Loved the Read on Damien Wilkins and the Charlotte Hornets

There is nothing like being on adventure with God.  There are so many twists and turns and surprises along the way.

Wilkins Word

Please go to his Blog to read the full post.  But in short, Damien signed a contract to play in Venezuela.  His flight there was supposed to go through Miami, but they gave him a connecting flight through Charlotte, NC, instead.  While there, the flight to Venezuela is delayed, delayed and then cancelled.  Meanwhile, Michael Kidd Gilchrist, a player for the Charlotte Hornets gets injured.  The Charlotte GM contacts Damien's agent, and so Damien just happens to be in Charlotte when the NBA team based in Charlotte wants to give him a shot.  They hammer out the deal in no time flat and Damien, who wanted just one more NBA opportunity, has one laid in his lap.

Shucks, I hope Damien makes the team.  Even if he doesn't, that means God has something better for him down in Venezuela.  He might get cut, but he can't lose.  It's called being on adventure with a God who knows each one of us and wants our best.

Timeless Dream for Wilkins

Apt description, and great article (couple of good pictures, too) by the New York Times on Damien Wilkins, who at age 35 started in Sunday's D-League All-Star game.

The Times, noting Wilkins' age and well-traveled career, with stops playing for the Seattle Supersonics, Oklahoma Thunder, Philadelphia 76'ers, Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Beijing Ducks and the Mayaguez Puerto Rico Indios, quoted Wilkins as saying, "Ultimately my goal is to make it back to the NBA.  I want that more than anything, man."

Don't know if Damien will get another shot with an NBA team, but the lesson for us might be that whatever our age, whatever the obstacle, let's work hard at our dreams.  With God's help, may we all be all-stars in life.

Keep representin', Damien.

Wilkins

Damien Wilkins Soldiers On

Misses his family, but is doing what he loves, playing for the Iowa Energy.

The Des Moines Register does a nice job of chronicling the experience of a couple of D-League players who are away from their families during the holidays.  As attached, Damien spent 9 seasons in the NBA, earning over $18 million, according to one source.  "Yet he'll spend this winter slogging through places such as Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Ft. Wayne, Indiana, playing in front of 4,000 fans."

Ahh, the trade-offs in life.

Damien

Dawg fans wish Damien and his family well.

Merry Christmas to all.

DM

"I Trust Him"

I thought that the article attached below on Damien Wilkins was fantastic.

Guy works hard, brings it each game, always laboring in the shadow of his father and uncle.  Through persistence, hustle and great attitude Damien has crafted a really nice career.

Wilkins

Damien Wilkins to Pistons

He's had a long and fairly productive career as a back-up and willing defender. Seven points and 3 rebounds per game over seven years. Good for Damien.

Damien

Wilkins willing to help

Damien Wilkins has consistently kept an ear out for what is going on in his home town of Washington, North Carolina.

Wilkins has been involved in sports camps and activities for the city's youth, and more recently, he has expressed his willingness to help restore the court on which he developed his game.

Good effort by Damien.

Damien Wilkins Has Ups

Shows it on this dunk over Nenad Krstic.

Think Wilkins registered a double-double in this game, too.

Pretty impressive.

Damien Wilkins a Key Contributor for Timberwolves

Nice write-up by the Wolves organization.

Damien

Damien Wilkins Gets Write-Up in AJC

He seems to be faring pretty well on a bad team.

The Timberwolves will improve during the year, now that Kevin Love is playing again. At some point, they will go back to their big line-up, with Love, Jefferson and Gomes, and Wilkins will leave the starting five.

Damien could score more points if he were more selfish about taking shots. He seems to defer to others on the team. And that's okay. I think that Wilkins sees his role as that of a defense-first guy, usually matched up against the other team's best scorer.

Wilkins won't ever lead the NBA in scoring, but he has made a nice career for himself. Hope he can stay in the League for a long time.

Damien Wilkins has big game

Wilkins notched 15 points, a career-high 12 rebounds, and 6 assists in his recent game against the Denver Nuggets.

Wilkins, who had been coming off the bench, got the rare start so that his team could match up better with the quick athletes on Denver's squad. He had the assignment to slow down Carmelo Anthony.

Wilkins more than held his own. He went 6 of 11 from the field, 3 of 3 from the line, and helped lead his team to victory, breaking a 15-game winless streak.

Video of Damien Wilkins' Game-Winner

Happened in the first game of the season when the Minnesota Timberwolves played the New Jersey Nets.

I wanted to make this subsequent post so that when you click on Damien's name in hypertext below, the original post with the stats plus this one with the video will come up together.

Link to video.

Damien Wilkins Fills Up the Stat Sheet

Damien Wilkins had an incredible game in his first outing with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Wilkins scored 12 points, with 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals. To top matters off, he corraled a rebound at the end of the game and banked in a jump shot to defeat the New Jersey Nets. Final score: Wolves 95, Nets 93.

Wilkins' former teammate Jarvis Hayes played only sparingly for the Nets. Hayes is still recovering from problems with his shins. He may have come back too soon, since he reportedly suffered a hamstring injury after just a couple of minutes of competition.

Wilkins, Hayes, Close out NBA Pre-season

Damien Wilkins had a very efficient game, going 3 for 4 from the field and 3 for 4 from the line.

Jarvis Hayes was even better. He hit for 4 for 4 from the field, 1 for 1 from behind the arc, and 2 of 2 from the line.

Maybe Hayes and Wilkins will play key roles for the Nets and Wolves.

Wilkins Living in the Present

He's happy to be with the Wolves, even though Garnett is gone, and Wilkins' own stay with the team may be brief.

We'll see how it all works out. Minnesota's young team could use a "glue guy," someone who will play hard, defend, and show the youngsters the way.

Wilkins

Damien Wilkins Traded

Wilkins, along with guard, Chucky Atkins, has been traded from the Oklahoma Thunder to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Wilkins had his share of the playing minutes reduced this past year, and I figured it was only time before management would make some kind of move. We'll see whether Minnesota keeps Wilkins and his expiring contract.

Damien

Damien Wilkins to Return to Oklahoma Thunder

Wilkins did not get as much playing time last season as he has gotten with the team previously. He averaged a career-low 5.3 points per game. Nevertheless, Damien did not exercise his right to opt out of the contract.

Oklahoma is not a very good team and they need to find a way to put a competitive squad on the floor. Maybe Damien can help them get going this next season.

Double the Wilkins

fun at basketball camp.

Damien Wilkins and his dad, Gerald Wilkins, teamed up to lead Damien's summer basketball camp.

Damien has done a great job in giving back and representing UGA well.

Damien Wilkins Finishes

Guys that can drive the lane and dunk are said to "be able to finish with authority."

Well, as Damien Wilkins has so eloquently said in the recent DawgPost article, life is more than sports. And in so many areas, completing what you started, following through, staying with it, is the most critical component to success.

I'm proud of Damien for finishing with authority. He competed in athletics and he completed his coursework. He has established a nice career in the NBA and he has prepared himself for life after basketball ends. A lot of players never finish. They never get their degrees. Damien committed the time and effort to secure his.

Great job.

Damien Wilkins to Exercise Option

Damien Wilkins didn't play a lot this year. His minutes decreased as the season went on. I expect him to be traded this coming season.

In any case, Wilkins will exercise his option for next year. He's versatile enough and a good enough defender that some team will give him a shot.

Helping Hands

Good to see the guys give back.

I like the Oklahoma Thunder's participation in initiatives to help senior citizens with home repair. I think it's a great event for everybody.

UGA's own Damien Wilkins is featured in the slide show. He's lifting a couch in the third picture.

I'm not sure how long Wilkins will be with the Thunder. They have a lot of draft picks for next year, and Damien is averaging just 5 points and 2 rebounds per game. Yet, every roster needs a "glue guy." That's the term used these days for a player that makes everyone around them better, a guy who may not get a ton of minutes, but contributes by giving their best whenever called upon by coaches or the community.