Still Grinding: Wesley Matthews shines for Dallas
Mavs guard climbs three-point charts
Dallas — Former Madison Memorial star Wesley Matthews didn’t have an easy road to his NBA career. Matthews led Memorial to the 2005 Wisconsin state championship, and he was named Mr. Basketball. After a solid career at Marquette, Matthews went undrafted in 2009.
“I was angry. Any possible negative emotion you could have. But I was determined,” Matthews said. “I felt like I belonged in this league. That’s how I attacked every night, every game. Ten years later, here I am.”
Matthews played all 82 games for the Jazz as a rookie free agent. He spent five years with the Blazers before signing with the Mavericks in 2015. He’s averaged 14 points per game in ten NBA seasons.
Mavericks teammate and former Badgers star Devin Harris was the fifth pick in the 2004 draft. He admires the way Matthews has been able to build such a successful NBA career.
“You can tell he plays with his emotions on his sleeve. He always plays with that type of fire,” Harris said. “Even when we weren’t teammates and playing against each one another he’s been a highly competitive guy, and I don’t think that’ll ever change in him.”
Matthews says he plays with a chip on his shoulder, and he’d play with one even if he’d been taken first in the draft “That’s how I always play. That’s how I was raised. Basketball, not basketball, I have an edge.”
Matthews was the second-fastest player in NBA history to make 1,000 three-pointers- topped only by Steph Curry. His 1,498 threes rank 31st on the all-time list.
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