Khem Birch Had Unique Journey to the NBA

ORLANDO – A native of hockey hotbed, Montreal, and someone who made it to the NBA only after toiling in Turkey, Greece and the minor leagues, Orlando Magic center Khem Birch is often looked at as some sort of long shot just lucky to land on basketball’s grandest stage.

In all actuality, though, Birch was once the prized, blue-chip recruit who, as a teen, was considered to be one of the world’s best young players and someone eventually destined for NBA stardom.

But as Birch ultimately found out, life doesn’t always go according to plan. There were plenty of times – like when he depressingly went undrafted in 2014; when he was startled awake by the early-morning prayer chants in Turkey; when he…