Continuing our pre-season countdown segment, we now find ourselves with only 3 days remaining until tip-off. The last couple of days have taken us back in time to look at some popular former Mavericks, but today we will be bringing in a fresh face. Playing #3 for the 2013-2014 Dallas Mavericks, and hopefully for many more years to come, Shane Larkin.
If the last name sounds familiar, it probably should. He is the son of Major League Baseball legend, Barry Larkin. His father was shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds, and you can now find him in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. Shane obviously gets his athletic ability from his father, and so do the rest of his siblings. Coming from a very athletic and sports infused family, Shane’s passion for baseball almost got in the way of basketball. While I’m sure it was his Dad’s dream for him to play professional baseball, Shane’s dreams led him onto the hard court.
Shane originally committed to Depaul University, but never played a game, ultimately leading to him heading the University of Miami. Despite only being a Freshmen, he became the starting point guard after only a few months. He ended up finishing the season on the All-ACC Freshmen Team.
His 2nd season with the Hurricanes was his stand out year. The University of Miami would go on to have one of their most successful seasons in the history of their basketball program. Shane led the Hurricanes to their 1st ever ACC Championship, and even led them to the Sweet 16 in March. He was also named the ACC Player of the Year.
Shane declared for the 2013 NBA Draft after his sophomore season was over. He came into the NBA combine in undersized point guard, but what Shane lacks in size, he makes up for in athleticism, speed, and determination. He has a hunger for winning that is undoubtedly in thanks to his father. He knew he had to make an impact at the Draft Combine, and he did just that. He impressed all the scouts with this vertical leap of 44″, which went down as the 2nd highest in the history of the combine. Not only did he show his jumping ability, he was also the fastest player at the combine as well. He started drawing comparisons to Denver Nuggets point guard, Ty Lawson.
On draft night, Shane was the 18th pick of the Atlanta Hawks. His tenure as a Hawk was short lived when the Dallas Mavericks traded for the rights to Larkin, a move that should pay huge dividends for the future.
Now a Dallas Maverick, Shane headed to the NBA Summer League, which was shortened when he broke his ankle during a team practice. He is now recovering and working out under a limited regimen with the Mavericks during their training camp. Once recovered, he will have to once again prove all the doubters wrong. The Mavericks have plenty of point guards on the roster, so playing time will be hard to get. The Mavericks expect Shane’s determination to be a big factor in him grabbing a spot sooner rather than later. If you haven’t figured it out by now, Shane doesn’t give in to those who do the doubting.
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