Winthrop standout Jimmy Gavin to play in NBA Summer League with Orlando Magic

Winthrop hoops standout Jimmy Gavin will play with the Orlando Magic in the 2016 NBA Summer League.

“I’m both grateful and excited to join the Orlando Magic for summer league,” Gavin said in a release from the school. “I feel prepared knowing that this opportunity is not one that came easily, but something I have earned through hard work and persistence. I’m ready to go in, compete and learn as much as possible.”

Gavin was a revelation in his one season of NCAA Division I basketball, scoring 18.7 points per game, shooting 41 percent from 3-point range, leading Winthrop in assists and earning first team Big South All-Conference honors. Gavin worked out with the Golden State Warriors and the Magic in the lead-up to Thursday’s NBA Draft, but he was not selected during the two rounds.

Ahead of the draft Gavin tweeted:

“Thank you to all the people and franchises that gave me looks and invested in me over the past few months.

“Every chapter has taught me a new lesson. None greater than the power of faith and believing in yourself.”

Gavin didn’t play high school basketball because of crippling Crohn’s Disease symptoms, but he finally wrestled his illness under control and walked-on at Bradley University. He transferred to Division II Wisconsin-Parkside and played two standout seasons there before finishing his college eligibility with one season in Rock Hill.

Read more about Gavin’s journey here.

"Jimmy Gavin's greatest gift in my opinion is his will,” Winthrop head coach Pat Kelsey said. “I've said it many times: don't bet against him. I can't tell you what his exact path will be but his story is just beginning. If he makes it I will be the least surprised person on Earth. Jimmy can play. The game is still relatively new to him. He is only going to get better."

After the draft, The Sporting News’ Sean Devenney posted on Twitter that Gavin would join the Magic this summer. The NBA Summer League’s Orlando session runs July 2 through July 8, with teams, including the Charlotte Hornets, playing five games in seven days. Games are televised on NBA TV, and OrlandoMagic.com runs box scores and information from the games.

This story was originally published June 24, 2016 at 10:13 AM with the headline "Winthrop standout Jimmy Gavin to play in NBA Summer League with Orlando Magic."