Let's be honest about this. Joel James isn't likely to be playing in the NBA next season. The odds are he never will. But then he knows all about long odds.
The odds were against him being on the Pacers' Summer League team. The odds were against him getting a scholarship to North Carolina. Some would say the odds were against him even living this long.
The 6-foot-11, 280-pound center out of North Carolina will fly with the rest of the current and prospective Pacers to Orlando on Friday for Summer League play. He won't play much, as Rakeem Christmas and Shayne Whittington will get most of the minutes at center, but he understands and accepts his place.