Tate hopes Summer League play opens NBA door

Jae’sean Tate could be forgiven for thinking a chance at the NBA just wasn’t in the cards.

Fresh out of Ohio State last summer, the Pickerington Central graduate was going through his final practice before playing for the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Summer League when he suffered a broken pinky finger on his right hand.

It caused him to miss the games, significantly reduced his professional options and ultimately led to a trial contract playing in Belgium.

Now, after having turned that trial into a full-season contract, Tate hooked up with the Denver Nuggets and was set to make his official Summer League debut when the Las Vegas ground began to move. It was July 5, and an earthquake caused the cancellation of the final game of the night, between the Nuggets and Phoenix Suns.

“I’m like, it just ain’t meant for me to play,” Tate said Sunday while watching the Kingdom Summer League at South High School. “After breaking my finger the day before and then an earthquake — an earthquake. The last game of the day. It’s crazy, but it happened when it was supposed to happen.”

Tate’s passion and grit that made him a fan favorite at Ohio State were on display during the four games the Nuggets did play. He averaged 7.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 50 percent from the field (12 of 24) and 30 percent from three-point range (3 of 10). Tate started two games and had his most statistically significant performance when he had nine points and 10 rebounds in a start against the Golden State Warriors.

Still, he departed without any assurances about his future.

“I think I played well, showed my versatility,” he said. “I had a good Vegas … but Summer League is not just a tryout and an audition for just the team you’re playing for, so who knows? I may have interest from other teams.”

That applies well beyond the NBA. After his season with Antwerp, where he helped the Giants reach the Champions League semifinals while averaging 17.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists, Tate said he’s got about four times as many options as he did a year ago.

The hope is that his time in the Summer League, plus a planned appearance in the upcoming The Basketball Tournament as a member of team Big X (coached by former OSU teammate Andrew Dakich) will lead to an NBA team camp invitation. The tournament gets underway Friday at Capital University.

If not, Tate’s journey over the past year has reaffirmed a few things he’s always believed about himself.

“If you watched me in college or even in high school, I knew I was going to find a home (last year) from what I know I’m capable of doing, and that’s playing hard and trying to win as many games as possible,” he said. “Sometimes you’ve got to bet on yourself, and when the time comes when you have to perform, just trust that you put the work in and that it’s going to happen.”