Nerlens Noel isn’t supposed to be here.
He went from being the short kid who always got picked last in pickup basketball, to the number one player in the country while at the Tilton School, to suffering a career-altering injury while a top pro prospect in college, to playing for three different NBA teams throughout his seven year career.
Only the mentally strong can get through those ups and downs. But Noel did it in stride. Now, the 6-foot-10 center has found solace as a member of a team he almost didn’t even re-sign with: the Oklahoma City Thunder.