Nova Scotia’s Nate Darling makes the jump to the NBA
Darling signs with Charlotte Hornets after going undrafted
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Brandon Brown (left) and Nate Darling (right) working on handling the ball at the Sexton Memorial Gymnasium in Halifax.Nate Darling has signed a two-way deal with the Charlotte Hornets after going undrafted in the National Basketball Association (NBA) draft.
The two-way deal will allow the Nova Scotian to play with Charlotte and the NBA G League’s Greensboro Swarm, the Hornets’ affiliate team. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news on Twitter early Thursday morning following the NBA draft Wednesday night.
According to Darling’s trainer, it was his hard work and dedication that put him in that position.
“I never made Nate Darling; Nate Darling made himself,” Brandon Brown said in an interview.
“There were so many hours and days where Nate was grinding by himself in the gym.”
Hailing from Bedford, N.S., Darling is a former Basketball Nova Scotia star. In 2017, He represented Team Canada at the U19 FIBA World Cup in Cairo, Egypt where the team won its first ever gold medal in that category.
Darling, 22, started his college career at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, but after two seasons, he decided to transfer to the University of Delaware in 2018. He was forced to sit out a year due to the NCAA regulations, but had an opportunity to showcase his talent in the 2019-2020 season.
With the Blue Hens, Darling averaged 21 points per game while shooting 39.9 per cent from the three-point line. Following the end of the season, he announced on his Instagram that he will be entering the 2020 NBA draft.
Congrats @natedarling14 on signing a two-way contract with the Charlotte Hornets!#BlueHens pic.twitter.com/UW5vqaJTe3
— Delaware Men’s Basketball (@DelawareMBB) November 19, 2020
His skill translated to the court. Last year, with the Blue Hens, Darling set the single season school record in most three-pointers made, with 107.
Brown started training with Darling in 2009.
“He was just another little kid that I looked at and wanted to help,” Brown said.
Every year, Darling and Brown spend their summers training and developing dribbling and shooting skills.
Brown and Darling have developed a relationship that goes beyond basketball: the two talk to each other almost every day. Whether it’s about basketball or anything else, Brown is appreciative of the relationship he built with Darling.
With this opportunity, Brown believes that Darling will thrive and continue to work hard.
“All he needs is one chance and he can do the rest,” he said.
Darling’s role with the Hornets is uncertain, but if he gets that chance, Brown said Darling’s shooting ability will allow him to create space on the floor and knock down shots from the perimeter and the three-point line.