Welding the wings...Spurs sign Kent Bazemore.

Long-armed, 7'0 wingspan-savv Kent Bazemore once said, "They've got some very special players that make big shots" about the Spurs, and now he joins them as a free agent on a two-year 16.5 million contract. A recipient of a hefty contract during the summer when the salary cap went bonkers, Bazemore came from a 'life' of poverty but had a strong family support system. It saw him break into college stardom and receive the Lefty Dreissell award, as best defensive player of 2010-11. Despite this accolade, Bazemore went undrafted before bouncing around the league for the Warriors, Lakers, Atlanta Hawks & Trail Blazers. ESPN even ranked him as the league's 499th best player, miffing Bazemore as old players (some deceased) were even above him; in response, Kent etched "499" into his sneakers, a testament of his perseverance--a value that's always been inside him.

“It’s the role less traveled,” Bazemore said. “I found if I wanted to stick around in this league, I had to be different. And I don’t really have the offensive skill-set to be elite on the offensive side of the ball. But defensively, I can really help, and I knew if that became what I was known for, I could stay around for a long time. You need those stoppers. The Tony Allens. The PJ Tuckers. The Bruce Bowens. You need those guys on your team to help you win. And that’s the role I want to play."

 

Spending most of his career at the 2 spot, Bazemore has shown strides on the wing more recently, due to his agile and athletic prowess. Coach Stotts of the Trail Blazers regarded Bazemore positively last season, saying: "He takes a lot of pride in his defense. He’s long and athletic, he anticipates. He has evolved into a good shooter and good scorer, but he made his bones by being a good defender.” Superstar Damian Lillard followed up with, “He’s just a pest. He likes to get his hands dirty. He’s all over you. He’s always reaching and poking at the ball. And he’s always there, always ready for an opportunity to make a play.”

Why the tenacity? Bazemore says, "The dream. The hunger is always there. I love the game of basketball. I'm so hard on myself; I can't help it. I want to be great. I went undrafted, then signed a very lucrative deal four years ago. But I'm still trying to remain true to who I am, stay humble and hungry. Bazemore's coaches, from the then D-League and most likely from Coach Popovich later this season, have sung his praises on Kent's appreciation and professionalism and his dedication to his craft. The only negative is Bazemore's age at 30, but it only means perfect timing by the front office. Now, the Spurs have gotten a tenacious wing player that will replace Bradley's heart and shore up the defensive front lines.

The icing on the cake is that Bazemore has tallied not only over 500 steals, but also splashed in over 500 three-pointers.