Heat's Beasley: 'To now be on a 10-day is definitely humbling'
Michael Beasley has journeyed through a roller coaster of a career since being selected No. 2 overall by the Miami Heat in the 2008 NBA Draft.
The 26-year-old forward is on his third stint with the Heat, with stops in Minnesota and Phoenix sandwiched between. He's been a starter on a playoff team, has averaged nearly 20 points per game on a lottery team, has amazed with his athleticism and disappointed with his immaturity, has made over $30 million as a pro and has had to move to China to find a team that really wanted him.
Now on his second 10-day contract with this season's version of the depleted Heat, that journey isn't lost on Beasley, who sounds more pensive than ever before.
"You’re talking to a No. 2 pick. One of the best players in college basketball. Not to toot my own horn, but to go from there to now be on a 10-day is definitely humbling," Beasley told the Washington Post's Michael Lee.
"They always say, it could be gone tomorrow. For me, it was gone. Twice."
As for Miami's decision not to sign Beasley after a solid statistical season last year that was reportedly marred by continued maturity issues, Beasley made no excuses.
"Was it frustrating? It was more frustrating when I came to terms that it was me," he said of last summer. "I can sit here and blame this guy or blame that guy, blame that situation, but once you come to terms with the common denominator of it all, I think that’s the frustrating part. You get over it, you continue to work and you move forward."
Beasley signed on with the CBA's Shanghai Sharks, where he spent the first chunk of the season before recently rejoining the Heat on a 10-day deal. He's averaging 10.5 points and 4.2 rebounds in just under 24 minutes per game through six contests with Miami.
If he can prove himself valuable to a team playing for their playoff lives down the stretch while earning Erik Spoelstra's trust and finally doing away with the questions surrounding him, Beasley is still talented enough to command suitors this summer.
Of course, until proven otherwise, those remain big ifs.