The past three months have rocked Nasser Little’s life a bit. The Phoenix Suns forward was included in Damian Lillard’s three-team deal through the end of September, moving a year after reaching agreement on a long-term extension with the Portland Trail Blazers.
With a baby on the way and the purchase of a new home, the 23-year-old had to reorganize and plan life for his growing family.
Speaking of life’s juxtapositions from a shorter perspective, he said the birth of his daughter last week was a whirlwind. Arizona Sports Burns & Jumbo.
The Suns played the New York Knicks on Thanksgiving Sunday weekend and won on Devin Booker’s game-winning three-pointer in the final seconds. The next morning, Little was called back to Phoenix.
“Basically, the morning after the Knicks game, my girlfriend called me and told me she was having cramps and stuff and I would need to get home as quickly as possible,” Little said. “…I had a five-hour flight to Phoenix, and once I landed, I got to the hospital as quickly as possible. Yes, my daughter was born 20 minutes after I arrived. It was crazy.
“The doctors were doing everything they could to keep the baby away. As soon as I walked in the door, they said, ‘You’re just in time’ because we couldn’t wait any longer.”
He only had at least a few months to adjust and his family would be relatively comfortable after that.
He and Jusuf Nurkic were traded from Portland to Phoenix and Deandre Ayton was shipped to the Blazers as part of the Lillard deal in September. Phoenix also acquired Keion Johnson from Portland and Grayson Allen from the Milwaukee Bucks in the trade.
“My first thought was, ‘Oh my God, where did Diem end up?’ He said little about how he discovered he was hitchhiking. “As soon as it happened, my first thought was: ‘Damn, now I have to move.’ I had to figure out what to do with all my stuff, I had just bought a house there… My daughter was pregnant, and we already had doctors in Oregon.
“I just started looking into the thought process, like moving doctors and discovering a whole new city. I loved the city – I always wanted to be there. I worked there this summer. I was excited to get to nice weather and be on a team competing for something.” Special this year.
The NBA In-Season Championship creates organic excitement
There are few things to like about their first NBA In-Season appearance, as the Suns open the Knockout Round on Tuesday with a visit to the Los Angeles Lakers.
“It definitely gives us more enthusiasm to get out there and compete. It’s a whole new feeling,” Little said. “I love the courts, I love how vibrant these courts are…they have this new energy.”
And the bonuses don’t hurt either. It appears that Suns players will be pooling their winnings to help others in the organization as they aim to accumulate cash.
“Personally, I’m not one to leave any money on the table, so that’s a good incentive, too,” Little said. “Especially for the coaching staff and a lot of the players, we plan to share with the staff and the organization. I feel like this is a good incentive.”
