EXCLUSIVE: Nate Hinton 'Feels Great' About Returning To Houston For Rockets Summer League
HOUSTON — A Sunday afternoon in March 2020 was the final time Nate Hinton had a chance to represent Houston on the hardwood floor.
With 13 points, five rebounds and four steals, Hinton helped the Houston Cougars clinch their second consecutive American Athletic Conference regular-season title in a 64-57 victory over the Memphis Tigers inside the Fertitta Center. Four days later, the Cougars' season ended abruptly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hinton declared for the 2020 NBA Draft a month after his final collegiate game, and his basketball career has taken him from Dallas to Cleveland over the previous three years.
Hinton will return to one of his previous stops in July for his third Summer League tournament. But, for the first time since leading the Cougars to the AAC regular season championship title. Hinton will have another opportunity to represent the city, but this time as a member of the Houston Rockets.
"I feel great, it's definitely a blessing," Hinton said. "Any time you get an opportunity to have Houston across your chest, it's a great feeling, especially with the love I have for the University of Houston and the city."
The Rockets will feature Hinton as part of their NBA 2K24 Summer League roster. His goal is to continue building upon the foundation that has led to 23 career games played between the Dallas Mavericks and Indiana Pacers.
Hinton says his top priority with the Rockets is to compete. He still possesses the same passion and defensive intensity that prompted second-team All-AAC honors in 2020. But Hinton said consistency and his 3-point shooting had been some of his most significant developments since college.
Hinton believes his most prominent growth has been his skill set as a three-level scorer who doesn't get a lot of plays.
In 27 games played for the Cleveland Cavaliers' G League affiliated team, the Cleveland Charge, Hinton averaged 13.0 points on .464/.383/.790 shooting splits, 6.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals.
His best game came while playing for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. He scored a career-best 36 points on 66.7 percent shooting, eight rebounds and three steals in the Mad Ants' loss to the Lakeland Magic in March 2022.
Hinton credits his two-year stint at U of H for his success on the pro level. The lessons learned under the stewardship of coach Kelvin Sampson are still relevant to Hinton.
"Coach Kelvin Sampson, if he sees you at your best, he is pushing to get the best out of you every single day," Hinton said. "It made me realize, this is where I need to be for success at the professional level. Some of the things he has taught us when it comes to [hard work] and staying consistent have been valuable lessons."
From past experiences, preparation is the main objective for Hinton when it comes to having a successful showcase in Las Vegas. He treats the 10-day tournament as a mid-season stint to compete at the highest level.
Hinton has spent his summer league practices training alongside Rockets rookies Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore. He described Houston's rookie prospects as "great." The time spent developing on-court chemistry has Hinton excited to hit the floor in Las Vegas to play alongside Thomson and Whitmore.
The Rockets will open their NBA 2K24 Summer League schedule on July 7 against Scoot Henderson and the Portland Trail Blazers inside the Thomas & Mack Center. But Hinton is stoked about Houston's July 9 match against the Detroit Pistons — similar to the consensus.
But, instead of getting excited about the first professional battle between the Thompson Twins. Hinton is looking forward to a contest against his former University of Houston teammate, Marcus Sasser.
Sasser was a freshman who played as the Cougars' sixth man during the 2019-20 campaign. On the last game of the season, he started in the backcourt next to Hinton to help Houston end their regular season on a championship note.
Hinton said it's been "surreal" to witness Sasser's transformation from a college freshman to a first-round draft pick. Playing against Sasser in Las Vegas will evoke memories of team scrimmages inside the Fertitta Center as teammates in Houston.
"It's going to be red team versus white team just like the old days — the competition is going to be fun," Hinton said. "This opportunity is going to be a continuation of my growth and development. I'm at the step where this can take me to the next level. I feel blessed about this opportunity."
You can follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24
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