Since going undrafted out of LSU in 2009, Garrett Temple has carved out a decade-long NBA career with the Rockets, Kings, Spurs, Bucks, Bobcats, Wizards, Kings again, Grizzlies, Clippers and now Nets. Just five other active undrafted players – Udonis Haslem, J.J. Barea, Anthony Tolliver, Wesley Matthews and Ish Smith – have played so long in the NBA. It’s impressive perseverance.
But Temple is 33. His playing career won’t last forever.
So, he’s spending the NBA’s coronavirus hiatus preparing for his next step.
YES Network:
Temple:
I’ve actually started practicing for the LSAT prep. I’m a person that’s thought about going to law school when I’m finished playing, and what’s a better time than now to be able to put in three, four hours a day of studying for a test that allows me to get into law school? So, that’s what I’m doing right now.
Honestly, I’ve thought about it over the past three years, probably. My dad kind of put a seed in my head. I was thinking more MBA. I have my undergrad degree in business, so I was thinking more MBA. And my dad was telling me law school is something that’s pretty prestigious, having a law degree and just teaches you to think in a different way. And I’ve always been a pretty big-time debater. I’m very literal. So, when I get into arguments, I’m a type of person that you probably just want to stop arguing with me, because I’m going to nitpick every single thing that you said. And then getting into the space of watching that movie “Just Mercy” and talking to Bryan Stevenson and having a conversation with him and a few other lawyers that I admire, just understanding how much of an impact you can with a law degree in a lot of different ways. You don’t even necessarily have to practice law. But just having that knowledge is something that intrigues me.
How persuasive is Temple? He was a finalist for Teammate of the Year in the same season he got into a locker-room fight with a teammate.
