With a year of pro ball under his belt, Deonte Burton is poised to make a splash at the NBA Summer League this year.
The Basketball Movement's Deonte Burton is already working out at the OKC Thunder training facilities preparing for Summer League. Playing for the Thunder's team will get him plenty of exposure as he looks to advance his professional basketball career.
Burton played his college ball at Marquette and Iowa State. He played last year for Wonju DB Promy of the Korean Basketball League, where he was the league MVP.
Burton was the Big 12 newcomer of the year in 2016 when he tranferred to Iowa State, despite having to wait out multiple games per NCAA policy. By his senior season, he was second-team all big 12, and clearly ready for the next level.
Honestly this whole article could be highlight videos. From high school to Korea - the big shots, blocks, and dunks haven't stopped coming. Burton is going to make sure that they do not stop any time soon either.
Playing professional basketball
When asked to compare the Big 12 to playing overseas in Korea, Burton said "It's really apples and oranges". The style of basketball may be very different, but he notes that the discipline and competitive style from college helped translate to any variant of pro basketball.
“I went from playing 30 games to playing 60. You have to really take care of your body and work on the little things. Things like stretching everyday that you didn’t really worry about in college.”
Burton explained that though he was playing more games, conditioning was similar because it's a two way street. "The more games you play, the better shape you'll be in" Deonte said.
Deonte Burton hits a game winner for his squad! https://t.co/0BrfRluDzH
— Cyclone Basketball (@CycloneMBB) January 16, 2018
Deonte said that this has been his first time overseas for more than a year. He says that it has been a fantastic experience and he has learned a lot about Korean culture and about himself. Wonju is a very traditional South Korean town that has allowed him to learn a lot about Eastern culture.
Deonte Burton and Rob Yanders - Milwaukee guys
When asked how Deonte got hooked up with Robert and The Basketball Movement, he threw it way back. He said his older brother and Robert were great friends growing up in Milwaukee. The connection remained and Rob remained great example for Burton on and off the court.
He discussed how Robert has been helping him with the mental side of the game.
“That part of the game is really big. I’m physically gifted, but so are other people at this level. Discipline and hard work separates everyone.”
Shooting has been the biggest focus for Deonte this Summer. He is already a solid shooter, but he said that you must constantly improve because every league requires you to be able to shoot the ball.
Focusing on a well-rounded offensive game is what he would like to demonstrate in the Summer League; defense, his improved shooting, and whole offensive repertoire.
His workouts with OKC this offseason he calls well-balanced, but overall similar to what he's been through many times before. The NBA Summer League tips of in early July, so Deonte Burton is ready to show the world what he can do. His goal?
"Dominate Summer League"
We believe he can. The games will be televised between ESPN and NBA TV, so remember to tune in!