selection that summer. Clearly, they didn't feel they needed to keep him because he joined the Spurs after that and was injured every season.
It's truly a sad situation to see him have such struggles, considering his background. He has one of those stories that makes you root for him to succeed. Bassey is from Nigeria, and at 13 years old, he was selling fried chicken on the side of the road for his parents. He only played soccer at the time and had no interest in basketball.
He was approached by a coach who, at the time, just wanted some food, but when he saw Bassey's size, he asked him about hooping. Charles basically told him that he only played soccer, and when the coach spoke to his parents, they told him the same thing. But there was no relenting from this guy, so he showed up at the youngster's house the next day and persuaded him to give basketball a try.
Next thing you know, the Nigerian big man is in the United States, going to high school and learning the game before getting into Western Kentucky, which led to being drafted. You love to hear about those guys who started in the game late, coming from all over the world, but falling in love with it and making it to the pros.
Hopefully, he has a healthy season because the man can play. He just needs to stay on the court. Spurs Nation will be rooting for him to do just that.