An intern no extra, Darius Bazley is prepared for the NBA problem

Darius Bazley has heard the query.

It is nearly all the time the very first thing anybody needs to ask the rookie.

“You get some folks right here and there they will simply ask you about it, ‘Yo, like how was it not going to school?'” Bazley informed ESPN not too long ago. “I do know after I was going by means of the entire pre-draft course of touring from workforce to workforce earlier than we would exit and work out [the other players would] all be speaking about school. And somebody would pop up and say ‘Effectively, how was it, simply sitting out?'”

It was a little bit greater than a 12 months in the past when Bazley determined to forgo a scholarship at Syracuse for a possible path to the NBA by way of the G League. He then opted to skip the G League as nicely to as an alternative deal with making ready for the draft.

Bazley is not the primary participant within the one-and-done period to bypass the normal school route earlier than getting into the NBA. However the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder ahead did one thing nearly completely unprecedented. After his transient flirtation with becoming a member of the G League, Bazley signed an endorsement cope with New Steadiness that included a one-year internship with the Boston-based sneaker firm.

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Throughout that 12 months, when he wasn’t understanding on the firm’s facility in preparation for his eventual soar into the draft, he was immersing himself within the enterprise aspect of basketball. He frolicked working straight with a number of divisions at New Steadiness, starting from advertising to attire to product testing. He was concerned within the design course of as New Steadiness constructed its first basketball efficiency shoe for the reason that late 2000s, and acquired an up-close take a look at the manufacturing course of at New Steadiness’s manufacturing facility.

Whereas some endorsers get a style of that with their sneaker firms, Bazley acquired way more up-close expertise, not simply getting a tour on a fast go to, however having the chance to spend days sitting in conferences, doing product testing and contributing in significant methods past simply selecting a sneaker he favored.

In true 21st century NBA style, Bazley additionally acquired to study constructing a private model from New Steadiness’s digital and social groups, even utilizing his Instagram account to supply perception into what his internship was like.

However with New Steadiness, Bazley wasn’t simply studying, he was educating as nicely, giving New Steadiness’s product workforce perception into what younger gamers need. He had a direct hand in designing the participant unique colorways he’ll be sporting this season, arising with the “Contemporary Prince”-inspired colorway that he wore on the draft mix. He additionally designed an unique version of the New Steadiness 997 and helped pick the extra objects that have been within the seeding equipment despatched to members of the media.

“We discovered not solely an incredible accomplice in Darius and somebody who needed to deal with this very critically and do that for actual,” mentioned Patrick Cassidy, New Steadiness’s world director of shopper advertising. “So we labored fairly arduous to be sure that this was an precise factor. And to Darius’ credit score he went all in on it.”

Now that Bazley has transitioned totally from “intern” to “endorser,” Cassidy’s aim is for his former intern to be “probably the most educated, insightful athlete within the sport concerning the shoe business and the way issues are made and developed and get on the toes of elite athletes and what the business is like.” However for Bazley, the internship went far past simply basketball and sneakers.

“The primary factor I actually took away from that’s simply studying find out how to be skilled,” he mentioned. “That was my first job ever so having to enter work and being in an workplace house with lots of middle-aged folks — you bought to study to be skilled. You bought to study to speak with completely different folks.”

Bazley is now shifting on to his second job ever, ahead for the Thunder. It is a job that has already seen its description change, due to Oklahoma Metropolis’s offseason trades of Paul George and Russell Westbrook. Whereas Bazley will not have the chance to study from George, his relationship together with his personal agent gave him entry to probably the most sought-after mentors within the NBA: LeBron James.

All through his 12 months away from organized basketball, Bazley had a number of conversations with James, although the subject not often targeted on basketball itself.

“It is extra like — we’re at High Golf or one thing and we’re simply having a superb time stuff like that,” Bazley mentioned. “Generally you do not even must have a one-on-one. You possibly can simply sit down and pay attention. When you pay attention greater than you communicate, you may study so much. And with my scenario, I used to be fortunate sufficient to be round greatness on daily basis.”

Darius Bazley averaged four.eight factors and four.5 rebounds in 4 summer season league video games for the Thunder. David Dow/NBAE by way of Getty Photographs

The Thunder are hoping a few of that greatness will rub off on Bazley as he joins a out of the blue rebuilding workforce led — in the intervening time — by one other member of James’ inside circle, Chris Paul. Bazley acquired off to a delayed begin with the Thunder this summer season, as he’d been formally drafted by the Utah Jazz, then needed to wait to make his Las Vegas Summer season League debut as a backlog of agreed-upon trades acquired processed in a selected order.

“His skill to deal with the ball at his measurement is de facto, actually distinctive, and defensively he is acquired nice vary for a younger participant at that measurement, as nicely,” Thunder GM Sam Presti mentioned. “It should be a course of with him. We’ll must be affected person. We perceive that. However at that vary of the draft, to have the ability to get a participant that has these ball-handling abilities at 6-foot-9 is fairly distinctive.”

Bazley was in a position to showcase a few of these abilities in Las Vegas, however the preliminary steps of his transition to the NBA sport weren’t with out difficulties. Having not performed in a proper setting for the reason that 2018 McDonald’s All-America Sport, Bazley regarded rusty in his Thunder debut, going scoreless and making an attempt simply two pictures. Nonetheless, he confirmed regular enchancment in his 4 summer season league outings, ultimately placing up 11 factors and making Three-of-5 Three-point makes an attempt in OKC’s remaining sport of the summer season.

Due to the Thunder’s roster turnover, Bazley has a singular alternative to contribute in OKC as a rookie. Final season, the Thunder’s 4 rookies mixed to play simply 769 minutes, rating 19th within the NBA. The final rookie to be a daily a part of the Thunder rotation was Domantas Sabonis, who began 66 video games for OKC in 2016-17. The final Thunder rookie earlier than Sabonis to play no less than 20 minutes per sport in his first season was James Harden all the way in which again in 2008-09.

Bazley won’t hit that 20-minute-per-night milestone, however he is excited for the chance to show himself.

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As Bazley begins to regulate to the NBA sport, he does so with no regrets on how he acquired there. He is aware of that individuals will all the time query his choice to skip school and the G League, however he’s appreciative of the route he selected and the work it took to get him by means of.

Whereas his path took him away from organized basketball for a 12 months, it additionally gave him an early begin on the off-court transition to being knowledgeable. He discovered much-needed abilities like cash administration and communication, and mentioned he feels higher ready for the adversity that each NBA rookie faces.

“There’s going to be instances the place you hit a roadblock within the league the place you are not getting the minutes you needed or say you are injured and you are not in a position to play and you do not know find out how to deal with that,” he mentioned. “I do.”

Bazley mentioned he would not really feel any added strain to succeed to show that his path to the NBA works, however he already has folks following in his footsteps in a technique or one other. RJ Hampton, a projected top-10 choose within the 2020 NBA draft, has chosen to bypass school, although he’ll play professionally in Australia’s Nationwide Basketball League. He additionally has already landed a sneaker endorsement cope with Li-Ning, a 12 months sooner than his highschool classmates who attended school will be capable of. And highschool senior MarJon Beauchamp has introduced his intention to skip school subsequent 12 months and enter a 12-month coaching program to organize for the 2021 draft.

However Wealthy Paul, Bazley’s agent, mentioned gamers trying to take this path cannot be doing it solely for the cash. Similar to it was for Bazley, it must be with a much bigger aim in thoughts.

“For these chosen few that determine to take one other route, there’s an alternate route, however the steps are very, very strategic and it’s important to embrace the method,” he mentioned. “It might’t be about something apart from ‘I am prepared to do the work and place myself to tackle the problem that I’ve forward.’ And when you do that you simply are inclined to reside on the aspect of success.”

ESPN.com’s Dave McMenamin and Royce Younger contributed to this story.