More Life

In less than five years, Hawks forward KENT BAZEMORE has journeyed from an undrafted afterthought to a critical starter on an Eastern Conference contender with a massive contract under his belt. This is his story.

- Howard Megdal

Late bloomers often look back on early struggles with frustration, sometimes blaming the system itself for their delayed ascension. A coach disliked my game, or I didn’t get enough playing time because of my draft position, such players might argue.

For Kent Bazemore, it wasn’t that deep. He just wasn’t good enough. Not yet.

“It was never anything about not being seen,” says Bazemore, standing in front of his locker before an early season game in Philly. “If you’re talented, they’ll find you. But there were big holes in my game. Obviously, shooting. I was a great defender and great athlete, but I hadn’t put it all together.”

The journey Bazemore took from that player to a starter and key contributor on this Hawks team, one with legitimate designs on an Eastern Conference title, began with a promise to himself. He sat quietly among family and friends at his uncle’s restaurant, Bazemore’s Country Kitchen in Kelford, NC, the night of the 2012 NBA Draft. He wasn’t surprised when name after name got called, and his phone remained silent, except for the occasional updates relayed by his agent—a Summer League invite here, a training camp invite there. As he put it, “I like to live off evidence, and at that time, there really wasn’t any NBA buzz, so I just wanted to continue to work and get better.”

He agreed to sign with a team in the Ukraine but didn’t really want to go. Instead, as the draft broadcast ended on the restaurant’s 28-inch TV and he turned away, he vowed to become a better player, one capable of proving himself if given the opportunity.