Former Mizzou star Tamar Bates signs two-way contract with Denver
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
Former Mizzou men's basketball star Tamar Bates did not have to wait long after the NBA Draft wrapped up to find out his destination. Surrounded by family at watch party in downtown Kansas City, Bates picked up the phone and learned he is set to sign a two-way contract with the Denver Nuggets.
Shortly after that phone call, he went to the front of the room and made the announcement to his anxiously waiting family, friends, former teammates and Mizzou coaches.
"I'm just grateful for the opportunity because I knew at the end of the night, regardless of what happened on the TV screen, I would leave here an NBA player. That's been my dream my entire life, so I'm grateful and excited and just ready to get prepared for summer league," he said.
You can watch the full interview with Bates in the video player below.
Bates said his message to Denver fans and the organization is that he is dead serious about his craft. He doesn't do much talking, as he allows his actions and his play to do the speaking for him.
His family was at a loss for words, after the news came out.
"I'm so exhausted that the emotion is bottled up," his dad, Tyrone Bates, said. "As soon as I sit still for a few moments, I'm pretty sure the moment is going to really hit me. But I just had some nerves energy all night. I didn't expect it, but, you know, as you hear every name call, call knowing there's a chance that it couldn't be, so this was an outcome we expected. Then, when he did get that call right after the draft ended it was just a sigh of relief."
"My goodness, I just remember him...fourth and fifth grade saying he wanted to play professional basketball and now just being in the moment of that, it's even crazier. It's crazy, but it's a good crazy, a fun crazy," his mom, LaJasmia Bates said.
In a matter of days, the Kansas City native will head out to Denver to play under the same franchise that former Mizzou player and Columbia native Michael Porter Jr. plays for. Bates' friends and family said he will bring an uncommon kind of energy to that organization.
"[Denver fans], you're getting a competitor and just a winner," Mizzou guard/forward Mark Mitchell said.
Bates' family hammered home just how much they owe a big piece of this moment to Tiger men's basketball coach Dennis Gates. The guard's time in Columbia brought a lot of unforgettable memories and helped grow him into a player that could make this jump into the league.
"Coach Gates...he's building pros. He's building professional young men. Great leaders, great fathers, great basketball players, like he's just building men. I think through the interview process and the way that we carry ourselves...you can't help but see that. You can't ignore it. Coach Gates, he's one of the best, if not the best, coach I've ever played for. I wouldn't be standing here if I didn't transfer to Missouri and play for him," Bates said.
Bates will now head to Denver to prepare for the start of Summer League, which will begin on July 10.
