DeShawn Sims to South Korea
In an annarbor.com story from last week, Manny Harris indicated DeShawn Sims might be venturing to Europe once again to continue his pro basketball career—
After being named the NBA Development League Rookie of the Year last year with the Maine Red Claws, Sims is trying out for teams in Europe, according to Harris.
“He’s basically preparing to go overseas, so he’s got some teams he’s trying out for,” Sims said. “He’s like a brother to me, we talk almost every day.”
—but it turns out, according to a Pro Basketball News item, he’ll be headed to the Far East instead:
SIMS SIGNS WITH SOUTH KOREA CLUB: Reigning NBA D-League Rookie of the Year DeShawn Sims has signed a one-year contract with defending KBL champion KCC Egis (South Korea). Sims averaged 20.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists with the Maine Red Claws in the 2010-11 season.
Hopefully, this overseas venture of DeShawn’s will last longer than his previous one. It should help that he'll be joining a KCC Egis roster that includes Tony Akins, the former Georgia Tech point guard who was born in Detroit and nearly went to Michigan.
Hopefully he does well, enjoys a different culture (with amazing food) and does well while he waits for the NBA lockout to be over in case he can get a contract.
Does he have interest from NBA squads or is this more of a "need-to-get-paid-somewhere" move?
K-pop and Michigan athletics meet. Don't we have a board member in Korea right now? We should get game updates. Or CRex can tell his family to get season tickets.
I will always have a special place in my hart (see what I did there) for DeShawn and Manny leading us the Tourney
Korea's off the beaten path for basketball, as far as I know. They must have offered him some pretty good money.
It will be strange for me to see him play on normal cable instead of a live stream or torrent. Stranger yet if he starts doing postgame interviews in Jeolla dialect. KCC Egis is in Jeonju about 75 miles from where I live.
Your MgoUsername and Location clash beautifully
I can't remember the last time you posted without embedding some sort of video.
To KOREA!?
oh hell yes, I gotta figure out where to get tickets :D
Happy MGoversary!
A few years back Mike McGee was coaching in Korea. He's now in China as a head coach.
that South Korean professional basketball is the gateway to Chinese professional basketball?
This does not seem like a good development for Sims. Leagues in Europe, Turkey, and even Israel have sent guys to the NBA. I've never heard of anyone coming from the South Korean league to the NBA.
I hope he's doing this because the lockout has affected the D-League and he's playing in South Korea as a stopgap until he can return to the U.S.
Mike Magee: "The man that never saw a shot he didn't like". I liked a quote from him in college where he said he liked to shoot his way out of slumps.
The Asia Basketball site has an item on Sims (featuring some rough English) that says he’ll be headed to South Korea in mid-August. The KBL season runs from October to April.
Sims is a good outside shooter who is good at splitting defenders. Hes a bit light at just over 100kg but still has a solid post game having played some center when he was at Michigan. He should be a good complimentary player with Ha Seung Jin because of his enjoyment of playing in the post. His NBA scouting report raved about his ability to crash the boards, especially on the offensive end. This will be a huge plus as Ha often draws double teams and his lack of a consistent post game and soft teach will mean a ton of put back opportunities.
Sims will join KCC in mid-August as with the rest of the foreigner.
Ha Seung-Jin was the first Korean to play in the NBA, playing for Portland from 2004 to 2006. He’s 7-foot-4.