Cav makes fresh start
Former NBA player likes personal touch at Hawks
FRESH out of isolation, former Cleveland Cavalier Deng Adel had breakfast with Hawks owner Dorry Kordahi as he plotted his plan to build something special in the NBL to relaunch his NBA career.
Only minutes after leaving his hotel quarantine in Sydney’s CBD on Wednesday morning, Adel met with Kordahi at his house for eggs on toast and orange juice.
This genuine and personal care is a vastly different scene to the ruthless world the South Sudanese small forward had experienced in the NBA and the G League affiliate.
“In the G League they send you a driver and you just check into the hotel,” grinned Adel, who played 19 NBA games for Cleveland in 2018- 2019. But to have that little stuff like going to the owner’s house just shows how much they care and how much time they put in to making sure their players are comfortable.”
The timing of Adel’s signing at the Hawks is perfect for him personally.
After three years of toiling away in the G League with the Raptors, the Canton Charge, and the Long Island Nets as he attempted to pick up an NBA contract, he is ready for a reprieve mentally.
The brutal business world of the NBA became draining for Adel, and he is keen to regroup and rebuild his game with the Hawks in the NBL.
“The business side of the NBA is so big that sometimes basic communication is hard,” he said.
After spending two weeks in hotel quarantine, Adel is just grateful for the “fresh air”.
He is also focused on his lofty goal of transforming the troubled Hawks into a genuine force.