Nobody makes it to the NBA without going the extra mile.
When Greivis Vasquez was 17 years old, he traveled nearly 3,750 miles in pursuit of a dream. Eleven years later, the Milwaukee Bucks guard is in his sixth NBA season.
“I’m living the dream, man,” Vasquez said as he laced up his sneakers for yet another journey into a reality that once seemed so very distant. “I dreamed about being on an NBA team. Now I’m not only on an NBA team, but I’m being coached by Jason Kidd. I embrace that.
“I am so blessed and so thankful. I can tell all the kids out there that dreams actually do come true if you work hard, stay disciplined and do the right things when nobody’s watching.
“I’m proof of that.”
Vasquez’s dream originated in his hometown of Caracas, Venezuela, where his father, Gregorio, and his mother, Ivis, combined their names to form his.
Baseball is the dominant sport of choice in Venezuela, but Vasquez favored basketball at an early age. He embraced the opportunity of a lifetime in 2004 and still hasn’t let go.
Vasquez made the trek of nearly 1,750 miles to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to participate in a Basketball Without Borders camp.
Basketball Without Borders, since its inception in 2001, has provided instructional youth camps designed to promote friendship, healthy living and education through sport.
Participants from more than 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean were chosen for their basketball skills, leadership abilities and dedication to basketball by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) in conjunction with participating basketball federations.
The NBA and FIBA donate basketballs, rims and nets to help make the camps happen.
Vasquez’s venture into a foreign land and his camp experience could have proven overwhelming. Instead, he was enthralled.
“When you come from a hometown or a country where there aren’t a lot of resources, you don’t care,” Vasquez said. “You just want to go and play. When I went to Basketball Without Borders, I saw Leandro Barbosa, Nene and a number of other NBA players, coaches and general managers.
“I thought, ‘Wow! This is so cool!’ That was the best I’d seen at that time. I thought, ‘This is my opportunity to find a chance for myself and be somebody.’”
Vasquez didn’t let his opportunity pass him by. He developed a bond with his camp coach, Masai Ujiri, who was scouting for the Denver Nuggets at the time.
Ujiri, who became the Nuggets’ executive vice president of basketball operations, was named NBA Executive of the Year for 2012-13 before being hired as general manager of the Toronto Raptors in May of 2013.
During the same year in which Vasquez met Ujiri, he found himself in another new country -- the United States of America.
“Masai Ujiri was the guy who basically discovered me and put in a word for me with a few high schools,” Vasquez said. “I went to Montrose Christian School (in Rockville, Md.), to play for Stu Vetter and David Adkins, who’s now an assistant coach with the Washington Wizards. Stu Vetter really became my stepfather. He did such a great job, along with the whole school.”
Montrose Christian went 43-5 during Vasquez’s two seasons on the team. During Vasquez’s senior year, he and a teammate by the name of Kevin Durant led the Mustangs to the top ranking in the USA Today Super 25 poll.
Vasquez’s next move was much shorter than his previous one.
“From Montrose I went to the University of Maryland to play for Gary Williams and Rob Ehsan,” he said. “Those were four great years of my life.
“Eleven years ago, I couldn’t speak any English at all. I’ve learned to speak two languages, and I got my degree.”
Vasquez averaged 16.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.4 steals in 136 career games for the Terrapins and became the first player in ACC history to compile at least 2,000 points, 700 assists and 600 rebounds for his career.
He averaged 19.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 6.3 assists as a senior and won the Bob Cousy Award, presented to the nation’s top collegiate point guard.
He was named a First-Team All-American by The Sporting News and currently ranks second in Maryland history in points (2,171), assists (772) and 3-pointers made (230).
Vasquez was selected by Memphis in the first round of the 2010 NBA Draft with the 28th overall pick. He averaged 3.6 points and 2.2 assists in 12.3 minutes in 70 contests with the Grizzlies in 2010-11 before being dealt to the New Orleans Hornets for forward Quincy Pondexter on Dec. 24, 2011.
He upped his numbers to 8.9 points and 5.4 assists in 66 games with New Orleans in 2011-12 and wound up 20th in the NBA in assists despite making only 26 starts.
Vasquez led the entire NBA in assists with 704 during his second season with New Orleans and averaged career highs of 13.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 9.0 assists. He set single-game career highs of 27 points and 16 assists and achieved his first NBA triple-double with 21 points, 12 assists and career-high tying 11 rebounds on Feb. 8 at Atlanta.
Vasquez was acquired by the Sacramento Kings in a three-team trade July 10, 2013, then was subsequently dealt along with Chuck Hayes, John Salmons and Patrick Patterson to the Toronto Raptors for Quincy Ace, Rudy Gay and Aaron Gray on Dec. 9, 2013.
Vasquez set career highs of 82 games and 133 treys during the 2014-15 season with the Raptors. He averaged 9.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists, and sank a career-best 37.9 percent of his shots from long range.
Milwaukee acquired Vasquez on June 25, 2015, in exchange for the 46th selection in the 2015 NBA Draft (Norman Powell) and a protected 2017 first-round pick.
He has enjoyed his first few months with the Bucks.
“So far, so good,” he said. “I’m having a great time with this team. We’re putting in a lot of work and doing really well. We have a young team of great guys in the locker room -- guys who want to listen and guys who want to work. I identify myself with that.”
Vasquez wants to do whatever he can to benefit the Bucks with his veteran savvy.
“It is a transition for me,” he said. “You have to pick your spots and know when to talk and when not to talk. I speak to Michael (Carter-Williams) a lot -- we play together a lot -- and I speak to (Jerryd) Bayless and John Henson a lot because we play together a lot.
“It’s a process. You have to get a feel first. I think the best is yet to come. I just want to be a guy who, with my work ethic and my voice, can help our team win games. I know what I can do. It’s nothing that spectacular, but it could be really, really solid and helpful for our team. I’m a point guard. I want to improve my team and help it be successful. That’s just who I am.
“Here in Milwaukee, I’m also going to embrace the city and the community. I feel like kids should have the opportunities we have. That’s the best joy I can have – to see somebody succeed.”
That Vasquez trait isn’t likely to change.
“I’m blessed and thankful,” he said. “What can I say? This is my sixth year in the league. Even though I’ve been traded four times, I still find a way to play minutes. That says a lot about my character and what I can do.
“Whatever team I’m on, I’m not afraid to just be myself and do what I can do, just like I did back home. I’m not going to change. I’m going to be the same guy, the same face, every day.”
Vasquez will never forget where he came from, either.
“I feel like things could be a little bit better in Venezuela, and now that I’m older, I want to help,” he said. “There are guys there who could play in this league. They don’t all have the resources and support from the federations. They do a poor job of supporting the young kids and young coaches who want to come up. The coaches are the ones who make the difference.
“We need to give the kids and the coaches and the parents the resources. We have to do a study that’ll really help. Our country is selling itself short if we don’t do it for our children. We’ll see what happens.”
Vasquez has already taken more than a wait-and-see approach.
“Being the only Venezuelan in the NBA, I feel like it would be selfish of me if I don’t help my country,” he said. “A lot of people have helped me, and ever since I came here – even when I was in college – I’ve helped eight or nine guys from Venezuela. One of them might have a chance to be in the NBA one day.
“I just went back recently and redid a couple of basketball courts through UnderArmour and gave out some uniforms. It was the coolest thing to see those kids with my gear. There was a time when I was in their position. Now I’m living the dream, and I just love being able to give back.
“I’m blessed, man. I thank God for all he has done for me.”