Ames Still Home For NBA's Mike Taylor

AMES, Iowa- Mike Taylor's route to the NBA wasn't the most conventional method. After spending a season in the NBDL in 2007-08, the former Cyclone star became the first player in NBA history to be drafted out of the minor league in the 2008 NBA Draft.

Taylor was picked by the Portland Trailblazers in the second round, but was traded later in the evening to the Los Angeles Clippers. The rookie made the final cut and recently finished his first season in the “Show,” averaging 5.7 points while playing in 51 games.

The Milwaukee, Wis., native, who is back in Ames for a couple of days visiting friends, has a permanent smile on his face these days. It's a smile of someone who just accomplished a dream.

“Living in L.A. is so much fun,” Taylor said. “I like being there. It is a relaxed environment and I can wake up everyday wearing flip flops, shorts and whatever I feel like and I'll be fine.”

Taylor would admit his year scrapping in the NBDL was a blessing in disguise. The sharpshooting guard wound up in the D-League after playing one season with the Cyclones in 2006-07, where he led the team in scoring (16.0 ppg) and earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors.

Life isn't easy in the NBDL, but Taylor needed a year to grow as a player and person.

“It was definitely a grind,” Taylor said. “Chasing your dream is a hard thing and fighting adversity is always something I have been used to doing. It was great for me and I took the opportunity as my second chance. I knew what things I needed to work on with my character and personality. It allowed me to let my basketball talent to take over.”

His hard work and effort has allowed Taylor to realize his ultimate goal. He's now teammates with Baron Davis, Cuttino Mobley and Jason Hart, and he goes head-to-head with NBA stars Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul and LeBron James.

“The transition wasn't easy,” Taylor said. “Playing in the D-League the year before helped me in a tremendous way to prepare for the NBA. Offensively, running the NBA offense and sets helped me out a lot. Being around guys like Baron Davis and Cuttino Mobley has made the transition even easier.”

Taylor was primarily a reserve in his rookie season with the Clippers. A wrist injury in the first part of the season kept him out of the lineup for awhile. His minutes picked up later in the year, when he poured in a career-high 35 points against the New York Knicks.

He gained instant fame in March when his monster dunk against the Memphis Grizzlies was No. 1 on ESPN's SportsCenter's Top-10 Plays of the Day.

“After the game, I did not know it had made SportsCenter,” Taylor said. “As soon as I got done showering and picked up my phone, I had 30-plus text messages about making the top play. It was a great moment.”

With a year in the NBA under his belt, Taylor knows what it takes to make it to the next level. Cyclone star Craig Brackins regularly asked Taylor for his advice when it came down to his decision whether to stay at Iowa State or test the NBA waters.

“I talk with Craig all the time and I talked with him a lot right before he was going to make his choice,” Taylor said. “I told him he had the game to play at this level and just told him to do what he wanted to do. I suggested to him to not listen to all the hype and what is on the internet, because you can go from the 12th pick in the draft to the 40th pick overnight. Iowa State is a great place and I think he made the right choice.”

Taylor learned a lot in his one season with the Cyclones. He has no regrets and will always remember playing in front of a packed Hilton Coliseum crowd.

“If I could do it all over again, I would want to be here (Iowa State),” Taylor reflected. “I was immature and I accept all the mistakes I made. Everybody makes mistakes, nobody is perfect. Learning from your mistakes is the key to not making the same mistakes in the future. I loved my time here at ISU. The fans were great. There was nothing like the feeling I felt when we played Kansas and took them to overtime. We were coming out of a timeout and I could feel the floor shaking. There is nothing that can match that feeling.”

Players Mentioned

Craig Brackins

Craig Brackins

Craig Brackins

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