Phoenix Suns forward Nigel Hayes-Davis is back in the NBA for those who supported him at the beginning of his journey.
“It’s more of a thank you to all the people in my life that worked when I was in junior high school who were rebounding for me,” Davis said at the team’s media day Sept. 24 at PHX Arena. “My parents. My mother, who would drive me at 6 a.m., to the gym. My mother would pick me up at 9 (p.m.) after I went back to the gym. My stepfather who worked 14 hours so I could have money for AAU on the weekends to try to get a scholarship.”
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Hayes-Davis’ first year in the NBA only lasted one season as he played nine games in 2017-18. He followed that with a stellar run overseas capped by winning EuroLeague Final Four MVP in leading Fenerbahce Istanbul to a EuroLeague championship.
The 30-year-old Hayes-Davis has returned to the NBA looking to help the Suns in a rebuild phase. Phoenix will open preseason action Oct. 3 against the Los Angeles Lakers in Palm Desert, California.
Hayes-Davis said he wants to prove he can play in the NBA, but the 6-foot-8 veteran forward has plenty of “haters” on social media giving him even more motivation to succeed.
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“There’s a lot of stuff that I’ve seen about my ability, my capabilities to come here and contribute,” he said.
Hayes-Davis averaged 16.7 points, making 41% of his 3s, 5.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 39 EuroLeague regular-season games last season.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Suns’ Nigel Hayes-Davis ready to silence ‘haters’ in NBA return