AUBURN HILLS – Darius Bazley’s trail is one never taken, but it appears he’s blazed it unerringly.
A year ago Bazley was ticketed for Syracuse as a five-star forward out of Cincinnati when it was announced he would bypass college to play in the G League. That would have been unusual enough. What came next was unprecedented: a deal with shoe maker New Balance to spend a year interning for the company while preparing for the 2019 NBA draft.
“I learned a lot about shoes, but it benefited me in ways that are going to help me in life and with basketball,” he said Tuesday after a workout for the Pistons.