Four years ago, Keita Bates-Diop was sitting on the bench at Ohio State waiting for his chance to show what he could do. Earlier this year he found himself in a similar position. Bates-Diop’s NBA career was never a sure thing, but watch the Wolves play or take a glance at the box scores of their last few games and Bates-Diop’s impact is impossible to miss. He’s here now, and he’s not going anywhere.
When thinking about Bates-Diop’s NBA journey, one thing sticks out—he has never stopped working. He worked himself into a leading role at Ohio State, eventually winning Big Ten Player of the Year, and now he’s in the process of working himself from a second-round pick sitting at the end of the Wolves’ bench into a key contributor for Minnesota.