Duke Basketball Product Breaks Franchise Record in Canadian Debut
Two years removed from his one-and-done Duke basketball campaign and fresh off his second season as a double-digit scorer for the G League's Stockton Kings, DJ Steward, who has yet to log a minute in an NBA game, might have found the perfect platform to showcase his seemingly growing confidence.
Maybe he'll catch NBA eyes by embracing a starring role for the Vancouver Bandits in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) these next few months. Then perhaps he gets a shot to show off his improvements in training camp somewhere on his way to landing on a preseason roster — and so on, one step at a time.
In early April, the 21-year-old Chicago native and former McDonald's All-American signed with the Bandits. And it's safe to say his league debut in Saturday's season opener was at least a noteworthy individual success, albeit in a 90-85 road loss to the Winnipeg Sea Bears.
Steward's 30 points marked the most by any Bandits player in a season opener and tied the franchise's single-game scoring record. So the team awarded him the "Warrior of the Game" belt.
Granted, the Bandits have been in existence for only four years.
Nevertheless, DJ Steward's elite performance on Saturday, including seven assists and a 9-for-9 clip from the charity stripe in his 36 minutes on the court, is evidence of a somewhat undersized guard on a mission to prove his value as a top-level professional.
Ultimately, his aggressive play, such as in his loose-ball offensive rebound and subsequent highlight flush below, could be his most straightforward route to separate himself from the truckloads of other 6-foot-2 NBA hopefuls in their early 20s who left college with remaining eligibility.
If nothing else, the undrafted Duke basketball talent, the second-leading scorer for the 2020-21 Blue Devils at 13.0 points per game, is off to a record-setting start in making the most of his opportunity to prosper in Canada.
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