The philosophy of the NBA’s Developmental League is right there in its name: The name of the game is player development.
It’s all about taking young stars, such as the Texas Legends’ Eric Griffin and Doron Lamb, and allowing them to gain professional playing time, while honing their skill sets in hopes of landing on an NBA roster full-time.
Prospects are the bread and butter of the NBA – they are the game’s next stars. An oft unspoken aspect of prospect development is what these young guns can learn from the veterans who have been there before, such as the Texas Legends’ very own Mike James and Renaldo Balkman.
Spotlight on: Guard Mike James and Forward Renaldo Balkman
The 2014-2015 season isn’t James’ first with the Texas Legends. In fact, over his professional career, it’s quite difficult to find a team he hasn’t played for. Since his debut in 1998, James has played for 11 NBA teams, in two professional leagues that no longer exist, and in four different countries.
Undrafted out of Duquesne, James joined the now-defunct United States Basketball League (USBL) in 1998, and played for the Long Island Surf. Then it was off to Austria and two tours through France before he finally landed with the Rockford Lightning of the (also now-defunct) Continental Basketball Association (CBA).
Between 2001 and 2012, James would play for 9 NBA teams, winning an NBA Championship in 2004 while with the Detroit Pistons, before heading to China for one season, Turkey for another, and then making his D-League debut with the Erie BayHawks. Once 2012 came to a close, James was back in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls. In 2013, he played in two games for the Legends, was called up to the Mavericks, then finished out the year with the Chicago Bulls.
Now, at age 39, he’s hoping to get one last chance at the NBA level. Averaging 14.1 points per game, with a team-high 5.1 assists per game, James is making a serious argument for becoming a bench player with the Dallas Mavericks.
Perhaps the only reason Renaldo Balkman’s professional career isn’t as wide and varied as James’ is because he’s almost a decade younger. Regardless, the Staten Island, New York native has quite the professional resume.
Lightly recruited out of high school, Balkman played collegiately at South Carolina, picking up SEC All-Freshmen team honors in 2004. Once his senior season rolled around, the 6’8”, 208 lb forward had turned himself into a top NBA prospect, on many teams’ radars.
Taken in the first round of the 2006 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks, Balkman had an immediate impact as a sixth man off the bench. He averaged 4.9 ppg and 4.3 total rebounds per game; not too bad for a 22-year-old averaging just over 15 minutes of court time per game.
By the next season, however, he saw a reduction in playing time, and was traded to the Denver Nuggets following the 2007-2008 season. After two seasons and just 66 combined games on the Denver roster, Balkman was shipped back to New York in a three-team blockbuster trade headlined by Denver’s star, Carmelo Anthony.
Waived by the Knicks in February of 2012, he took his game out of the United States, where he played for four different countries (the Philippines, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Mexico) over the next two years, before landing on the Texas Legends’ roster. Like James, Balkman’s impact on the Legends’ roster cannot be denied. He’s averaging 15.2 ppt and 9 rebounds per game.
Balkman’s and James’ contributions on the court are of great importance. However, it’s the knowledge they bring to the young up-and-comers – what they’ve learned over 17 NBA seasons – that is of the most significance. And that’s what the NBA’s D-League is all about.
