Los Angeles Lakers: 4 reasons fans should embrace Quinn Cook

2. NBA G-League experience makes Cook hungry

Although some see playing in the NBA G League as a failure coming out of college, others have capitalized on the experience such as two-time champion and current Laker Danny Green.

Most recently, Danny Green and Jeremy Lin spoke to Yahoo Sports on the Green Room about how tough life was for them in the D-League/G League and what the experiences were like when they were called up to the NBA. What?

You didn’t know Danny Green started in the NBA D-League? Yes, he was drafted 46th overall in the 2009 NBA draft then played for the Erie Bayhawks in the G-League. Cook also spent time in the G-League.

Like Cook, Green also played college ball for four years at UNC. The two current Lakers teammates have even more in common, they are both NCAA Champions and McDonald’s All-Americans.

After playing for two teams in the NBA Summer League and being released, Cook signed on with the Canton Charge, Cleveland’s D-League team (the league was rebranded later to the Gatorade League, or G League).

When players do not get drafted, then show out in the NBA D-League, they start out and remain hungry throughout their career. They do not forget the hard road they had to take to get to the NBA.

In New Orleans in 2017, at the NBA G-League All-Star game, Quinn Cook of the East Team earned the NBA D-League All-Star Game MVP trophy. Don’t think this is an easy trophy to earn, there are a ton of hungry players wanting to impress the NBA Scouts who are always watching them to pull them up to the NBA for a 10-day contract.

At the end of the season, Cook was named Rookie of the Year. He averaged 19.6 pts, 5.4 assists, and 3.9 rebs shooting 47% and making a team-high 86 3-pointers. The Duke star was also named to the All-Rookie Team and the All-NBA D-League 3rd Team.

Here’s a taste of Cook in his first season in the G-League when he scored a franchise-record 49 points: