Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Spurs Season-In-Review: Gorgui Dieng 'Big Boost' to San Antonio
San Antonio Spurs center Gorgui Dieng was never supposed to play in the NBA.
Coming from Senegal, Dieng did not have access to the resources that other prospects had, and he wasn't even sure of how first discovered his love for the sport through the league's "Basketball Without Borders" program, in which the center was able to join others in his homeland in playing basketball, some for the first time ever.
"Life is like a circle," Dieng said. "Everything comes back, [and] for me, it clicked when I went to Basketball Without Borders. When I was there, I [saw] players like Dwight Howard, Dirk Nowitzki, and I thought: 'If they can make it to the NBA, why not me?'"
From that point on, Dieng practiced basketball as often as he could, and worked his way into the league, where was drafted by the Utah Jazz in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft.
He had finally made it.
In his 12-year career, the near 7-footer has averaged 7.3 points and 5.6 rebounds on 49.6 shooting percentage. His height gives him a clear advantage over defenders, which has been key for his time in San Antonio.
And especially this season, while the Spurs focused primarily on developing their young players, his experience helped the team off the court as well.
"He's probably been the best vet I've had," Spurs rookie Malaki Branham said. "Especially in my rookie season. He's been through a lot, and him just being in the locker room, you can [tell] when he's [not there]. He's a big boost to our team."
But it wasn't just the players who recognized Dieng's impact.
"Gorgui is our veteran," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "He's a great teammate. Everybody responds to him, and he commands respect. Great sense of humor, [but] when he speaks, he says things that matter, so he's been really good."
Dieng gave advice and provided an experienced point of view on the game for his teammates, and despite only playing 31 games, he made his mark on the Spurs in his second stint with them, averaging 3.9 points and 3.5 rebounds.
The 33-year-old's best performance came near the end of the season, when the Spurs lost to the Golden State Warriors in late March. Dieng tallied a double-double to mark the 70th of his career, and hit four 3-pointers in the process.
Popovich has already named Zach Collins the team's starting center for next season, and Dieng was on a one-year deal, so the writing may be on the wall regarding his continued presence in San Antonio, but his veteran leadership has proven to be important for the Spurs' younger players, putting him on the list of players to re-sign ahead of next season.
Either way, Dieng's impact is undeniable, whether it be on the court, off the court or even out of the country. His passion for the game proved itself, and will continue to do so, should he make a return for his 13th NBA season.
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