Two-way contracts have given fringe NBA players a chance to prove they can play at the highest level, but ask them to live in two worlds at once
According to the rules of physics, a body can’t be in two places at once. But some of today’s NBA players are attempting to prove that scientific maxim false. Yes, the subsection of pro basketball players on “two-way” contracts often feel as if they are in multiple places at any single given moment, stretched between different rosters, playing styles, positions, playbooks and cities. But such is the life of a two-way athlete, someone who is walking a dual-pronged path, while also trying to find a permanent home in the league of milk, honey and millionaires. But how do these guys navigate this unique lifestyle and what does it take to succeed?
“Every day,” the Detroit Pistons’ Jared Rhoden tells the Guardian, “you never know where you’re going to be or what’s going to happen. What your role will be, what position [you’ll play]. It’s about staying ready for anything.”
