“I do a good job of living in the moment. There are cameras everywhere and you can see me smiling because I’m having fun. I’m enjoying where I am, what I’m doing.” To say the least Nigel Hayes-Davis is having a great summer. He is in fact part of the Select Team, the training team that accompanies Team USA in preparation for the Olympic Games.
At first, the Fenerbahçe player did not expect to share moments with Kevin Durant, LeBron James or even Stephen Curry.
“My agent Kevin Bradbury told me about this Team USA thing during the season, so I didn't really pay attention to it,” does he remember for Eurohoops. “I had other things on my mind. After I won the Turkish championship, he called me back and asked if I wanted to do it or not. I accepted. I didn’t know what my role would be, but it’s a huge opportunity, beyond what I could have imagined.”
However, it is not a competition, nor a trophy won. “Everybody has dreams: to become a professional, to go to the NBA, to play in the Olympics. I'm not officially part of the team but just to be here, to be with the guys, to have my name on the jersey, it's surreal.”he continues.
Kevin Durant hopes to see him in the NBA soon
Nigel Hayes-Davis was not just a figurehead, serving as a sparring partner for the American national team, as he also accompanied the team to Abu Dhabi and London, participating in a few bits of matches against Serbia and Canada, and Kevin Durant spoke up to send him a few compliments.
“I think he has the talent to be in the NBA. He's shown it so far, in college, in the Euroleague.”believes the Phoenix All-Star, while the Suns were following him before he extended in Turkey at the beginning of July. “He loves basketball, he's going to play and work until the end. I hope he gets a chance to be in the league soon.”
Obviously, for the 29-year-old winger, it's a big moment. “Having someone whose opinion is respected is important. He’s one of the best players in history, in the Top 75, who many put on their Mount Rushmore. Anthony Edwards sees him as the best player in history. It’s not nothing to get someone like that’s opinion.”he rejoices.
As he goes through what he calls “the opportunity of a lifetime”, totally “priceless”Nigel Hayes-Davis can thus observe the great players around him, “look at their habits, how they train, what they eat, how they take care of their body, before and after training.”
To sum up, he will remember this summer of 2024 for a long time. “There are moments when I could cry tears of joy, of happiness because I am in the company of one of the best teams in history. To be able to laugh, joke, train, watch, learn with these players, it's a dream. It's fantastic.”he concluded.
