Memphis Grizzlies guard Jaylen Wells will play in his first-ever overseas game as they go up against the Orlando Magic at Uber Arena in Berlin on Thursday.
It is another milestone for the 22-year-old Wells, who is just in his second year in the league. Over the years, he has accumulated many amazing experiences, a fact for which he is grateful.
He has truly come a long way from his humble beginnings as a kid growing up in Sacramento. Basketball has always been his dream, even joining the camp of former NBA player Tyreke Evans.
“He was a great Sacramento Kings player. I went to a lot of NBA player camps around the city. (It was a) good moment to be able to share, play one on one with Tyreke Evans. I mean, that's probably one of the coolest moments when I was at that age,” recalled Wells when he was shown a picture of him and Evans.
“I can never delete that.”
Jaylen Wells and Tyreke Evans have both played for the Grizzlies… but their connection goes wayyyy back@jaylenwells looks back at his first ever Instagram post… at Evans' basketball camp 👀 pic.twitter.com/wMMUIusOOR
— NBA (@NBA) January 13, 2026
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The connection goes beyond that, as Evans also suited up for the Grizzlies. He played in Memphis from 2017 to 2018, averaging 19.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.1 steals.
Evans, who was drafted by the Kings as the fourth overall pick in 2010, was named Rookie of the Year. Wells was just seven years old at that time.
Wells, meanwhile, was selected by the Grizzlies as the 39th overall pick in 2024. He was an under-the-radar rookie out of Washington State. He, however, turned heads and was included on the All-Rookie First Team after averaging 10.4 points and 3.4 rebounds.
Now, he's playing a bigger role for Memphis. Safe to say, his memorable moment with Evans was not for naught.