Rookie Diary #1: With UCLA Journey In The Books, Gyorgy Goloman Starts New Chapter With Westchester Knicks

Gyorgy Goloman closed out his collegiate career at UCLA by having his most productive season. He recorded career highs in points (7.1), rebounds (4.2), blocks (1.3) and assists (1.2). He converted on 42.9 percent of his threes and played a role in the Bruins making the NCAA Tournament. While the numbers are just numbers to him, his senior season gave him a bit of confidence heading into the next chapter of his career.

Goloman was set to embark on his professional journey. He had draft workouts with the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers. Despite not playing in Summer League for the Lakers, it was a great experience for the 23-year-old to go through the draft process.

“It was a good experience for sure to see what NBA teams and NBA organizations are all about,” Goloman told Ridiculous Upside. “I really enjoyed going through that process before the draft and going to those workouts. I think it really helped me to come into an organization and to kind of know what to expect in a way.”

After his draft workouts, the first part of his professional career was in front of him: the 2018 NBA Draft. While his name wasn't one of the 60 names announced, Goloman knew what he could bring to the table and felt he had a lot to offer.

“You always have hope to get drafted,” Goloman said. “I knew I could’ve had a better senior season and maybe I could have put better numbers up, but I always hoped that I was going to get drafted. Obviously I didn’t get drafted, but I still think that I have a lot more to offer and I haven’t reached my ceiling yet.”

As the 2018-19 season inched closer, Goloman was searching for his opportunity to showcase his talent. The G League season was around the corner and the 6’11” big man attended a Westchester tryout with the hopes of starting out his professional career in White Plains, NY.

After going through a series of offensive and defensive drills during his tryout, he made an great impression in the organization and earned a spot on Westchester’s roster. In the process, the rookie forward became the eighth player to make the Dub Knicks’ opening night roster as a tryout player. The team tryout was important for Goloman to showcase his skills and his overall game.

“I think for a player like me, I just have to go out there and give great effort and show everybody what I got,” Goloman said. “I think that’s really what it’s all about. Just showcasing yourself in training camp and showing that you can play hard. You can do the things that you can do and eventually I made the cut.”

Starting out his professional career in New York wasn't that big of an adjustment for Goloman. While the weather wasn't anything new for Goloman, he was enjoying the New York area upon arrival.

“I like Westchester a lot and White Plains and New York City,” Goloman said. “I’m a big fan of all of it. I’m from Hungary, so growing up I experienced this weather. Although for the past five years, I’ve kind of gotten used to the warm, but it’s not that big of a deal for me. I’m not a big fan of the cold, but I’ll be fine.”

The Westchester big man started off his G League career with two impressive performances where he recorded double digits in the first two games, while shooting a near perfect 9-of-11 from the field. While he played in 10.2 minutes per game in November, he felt that he made the most out of his playing time early in the season.

“I’m just trying to really do whatever I can to help the team and hoping that will give me more and more opportunities to show myself and to play more,” Goloman said. “So far, I think I’ve been doing solid with my minutes and playing time.”