Swarm and Sting
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Former Five-Star Prospect Looks to Right His Career With the Greensboro Swarm

By Jerry Stephens

Apr 25, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Enter the Swarm shirts lay on the seats prior to the game between the Charlotte Hornets and the Miami Heat in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 25, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Enter the Swarm shirts lay on the seats prior to the game between the Charlotte Hornets and the Miami Heat in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /
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After many stumbles in his career, former five-star prospect, Keala King, is looking to make the most of his opportunity with the Greensboro Swarm.

The Charlotte Hornets‘ D-League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, have finalized their roster for the upcoming season and there are a few interesting names on the team. With former professionals, rookies, and returning D-League players on the squad, it is a great mixture of talent and experience. The most intriguing name is Keala King, who the team took in the fifth round of the 2016 NBA Developmental League Draft.

Many may not have heard of King but at one time, he was a top, five-star recruit coming out of high school. A promising career never quite panned out and after some bumps in the road, Keala bounced around playing around the world. Now in Greensboro with the Swarm, this may be his last shot but it could be the only chance he needs to prove himself.

After a stellar career at Mater Dei High School, a premier basketball school, Keala had his choice of great college programs to join. He had offers from Arizona, Kentucky, California, Stanford, and Arizona State. He chose to play for the Sun Devils but after one and half seasons, he was dismissed from the team.

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The official reason was “unacceptable conduct” but there were reports of broken promises from the coaching staff and clashing minds between King and the head coach. He was enjoying a great season at the time as he was Arizona State’s leading scorer (13.6 PPG) during his sophomore season. Whatever the reason was, Keala transferred and played his junior year at Long Beach State.

After averaging 9.7 points per game, 4.8 rebounds per game, and 2.8 assists per game, King wasn’t brought back to the program the following year. He instead played for Pikeville (Kentucky) for his senior season. According to Real GM, he went undrafted in the 2014 NBA Draft, as expected, and a once promising career seemed to be at an end.

Rather than being the end, it was merely the beginning. Keala played professionally in Spain with Agustinos Eras. Most recently, he has played for Blackwater in the Philippines. After bouncing around from team to team over the past five plus years, King is now with the Greensboro Swarm and looking to stick with the D-League squad. This is the closest that he has ever been to the NBA in his career.

The 6’5 combo guard was highly touted for his ability to create his own shot and offensive skill with passing the ball as well. He is a scorer by nature but has since improved his game to be much more than that. The lefty drew comparisons to that of James Harden during the pinnacle of his hype. Although he isn’t a great shooter, he can get to the basket with his height and strength.

At 25-years old, King still has time to develop his game. He is still a rough prospect but the talent is there. The coaching and playing time he will receive with the Swarm should help him continue to grow. He hasn’t played against top-level talent in some time so it will be interesting to see how Keala competes with fellow D-League players.

Although the odds are against him to ever play for the Charlotte Hornets or in the NBA, stranger things have happened. Just look at Jonathon Simmons of the San Antonio Spurs who has become a key contributor after trying out for their D-League team a few years ago.

The 2016-17 D-League season will be the inaugural season for the Swarm. The Charlotte Hornets’ organization has put plenty of time and effort into setting up their D-League affiliate and with Noel Gillispie as the head coach, a stable environment is set up for players to succeed.

Next: Hornets Making a Habit of Comeback Performances

No one knows how this experiment in the D-League will go with Keala King and the Greensboro Swarm but we will be keeping a close eye on the situation. The once highly touted prospect is finally getting a shot close to the NBA. He now has a chance to right his career after years of turbulence.

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