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Earlier this summer, the NBA D-League hosted its sole national tryout of the year in the heart of New York City. A plethora of NBA and D-League executives came to town, hoping that any and/or all of the 200 plus basketball prospects competing would do something worthy of peaking their curiosities.
As the day grew older, it may have been considered more beneficial as a simple networking opportunity for all the personnel present. Though all eyes were peeled for potential talent, many executives socialized with one another. Others rolled their eyes and lost interest in the handful of players who otherwise paid the admission fee for a chance just to have fun.
That might have been the case for some players, but for others taking things more seriously, it gave them all the more motivation to impress. Among those hoping to be kept in high regard was Ahmad Aasiya-Bey.
An otherwise unknown prospect, Aasiya-Bey can be found flying high and athletically leaping to new heights in this intriguing YouTube clip.
A 6'3", 180 pounder, Aasiya-Bey hails from Imperial Valley College in California. Amongst an array of players otherwise looking to play out some childhood fantasy by trying out for professional basketball, the guard looked like a man among boys throughout the day.
Aasiya-Bey is a very quick and agile guard who likes to push the tempo and run & gun offensively. He's bouncy. Very eccentric on offense,the guard looked as though he could trip up defenders and dribble for days during the D-League National Tryout. What's more, he took things seriously. Aasiya-Bey hustled hard, not only pressuring the ball and coming up with a couple of steals, but also hitting a few jump shots along the way.
Above all else, he showed commitment and plenty of intriguing potential.
With that in mind, it comes as no surprise that Aasiya-Bey was also considered to be one of the top standouts performers of the day by the executives who kept an eye on him through scrimmages.
Following the tryout, executives and coaches alike are asked for feedback as to who they like the most. Only those who make the cut are rewarded with an NBA D-League contract.
But alas, a source close to the situation told RidiculousUpside.com Aasiya-Bey will indeed be one of them. The guard will soon sign his contract and subsequently be entered into the NBA D-League Player Pool for this fall's forthcoming NBADL Draft.
Of course, things don't necessarily become easy for players like Aasiya-Bey here on out. Upon signing his contract, he'll likely be tasked with working out for individual D-League teams in hopes that they'll see enough in him to warrant getting drafted. The pressure is on, and he has his work cut out for him.
Still, Aasiya-Bey can remain optimistic knowing full well that minor league personnel were impressed enough with him initially to pluck him from the National Tryout and offer him a contract.
If he can show NBADL executives more of the same skills and hard-nosed play he put on display earlier this summer, perhaps there are good things ahead for Aasiya-Bey.