Started from the bottom now we're here, that's how the Drake lyric goes. It's a quote that's often used in everything from jokes between friends to Instagram captions.

But it's also helpful to describe these G-league turned pro's careers when it comes to their "glow up" (like their growth story).

From their high school league to college, to the minor leagues and the major leagues - these guys know how to rise up. The truth is that even the longest-running batteries take some time to charge.

Check yourself and see if you even knew which of these current stars had humble beginnings.

Ready to play who were they then? Tipoff in 3,2,1...

Daniel Green

At the beginning of his career, Danny Green played for the University of North Carolina and played all his enrolled years. When he was ready to say goodbye to college life, he was drafted into the NBA, but he didn't thrive there.

While he did play a while for the Cavaliers, he was quickly traded to the San Antonio Spurs. During his time with the Spurs, he was playing with the D-Leauge team, the Reno Bighorns.

Then, after that, he spent some time playing for the Austin Toros and finally for Union Olimpija in 2011.

It wasn't until 2012 that he signed on with the Spurs, where he made approximately 12 million a year. He signed a new contract in 2015 to up that number to 45 million a year.

In 2018, Green ended up in part of a trade deal that took him to the (victorious) Toronto Raptors for the 2019 season. He's there for the foreseeable future, at least, that's what we assume.

Shaun Livingston

Another player who started out in the NBA then spent some time playing in the lower leagues is Shaun Livingston.

He's with the Mavericks right now and has been since 2014. But the first time he dipped his toe into the professional league waters was with the Los Angeles Clippers.

After his time with the Clippers, Shaun got drafted to the Golden State Warriors. He did well there, bagging a career-high assist record.

He was with the Warriors until 2007, when a knee injury took him out for a few games.

There was a short time where he played for the Heat, but he was quickly traded to the Memphis Grizzlies not even a full year later.

The Grizzlies "released" him, where he went to play with the Tulsa 66-ers, which is his only contract with a D-league team.

Shaun bounced around to other teams, including the Oklahoma Thunder, The /Wizards, and the Bucks.

Marcus Thornton

The player on this list who's spent the most time in the NBA G-League is Marcus Thornton. He spent the 2017 and 2018 season with the Grand Rapids Drive team.

He didn't start off in the G-league, but he couldn't seem to settle into any NBA team. As of now, he's playing in Beijing, China, with the Ducks.

Started From the NBA to the ... G-League?

We didn't mean to use the Drake lyric to assert that the G-league is the bottom. NBA all-stars and currently employed players alike have created and sustained careers, in and with the minor league.

In the end, it's all about where they play the best and find their home team. We look forward to seeing who will benefit from the slightly slower G-league pace next.