PAT Spencer has had an unusual path to the NBA playoffs.
The Golden State Warriors guard has managed to carve out a place in Steve Kerr’s rotation and is enjoying his post-season debut aged 28.
GettyFollowing a circuitous route to the NBA… Pat Spencer is now teammates with Steph Curry[/caption] ReutersSpencer, 28, helped the Warriors beat Minnesota last night[/caption]Spencer’s superstar teammate Steph Curry has branded himself as an “underdog” in the past, with very few analysts having predicted him to become one of the best players of all time.
Curry did get selected at No7, however, having been NCAA scoring champion at Davidson.
While Curry’s claims to underdog status may be somewhat questionable, Spencer’s story is truly one of a basketball dark horse.
A natural sportsman, the Pennsylvania kid was always going to be a college athlete.
And in 2016, Spencer arrived at Loyola University… to play lacrosse.
Remarkably, the future Warriors fan favorite spent four years playing college lacrosse for the Greyhounds.
While the sport wasn’t his primary passion, Spencer proved to be remarkable at it, and is regarded as one of the greatest players in NCAA history.
The 6ft 3in star holds the record for the most assists in men’s D1 history – while he also won the sport’s version of the Heisman Trophy.
“[Spencer] is an extremely talented kid who really sees the game and allows the game to come to him,” then-Johns Hopkins head coach Dave Pietramala said of Spencer.
At this point, basketball looked to be in the rear-view mirror.
But in an unusual move, Spencer transferred to Northwestern… to play basketball – a sport that he had not participated in competitively since high school – despite having been selected No1 in the Premier Lacrosse League draft.
During a 2020 interview with ESPN’s Paul Carcaterra, Spencer shed some light on his decision.
“My first love is basketball, and I can’t get rid of that itch and it’s something I’m happy to pursue,” Spencer said. “At the end of the day, I still love the game of lacrosse, and it’s something I will be keeping up with and support no matter what I’m doing.”
Having ditched his lacrosse stick, Spencer’s path to the NBA would still be a circuitous one.
Spencer went undrafted in 2021 and subsequently headed to Germany – signing with Hamburg Towers.
Following just five games for Hamburg he was back in the States, joining the Washington Wizards’ G-League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go.
Almost three entire seasons in the G-League followed, before Spencer earned a two-way deal with the Warriors in February 2024.
Having played six games at the back end of last season, Spencer retained his two-way contract for 2024-25.
GettySpencer played four years of college lacrosse[/caption] GettyThe former Loyola Greyhound is regarded as one of the greatest college lacrosse players ever[/caption]After playing 39 times during the regular season, he had his two-way deal converted into a standard contract, thus giving him playoff eligibility.
A clip of Spencer has recently went gone, after he and teammate Trayce Jackson-Davis got into a scuffle with Houston Rockets star Alperen Sengun.
“My guys,” an excited-looking Draymond Green could be seen saying over on the Warriors bench.
By beating the Rockets in seven games, Golden State earned a second-round series with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Spencer played 11 minutes as the Warriors earned a crucial 99-88 game one victory in Minneapolis.
Following the game, Green gushed, “Pat is a damn good basketball player.
“I know it don’t look like it… the No61 don’t help… but Pat is one of the toughest players on this team.”
Following his teammate’s glowing review, Spencer will hope for more minutes as the Warriors continue their charge through the NBA playoffs.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( I could’ve been GOAT in another sport but I chased my NBA dream – now I want to win finals with Golden State Warriors )
Also on site :