His two goals in the NBA were separated by 2,754 days

There are many ways to enter the NBA, and among the unfamiliar faces in the NBA this season, there is one special one: he is neither a rookie nor a familiar face. Most people couldn't tell where he came from. When they opened his information, they discovered that he was 31 years old.

When Nigel Hayes-Davis put on Suns No. 21 and hit a three-pointer in the fourth quarter garbage time against the Clippers, a full 2,754 days had passed since he last scored in the NBA.

Yes, the last time Nigel played in an NBA game was 7 and a half years ago.

After graduating from the University of Wisconsin in his senior year with a degree in business finance and investment banking, he was undrafted in the NBA draft. In January 2018, the Lakers gave him a 10-day short contract, but his NBA debut lasted only 1 minute and 1 second, and he did not score any data; he played 2 games with the Lakers, 2 games with the Raptors, and finally signed with the Kings, who were screwed in April, at the end of the season. In his rookie season, he played for three teams, played a total of 9 games, and scored 27 points.

After playing summer league with the Kings, Nigel was waived. He realized very clearly that staying would only mean reliving last year's situation. So he went to Europe, the first year was Galatasaray in Turkey, and the second year was Kaunas in Lithuania. The head coach of this team was the former king of Europe, Jaskevicius.

His statistics are not gorgeous, but they can always help the team. The whole of Europe has very friendly opinions on him. Although he still goes back to play in the NBA Summer League every year, he has actually gradually become accustomed to life in Europe.

But in the next year, variables suddenly appeared. Jascovicius left for Barcelona a year ago and then recruited Nigel to come over. From a regular strong team in Europe to the top team on the continent, Nigel did not realize how big the obstacles and gaps would be at the beginning, but soon, reality gave him a hard intensity:

In this year at Barcelona, ​​he played 37 games, averaging only 4.2 points and 2.1 rebounds per game, and shooting only 36.7% from the field.

Looking back on that season many years later, Nigel would still describe it as "a nightmare."

"That was the worst year in my life and the worst year in my basketball career." He said frankly, "But what I thought was that I should use that experience as motivation and inspiration. I will never experience that feeling again. I need to find dignity by myself."

Yes, he still cherishes a dream of returning to the NBA - even if it is really far away, there is always a thought. But a person who could only score 4 points and 2 rebounds in Barcelona would never be interested in the NBA anyway. The painful feeling of having his dream shattered before his eyes was really unforgettable for him.

"I started training hard and spent a few more hours practicing shooting. There is nothing that can't be improved by a lot of training. All I can do is repeat it day after day."

He signed a one-year contract with Fenerbahce, and he clearly knew what kind of person he wanted to become next.

"After I practiced a lot, I gradually realized that the game was gradually slowing down in my eyes. I could get to the position I wanted to go more calmly, and then shoot."

"Compared with before, I am now at the point where I want to shoot. The basket is the shot, because every shot is a shot that I have practiced thousands of times."

Then the next year, Jaskovicius was hired to Fenerbahce, and Nigel and his mentor joined forces for the third time.

This time, he is no longer the ordinary role player who was helpless in Barcelona. In his own words: "I am no longer the player I used to be."

CJ McCollum's brother Eric McCollum shared such a story:

"Whether he played 35 minutes or 12 minutes the first day, scored 25 points or 5 points, he would always show up at the training facility the next morning." McCollum said, "Even if it was an away game, he was the kind of person who could always plan everything. We would fly and land together. After a meal, the coach will let everyone move freely. Some people will rest, some will play video games, and some will call their families, and Nigel will definitely practice shooting. "

As he said, a lot of shooting practice will eventually allow him to have his own time. Moment -

On March 29, 2024, Fenerbahce faced Berlin Alba. Nigel scored 50 points that day with 9 of 16 three-pointers, breaking Larkin's UEFA Champions League personal high score record of 49 points in a single game. The score was finally fixed at 103-68.

What is more important than breaking records and winning games is that his efforts are seen by more people.

He and his agent Bradbury have a fixed time, every Tuesday at 9 a.m., to discuss the possibility of returning to the NBA. The agent will summarize the needs of the NBA team during the week, inquire about his situation, and communicate with him. But as time went by, Nigel gradually stopped paying attention to it.

Until one day in the summer of 2025, Bradbury dialed Nigel’s phone again.

"We have to talk about NBA teams."

"There's nothing to talk about. Did they give me a contract? It's okay. Hang up. I still have to train."

"This time is different. You really have to listen."

Nigel didn't expect that three NBA teams contacted his agent this time, and the Phoenix Suns actually made a contract offer..

This year in Fenerbahce, he played the best season of his career. The team not only won the Turkish League Championship and Cup Championship, but also won the UEFA Champions League. Nigel scored a game-high 23 points and 9 rebounds in the final, and was awarded the UEFA Champions League Final Four MVP.

At this time, Fenerbahce also offered him a contract extension.

He has one year left on his contract. Fenerbahce provided him with a three-year contract with a total net income of US$9 million.

As for the NBA, what it can offer is a base salary of US$2.08 million before tax. If he goes to the NBA, he will need to pay US$1 million to buy out the remaining one-year contract with Fenerbahce.

But he has already made his decision.

"Is there anything more handsome than turning around and leaving after winning three consecutive championships?"

"We won the Triple Crown and won almost all the trophies that could be won. It was also one of the most glorious seasons in the history of the club, so what could be better than leaving at the peak?"

He finally put on an NBA jersey again, and now he is a completely different player.

Seven years later, even his name is different from before - in order to express respect for his stepfather, he changed his original surname Hayes to Hayes-Davis with his stepfather's surname in 2021, so his surname on the back of his jersey is now Hayes-Davis.

At the Suns' media day, Nigel looked at the scattered reporters around him, and almost no one asked any questions. He took out his mobile phone and took a selfie: "I want to use this moment as motivation to work hard."

When he stood on the Suns' training ground, all he saw were old friends from the past.

Grayson Allen, Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks all played against Nigel in college. In the 2015 NCAA March Madness, Nigel's University of Wisconsin defeated Dillon's University of Oregon in the second round, defeated Booker's University of Kentucky in the Final Four, and ultimately lost to Allen's Duke University in the national finals.

Although he was already an excellent scorer at that time, now he has become a more team player, doing his best on both offense and defense, and has achieved 41% of three-pointers in Europe.

However, these old acquaintances were not surprised by his changes and progress.

Grayson Allen said that ten years ago he felt that this man was very different from others.

"He is the kind of player who can master it quickly no matter what you ask him to practice," Allen said. "He can shoot three-pointers, he can dribble, he can make mid-range shots, and he can pass the ball well. As a basketball player, you can tell at a glance how good he is."

This Suns team has also undergone tremendous changes from last year: Durant and Bill left, Dillon and Jaylen Green arrived. Everyone in the rebuilding Suns team has a chance. Nigel, who can play two positions, actually has a lot of use.

Just like when he was in the US national team, he stood up at any time and played the role needed.

Although this is only his second NBA season, the things he has experienced are enough to make him qualified for his current role.

Yes, he will still maintain his previous habit: at 4:15 every morning, Nigel Hayes-Davis will come to the arena on time and start shooting training. At 5 o'clock in the morning, head coach Jordan Ott will also arrive as scheduled, plus player development coach Cleaves. Nigel calls them the "breakfast trio". They will discuss together, run in together, and grow and improve together.

"I know I'm on the right path, and I'm proud of what I've accomplished in my life and career."

But what he didn't know at the beginning was that the Suns had actually noticed him as early as 2024.

For the 2024 Paris Olympics, the U.S. men's basketball team sent out its most luxurious lineup, with James, Curry, and Durant teaming up to compete. At this time, Nigel received a notice inviting him to join the U.S. men's basketball selection team to help the U.S. men's basketball team prepare for the Olympics.

"That was the best time of my life, and if I say any more about it, I'm going to cry because it was the happiest time of my life... I think it was crucial to my performance last season and my ability to come back here," Nye Jer said, "I was like an annoying fly, observing everything from the sidelines."

He really took the trouble to absorb everything. He asked many players about their training methods, eating habits, etc. But he also seemed to want to laugh at himself for his inquisitiveness, even joking that he wanted to know how those historical superstars wore socks or what alarm clocks they used.

He made a special notebook to record everything Curry said to him during his time with the US team: "It sits on a shelf in my apartment, guarded by my cat."

However, in this training camp with Durant, Curry and James, his most profound revelation came from a player six years younger than him.

"Blind confidence is the most powerful weapon. This is what I learned from Anthony Edwards last year," Nigel said. "He is the walking spokesperson of 'blind confidence'."

"If I want to say something to the young Nigel, what I want to say is: blind confidence will make you Go further in life, no matter which one you choose," Nigel said. "This kind of belief can prevent you from self-doubt, keep you away from wrong decisions, keep you from being overly overwhelmed by success and failure, and keep you calm in difficult situations - after all, setbacks will happen.

"But with this kind of confidence, you can always stay on the right track." "

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(Text/Wen Ruo)