Kenneth Faried was awesome.
The high-energy forward for the Denver Nuggets seemed like he grabbed every rebound available to him, and he did it all with long hair that made the act even better.
Faried has been out of the NBA for a long time, though. It feels like forever since his name has come up.
It surfaced this weekend, though, as Faried closes in on a contract in Italy.
The 35-year old is close to a deal with Virtus Bologna, according to Sportando.
In eight NBA seasons, Faried averaged 11.4 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.
Since leaving the league, Faried has played in the G League, China, Russia, Italy and Puerto Rico.
The chance to play for Bologna would be a chance to get more time in Italy for Faried.
He’ll never make it back to the NBA at this point, but a player of his level can still do a lot of good things in a career overseas, including in the earnings category.
Faried’s downfall in the NBA was that he wasn’t a shooter. His game was predicated mostly on hitting the glass and running the floor with reckless abandon.
It worked, and led to great numbers. But it didn’t fit as well into a modern offense.
It’s not even really that crucial that he’s signing an Italian basketball contract, either. It doesn’t impact the modern Nuggets.
But it’s a cool one to think about for Denver fans of a certain vintage. Faried was one of those guys who just made it fun to watch the Nuggets play every night of the season. He always brought the intensity.
It’s cool to hear he’s continued to find a way to do that, even though he’s a far way from the NBA now.
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