'A tremendous individual': Edmonton basketball player signs professional contract

As Denzel James preparesfor his first season of professional basketball in Canada's National Basketball League, he remains humbled byone of his lowest moments as a player.

His first semester playing basketball for the MacEwan University Griffins was going welluntil his season was cut short, just nine games in.

It wasn't an injury it was his grades.

"I was putting up pretty good numbers.I kind of let it go to my head, slacked off," James said. "I couldn't play second semester."

James didn't meet the minimum grade requirement to continue playing basketball in his second semester. His plan to transfer to the University of Alberta, aschool withnational and international reach, was derailed.

He was subject to scrutiny in the student newspaper at the time, portrayed as the face ofathletes who didn't focus on the university part of university basketball.

"It basically said I wasn't smart enough or good enough to play at that level," James said. His coach fought hard to remove the article, but James didn't.

"I requested to keep the paper, and I've had it ever since," he said.

Five years later, the 23-year-old is not only the all-time leading scorer in MacEwanUniversity basketball history he's one of 12 players on the Kitchener-Waterloo Titans, set to fulfill his lifelong dream of playing professional basketball.

Playing pro 'a dream'

The six-foot-three shooting guardwho also played small forward during his five years with MacEwan will play his first pro game against the Windsor Express on Nov. 18.

"It's been a dream of mine," James said. "I can't even remember a time where I didn't want to play pro."

Born inPreston, U.K., James moved to Alberta at a young age and picked up basketball when he was seven years old. "My mom was my first coach," he said.

His two older brothers were well-known in Alberta basketball. One of them played basketball for MacEwan, and James wanted to follow in his footsteps.

James took the time away from his rookie season to refocus his attention on both athletics and academics, reminding himself of his ultimate goal: to play pro.

MacEwan head coachEric Magdanzsaid he and his coaching staff stepped up to help make that happen.

"We began working with him right then to make sure he had the skills necessary to do that," Magdanz said.

Magdanz has seen many players with similar potential take their careers to the next level. What set James apartwas his passion for the game, he said.

"You could tell right from the start that Denzel was a guy who loved basketball," Magdanz said.

In James' third year, MacEwan University made the jump fromcollegiate basketball to university-level, leading to a spikein talent level. He responded by shooting a career-high 41 per cent from three-point range.

James' athleticism and ability to score multiple waysmakes him an ideal candidate for the direction the sport is heading, Magdanz said.

"He doesn't have to be pigeonholed into a singular role," Magdanz said.

Working on his shot

James is back in the gym just days after signing his first professional contract. He's working on improving his court vision, which will be important when the Titans have him play point guard this season.

Titans coach Serge Langisfirst noticed James'versatility on the stat sheet James would rack up points, assists, rebounds, steals and blocks in almost every game with MacEwan and his thoughts were reaffirmed when he saw him in person.

"He's a tremendous individual," Langis said. "Everything that was advertised about him, with respect to his basketball ability, was very evident.

"But what really impressed me was his character."

Langissaid the other players are already feeding off the rookie's energy, pushing them in practice.

"He's going to make you look bad if you're going to cut a corner. And he doesn't care," Langis said.

Langis said the rookie will be easedinto the rotation, which will help him get up to speed of the NBL. Healready trusts James as a lock-down defender, but saidhe needs to work on bringing his shooting arc a little lower.

"It takes a little bit too long to get it off," Langis said."He's got a slow release."

James'shooting percentages willbe lower than they were in university basketball because of that, Langisguessed.

But that doesn't mean James can't score his ability to get to the rim will be a primary focus going forward.

"I think he's got a very, very high ceiling," Langis said.

'I deserve this'

A professional contract is like any other job in that James knowshe could get cut at any time. He hasn't thought about what would come next if that were to happen.

"I don't think like that," he said. "I don't plan for the worst.

"I work my ass off to the point where I'm confident that I will be one of those 12 guys [on the team]."

James isfocused on his upcoming season with the Titans, but he always has his eye on something bigger like playing in Europe.

He almost tried out for the Glasgow Rocks of the British Basketball League, but the team pulled their offer after James dislocated his shoulder. Still, at just 23, James may look across the pond.

Or, he may not.

"There will be a lot of different opportunities that will be available to him and he'll just have to figure out what's best for him and his life at this time," Magdanzsaid.

"The hardest path to forge is the one that you have to create yourself. If he can do that, this pro thing will be easy for him."

Although James has exceeded his childhood goal of beingwell-known in Alberta basketball circles, he's done following in anyone's else's footsteps.

"I work hard enough to the point where I think that I deserve this," James said. "As long as I keep working."