Jarvis Gunter dreams of playing professional basketball.
He just never thought the sport would allow him to see the world.
But the former Columbus High School standout isn’t complaining about his current job as a member of the CAB Madeira team in Portugal. In fact, he has grown quite fond of Europe and the different cuisine — and the number of meals per day — he has had the opportunity to sample.
Gunter thinks his latest step will help him reach his ultimate goal, which is to make the NBA.
“I feel really good about it,” Gunter said. “The main thing is confidence. I think every day I get more and more confident in what I do. I just have to go out there and leave it all out on the court.”
Gunter, who was in Columbus for Christmas, earned the opportunity to play in Portugal in September 2011 after playing in the NBA’s Development League for three seasons. Billed as the NBA’s official minor league, the 16-team D-League features players from major Division I programs to smaller schools like the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, where Gunter graduated from in 2008. Gunter averaged a career-best 9.0 points per game as a sophomore at UAPB, but he never was a scorer in four seasons there. He sat out the 2006-07 season. As a senior, he averaged 6.6 points and 7.7 rebounds.
Gunter played for the Erie Bayhawks in his first two seasons in the D-League. He averaged 3.0 points and 3.4 rebounds in 38 games in 2008-09 and 2.8 points and 3.7 rebounds in 44 games in 2009-10. Erie waived him Dec. 17, 2010, before the Springfield Armor, signed him on Dec. 20, 2010. After averaging only eight minutes in three games with Erie, Gunter averaged 17.8 minutes and scored 4.2 points and grabbed 4.1 rebounds in 34 games with Springfield.
Gunter, who is 6-foot-10, 228 pounds, said he learned a lot in his time in the D-League and gained confidence in his offensive skills. He said last year he was excited about the possibility of getting a chance to expand his horizons and to play a bigger role as a scorer with a team overseas. He is averaging 9.5 points (sixth on team) and a team-best 8.5 rebounds per game in 27.7 minutes per game for CAB Madeira, which is tied for fifth at 7-4 in the 12-team league. The team, which features three American players, returns to action Saturday.
“I think I am getting my name out over there because a lot of people are looking at me like, ‘Where did I come from?’ ” Gunter said. “I think it is going to help open up a lot of doors.”
Josh Goodwin, who is Gunter’s agent and is the CEO and president of Higher Level Sports Agency, said Gunter’s first year in Portugal could help set him up for moves to bigger, more competitive leagues in other countries. He said Gunter has had to prove himself all over again and that he has done a good job providing defense, rebounding, and shot blocking for CAB Madeira.
“He is developing confidence in himself along with getting better at every aspect of the game because he has to,” Goodwin said.
Goodwin said players in Europe can earn $3,000-10,000 a month depending on their experience and the league they play in. He said countries like Italy, France, and Israel have some of the best leagues in the world, and that the second-division leagues in countries like that often have a higher caliber of basketball than first-division leagues in other countries.
Goodwin said he already has started marketing Gunter for next season. He hopes Gunter’s play this season will help him earn a spot in another league, possibly in Spain. He also said Gunter will return to the U.S. after CAB Madeira’s season and try to secure a spot on a NBA summer league team.
“He is still extremely raw,” Goodwin said. “He has a lot of tools to work with and he is still learning the game, and is excited about learning the game. He definitely has an upside, and I look forward to seeing him grow as a player and to get better opportunities year after year and not take steps backward.”
Gunter wasn’t sure how long the NBA lockout would last and said the opportunity to play in Portugal was something he could pass up. He said he doesn’t regret leaving the U.S. to go to Portugal and hopes his experience in there will help him take the next step in his basketball journey.
“It has been a really good experience,” Gunter said. “I look forward to a lot more when I go back.”
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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