Purvis fulfills NBA dream — for himself and late friend
“It was just tough being around someone each and every day,” Purvis said, “and just — boom! — one day you never see the guy again. He was doing something he loved to do. It was an unfortunate situation. But I’m definitely going to do everything in honor of him. Each and every time I step onto that court, it’s for him. I just want to make the best out of any opportunity that I’m given.”
Purvis, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard, sacrificed for his opportunity.
Undrafted out of UConn, he joined the Magic’s GLeague affiliate in Lakeland in October. In 37 games with Lakeland — games typically played in mostly empty arenas — he averaged a teamhigh 20.5 points per game and made 38.9 percent of his 3-point attempts.
“I enjoyed coaching him,” Lakeland coach Stan Heath said. “He was very coachable. He wanted to improve. He was a hard worker. He watched film. When you asked him to do something, he would do it to the best of his ability. He’s just a guy that understands that he’s got talent, but he’s still developing.”
Players on 10-day NBA contracts face a conundrum: They want to impress and make an immediate mark with their scoring, but they also must fit into what the team is trying to accomplish.
Magic coach Frank Vogel and some of his new teammates said Purvis should have no problems navigating that fine line. When Purvis was asked about his success in Lakeland, he deferred credit to his Lakeland teammates. And when he was asked how he wants to impact Orlando during his 10-day deal, he said he must play well on the defensive end of the floor.
“He had a terrific year in the G League,” Vogel said. “He’s one of the guys that really stood out amongst the entire league’s scouts, not just our personnel, in terms of being a call-up option. So we’re definitely looking forward to seeing what he can do with us.”
Purvis will have an for sure.
The Magic suffer from injury problems. Swingman Evan Fournier sprained a knee ligament on Wednesday. The Magic placed forward Aaron Gordon into the NBA concussion protocol on Thursday, And swingman Terrence Ross remains out from a knee injury he suffered in late November.
Purvis and Coger talked for years about reaching the NBA one day.
Now that Purvis is in the league, he Purvis intends to made the most of his chance with the Magic — not just for himself but for Coger, too.
“We definitely had the same dreams,” Purvis said. “This would’ve been his year to play in college. He’d been in [junior college]. He had a lot of different things he wanted to do as well. He opportunity, didn’t get the opportunity, and I just want to make the best of this opportunity, because I know that he would’ve appreciated the opportunity of just making it to college and playing on a college team.” LATE FRIDAY