Garrett Temple was ecstatic to talk to former LSU teammate Chris Johnson on Sunday after hearing the news of Johnson’s call up to the Portland Trail Blazers from the NBA D-League.
“If you would have been in my house when I was talking to Chris, you would have thought I would have gotten called up,” Temple said.
That’s exactly what happened one day later.
Temple, a guard for the Erie BayHawks, was called up Monday by the Milwaukee Bucks to join the team for a 10-day contract.
Temple was a four-year player for LSU, averaging 7.1 points and 4.5 assists as a senior from 2008-09.
Temple had just wrapped up a 28-point performance Saturday night against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
“My mom called me after the game and complained that they took away one of my 3-pointers,” Temple said. “I told her I guess it didn’t matter after the call up.”
Temple scored 14.4 points a night during his nine games with Erie, shooting 38.8 percent from 3-point range.
Tasmin Mitchell, another former LSU basketball leader, also plays for the BayHawks.
“I was able to go up there with Tasmin,” Temple said. “We’ve been playing well. I started getting my rhythm back.”
After the 10-day period, the Bucks can either sign him to another contract for 10 days or one for the rest of the year. If not, he will go back to the D-League.
“I just want to play, be a good teammate and work hard,” Temple said. “I’m looking forward to making an impression.”
The 6-foot-6-inch guard signed with the Houston Rockets in September of 2009, but ended up with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA D-League.
Later in the season he signed a 10-day contract with the Sacramento Kings and then a 10-day contract with the San Antonio Spurs before the Spurs locked him up for the rest of the season.
Temple said he was glad to hear about Johnson’s call up to the Blazers.
Johnson was averaging 17.2 points and 9.7 rebounds with the D-League’s Dakota Wizards.
“Defense in the NBA is a little better than the D-League,” Temple said on the advice he gave to Johnson. “But there’s a lot of talent in the D-League this year, more than last year.”
 
 
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Contact Michael Lambert at [email protected]