According to Florence native Carlos Powell's Twitter page, @CarlosPowell7, he is leaving the NBA Development League for a pro team in China soon. And his final appearance in the D-League was in the Albuquerque Thunderbirds' 102-97 loss to the Bakersfield Jam on Tuesday night.
And it likely was a memorable performance for Powell - and not just because it was his last with Albuquerque. He nearly had a triple-double, with 18 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. Down 3 with nine seconds left, Powell had a chance to tie the game - and extend his stay by a few minutes - but missed a 3-pointer that would have tied it.
He posted on Twitter and Facebook after the game: "Well my last game
didn't go as planned but it was a Blessing playin with these guys but
the Lord has a different plan for me...Got Faith!!"
Powell indicated earlier on his Twitter page that the move was a "business" decision.
Powell, a former Wilson High School and South Carolina standout, has often been mentioned on the D-League's Web site - including Monday's report - and other Web sites as a potential NBA call-up. However, up to this point the forward has not gotten the call. Powell made the D-League All-Star game earlier this month and was eighth in the league with a 22.2 point per game average as of Tuesday.
Dime Magazine recently called it "mind-boggling" that Powell hasn't been called up by the Miami Heat or Dallas Mavericks, whom the Thunderbirds are an affiliate to.
This is the second time Powell has left the D-League to play overseas. He played in the D-League in the 2007-08 season before leaving to play professionally in South Korea. Powell returned to the D-League before the start of this season after being picked No. 1 in the 2009 D-League draft. Before the draft Powell said he was considering going overseas, but he eventually decided to give the D-League another shot after putting himself on the NBA radar by playing on the Phoenix Suns' summer league team.
It is widely known in basketball circles that NBDL-level players can generally earn much more money overseas. However, being in the D-League and a star like Powell also means the player is just one step from getting to the NBA. Hence, "business" decision.
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