Former Kings big man Hary Giles III has fans begging for his comeback after a video of him working out in Las Vegas quickly circulated online.
TNT's Chris Haynes released the video of Giles' private workout on Monday, where he showcased his skills to over a dozen NBA scouts and executives.
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The 6-foot-10 big man had a disappointing start to his NBA career, but he's hoping for a chance to open a new chapter and earn a fresh start somewhere in the league. In an interview with FOX40's Sean Cunningham, the 25-year-old opened up about the difficulties of blocking out the past and focusing on the future.
"You have the thoughts in the back of your head. For me, it was more of my injury and I hate injuries from the past. And obviously, I had a couple of issues in the league as well, but nothing's as major as it was in the past," Giles said. "I'm 25 years old and I'm getting judged, it's just tough for me. I fight a battle every day sometimes. It's tough that the injury is the only thing that changed my career and is holding me back, that's got people questioning me. Especially at 25, any age. But at the same time, I want to play the game again.
"I know I love the game. I can't think about nothing but the game. I'd be lying to you if I said it didn't kind of drain me for a second. I think that [Los Angeles] Clippers thing, I had to just take some time to myself just to get myself together, get my mind straight, refresh my mind. Life hit me a little bit, too. So it was a lot going on to where I had to just take a sit back for a second and just figure out what I wanted to do and what I wanted to be and who am I.
"So I think this last year, I've been getting the spark back, I've been getting the fire back up under me. I'm confident. I'm healthy and I feel good again. But I just want them to leave here knowing, 'He looks good, he's ready, he's excited, he's confident and he's ready for another chance.'"
NBA
Sacramento selected Giles with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. He missed his entire rookie season due to injury, then averaged 7.0 points on 50-percent shooting, along with 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in his sophomore campaign. In his third NBA season, he spent time in the G League before the Kings shut him down for the rest of the 2019-20 season.
In 2021, Giles signed with the Clippers but was later waived by the team. He then signed with the Agua Caliente Clippers as an affiliate player but was waived by them, too, after suffering a season-ending injury.
His playing career, even dating back to high school, has been tormented by injuries. He was one of the most highly-anticipated high school recruits in the country but suffered multiple ACL tears before attending Duke.
Many viewed his injury history as a major concern, and after just three seasons in the league, he was referred to as a "bust."
He now is hoping to create a new name for himself. And a new provision in the NBA's collective bargaining agreement (CBA) could help Giles potentially land a two-way contract.
The Kings are looking for some depth at the center position, and you never fully can count anything out in the NBA...