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Fresh off winning the 2012-13 NBADL Jason Collier Sportsmanship Award, Mad Ants' guard Ron Howard will take his talents to Chicago this week.
The veteran will join a slew of fellow D-League athletes vying for a chance in front of some key NBA executives through workouts in this year's Elite Mini-Camp, RidiculousUpside.com has learned.
Taking place just days before the NBA Draft Combine, the minor league camp serves a a great way for up and coming prospects to strut their stuff and get their name out there.
But this isn't Howard's first go around. In addition to being a past camp participant, the (soon to be) 31 year old also recently completed his sixth season as a Fort Wayne Mad Ant.
The 2012-13 season was arguably Howard's best as a pro, but an NBA call-up never came his way. Clearly not one to be too deterred, the guard will look to capitalize on his All-Star season by showing big league executives what they continue to miss out on.
RidiculousUpside.com heard from a separate source that officials from the New York Knicks (who had Howard in training camp during 2010) still hold him in very regard, even years following his initial participation. His most recent award for sportsmanship only further validate the type of value a player like Howard would have inside a big league locker room.
As the Knicks proved this past season with the likes of Chris Copeland, Pablo Prigioni, and even James White, they're not afraid of giving older players (who in the past haven't gotten as many NBA opportunities) a shot. In many ways, Howard himself is a veteran of sorts. Such a presence and/or mentality certainly helps at the end of an NBA team's bench.
This past season, Howard averaged 19.1 points on 46% from the field, 4.7 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.4 steals. In addition to having a very explosive first step to the basket, the guard's game has clearly reflected his most recent efforts to balance being the smart floor general that is he, while at the same time, displaying some of his own offensive prowess as well.