Tyler's winding road to Knicks workout
GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Jeremy Tyler has been through a lot as a 19-year-old aspiring to be a professional basketball player.
For those who need a refresher, Tyler, who was part of a pre-draft workout for the Knicks at the MSG Training Center Monday, made the controversial decision to leave San Diego High School after his junior year in 2009 to embark on a pro basketball career overseas.
The experience certainly wasn't a positive one initially for the 6-11, 255-pound center, who quit his first team, Maccabi Haifa of Israel, with two months left in the season.
Tyler went back overseas the next season and played with Tokyo Apache of Japan's pro league under former Knicks coach Bob Hill. Tyler called it a "great learning experience" to play under Hill.
"He's been everything I can possibly want in a mentor, a coach and a father figure," Tyler said Monday. "I was [in Japan] by myself."
Tyler improved his game in Japan and averaged 9.9 points and 6.4 rebounds in just 15 minutes per game, but his season was cut short by the earthquake in March.
"It's unimaginable," Tyler said. "It was something I've never seen before in my life."
Tyler couldn't get past the devastation caused by the earthquake and left Japan a week later.
Said Tyler: "We had a couple of team meetings. We kind of thought everything was going to settle down and get back to normal. The aftershocks were just too big and the radiation and all of that stuff . . . Coach said he feels uncomfortable playing a fun sport in a country where thousands of people are losing their families."
Tyler said he has no regrets leaving high school early.
"If I could 10 times again I would," Tyler said. "I feel like I wouldn't be who I am now if I didn't make that decision. Everything happens for a reason."
Butler's Shelvin Mack and Duke's Nolan Smith also worked out for the Knicks Monday. With Chauncey Billups in the last year of his deal, the Knicks are in the market for a point guard.
Mack, who helped lead Butler to two straight national championship games, believes his success at Butler could give him a leg up.
"I think my resume speaks for itself," Mack said. "I won a lot of games, but not just college basketball, high school and AAU, but also with FIBA. I won a gold medal with the USA team."
Smith is hoping to prove to the Knicks and the rest of the NBA that he can play point guard. Smith played mostly shooting guard for the Blue Devils until last season when he moved to the point after freshman sensation Kyrie Irving was injured.
"I showed it when Kyrie was out this year," Smith said. "I'm going to continue to show I can develop that part of my game and be a good point guard for a team."
