CEDAR PARK, Texas — The journey to the NBA can be taken along a number of paths. There’s the path Kobe and LeBron took — straight out of high school. There’s the path most traveled by — high school to college to pros. Then there’s the road Dominick Barlow is taking.
“In five years, hopefully I'll be on the NBA team in rotation, helping them win. That’s really my goal,” Barlow, an Austin Spurs forward, said.
Perfecting his game and encouragement from his inner circle is what’s paving the way.
“My coach just pushed me and gave me something to do, and I really started to focus on it. My senior year, that’s when I kind of started getting college offers,” he said.
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The search for his next home was underway. But home, after all, isn’t a place. It’s a feeling. And Dominick felt he needed to explore an alternative route by joining Overtime Elite for its inaugural season.
“When I first got there, the building wasn’t even built yet. So we were just practicing in some random gym. I was like, 'Damn, what the hell did I get myself into?”' said Dominick.
This new league, which is designed to help turn players pro, consists of three teams and 27 ballers who compete against each other and more young talent around the U.S.
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“We’re kind of just going on the fly because we didn’t even know what to do, for real. So we were just going, trying to find whoever wanted to play us and play each other. It was a lot of fun, I enjoyed it,” Dominick said.
Barlow hesitated on leaving the program after a year, but eligibility restrictions compelled him to declare for the 2022 NBA draft. That’s when the San Antonio Spurs came calling.
“All the qualities that Dom possesses is something that Spurs are looking in players when they are recruiting. He’s a hard worker, he’s a great teammate, he cares about his teammates, teams and wins. He’s very competitive, smart, and he fits perfectly,” said Austin Spurs head coach Petar Božić.
But before Dominick shares the same floor with Gregg Popovich and sports the Spurs threads, he’ll need to prove himself.
Joining other G League players required some minor adjustments.
“The guys at Overtime Elite are super talented. The guys here are a little bit older, a little bit stronger, been in the game a little bit longer, so just get used to it physically and just play a lot more games here,” said Dominick.
Coach Božić speaks highly of Barlow’s transition onto the Spurs.
“Dom showed significant improvement on the court in the previous few months. For him, first of all, the physicality level, his athleticism on the G League level was something he needed to adjust, and very fast, he found himself a position where he can be efficient and productive,” Coach Božić said.
In the end, it’s not about everything it took to reach your dreams. It’s about whether or not you reached them at all.
Dominick Barlow is on a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs this season to kick-start his professional career. This means he plays with the San Antonio team when they need him.