Darling makes debut with Hornets
Nate Darling made his NBA debut Saturday night in the Charlotte Hornets’ exhibition loss to the Toronto Raptors.
The 22-year-old from Bedford came off the Hornets’ bench and had two rebounds, three assists and a steal in nine minutes of action in a 111-100 loss at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. Darling was 0-for-3 from the floor.
The six-foot-five sharpshooting guard, who went undrafted in last month’s NBA draft, signed a two-way contract with the Hornets. No one from Nova Scotia has ever played in the league.
The two-way deal could mean Darling splits his time with the Hornets and the team’s G League affiliate in nearby Greensboro.
Darling has a Canadian connection in Charlotte. Former Raptors and Canadian national team head coach Jay Triano is the lead assistant for the Hornets.
Darling declared himself for the NBA draft in August after a breakout NCAA Division 1 season at the University of Delaware in 2019-20.
One of college’s top shooters, he averaged 21 points per game and fired nearly 40 per cent from three-point range. He set a school record with 107 three-pointers, his 672 points were seven shy of the Fightin’ Blue Hens’ record, and was named a Colonial Athletic Association conference all-star and team MVP.
Darling spent two seasons at the University of Alabama at Birmingham before transferring to the University of Delaware for his third year.
The Hornets and Raptors play again Monday evening in Charlotte.
On Saturday, rookie guard Matt Thomas led the Raptors with 16 points in his NBA debut.