Rather in sight with the Evansville Aces (NCAA I) for two years, Ryan Taylor then spun to Northwestern following the dismissal of his coach at the time, where he had a particularly complicated senior year, to finally disappear from the radar. from the NBA and even the G-League.
The rear shooter, with a rather fast shooting mechanic, did not make a big deal out of it at first, he who saw himself following the path of his father in Europe, John Taylor, a former professional player, in particular in Finland, Portugal and Slovenia, died at the age of 31.
“I always wanted to follow in his footsteps, He told the San Francisco Chronicle. ” That was honestly the point. The NBA was not even really in my plans ”.
Anyway, at the start of the 2019 school year, Ryan Taylor finally found himself without a club, and had to return to his mother’s house, at Crown Point, in the suburbs of Chicago, after an inconclusive test with the Lakeland Magic, in G-League. For six months, he went through difficult times, wondering if he would play basketball again one day, remaking the film by repeating too many missed opportunities, and feeling depressed on the sofa.
From mom’s couch to training camp in a year
Until this phone call from the Santa Cruz Warriors who invited him to end the season in the G-League, he who had caught the eye of GM Ryan Atkinson for his outdoor shooting skills. ” I really think he has a chance to play professionally for a long time, The leader noted. ” He’s a true two-meter full-back, he’s quite athletic, and what gets him in is his shot. “
In 22 games with the Santa Cruz Warriors, Ryan Taylor did not disappoint on this point by turning 43% at 3-points, punctuating his performances with a few high-level games.
For the mini-camp recently organized by the Warriors, Ryan Taylor was one of five G-League players who were invited to join the first team. The accomplishment was already sizeable for the former resident of Evansville, a year after having thought of stopping everything. But the latter did not stop there, even allowing himself to shine by finishing top scorer of a “scrimmage” with 15 points at 5/5 at 3-point.
“Ryan really caught fire today, it was fun to see”. These words straight out of Steve Kerr’s mouth still resonate in the mind of Ryan Taylor who took the opportunity to place himself among the contenders for the two “two-way contracts” of the Oakland franchise next season. .
After showing what he was capable of in front of two of the best shooters in history, Ryan Taylor now hopes to turn the test. The first step will be through an invitation to the “training camp” of recovery.
“It’s surreal, to be honest. A year ago, I wasn’t sure I could play basketball again. Now I know I’m going to have this opportunity, which is already great. But right now, I want to see what will happen with the Warriors ”, he concluded.
