LOS ANGELES — Rodney Purvis fulfilled a lifelong dream Friday night. Signed recently by the Orlando Magic to a 10-day contract, Purvis made his NBA debut, checking into a game against the Sacramento Kings late in the first quarter. A few minutes later, Purvis scored his first NBA points when he swished a 19-foot jumper.
After the Magic lost 94-88, he returned to the visitors' locker room inside Golden 1 Center, unlocked his cell phone and discovered that friends and family had flooded him with at least 100 congratulatory text messages.
"It was great just to get out there and get an opportunity to play in the NBA," Purvis said following the game. "This is every kid's dream, and today I was able to do that: live out one of my dreams and play. And, hopefully, I'll be able to play many more games."
If only Tyrek Coger could've enjoyed Purvis' accomplishment, too.
Coger was the closest person Purvis ever had to a brother. Purvis' mother, Shanda McNair, was Coger's godmother and took Coger in to live with her family when Coger was an eighth-grader. Coger and Purvis shared the NBA dream, and Coger, a 6-foot-8 forward, had taken a step toward reaching that goal when he transferred from a junior college to Oklahoma State.
On July 21, 2016, however, Coger collapsed during an Oklahoma State offseason conditioning workout in 99-degree temperatures, and he later died at a Stillwater hospital. The Oklahoma State Medical Examiner's Office determined Coger had died from an enlarged heart. He was 21 years old.
Coger's death shattered Purvis.
Before his senior year at UConn, Purvis changed his jersey number from 44 to Coger's number, 15.
Purvis still wears No. 15.
"It was just tough being around someone each and every day," Purvis said, "and just — boom! — one day you never see the guy again. He was doing something he loved to do. It was an unfortunate situation. But I'm definitely going to do everything in honor of him. Each and every time I step onto that court, it's for him. I just want to make the best out of any opportunity that I'm given."
Purvis, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard, sacrificed for his opportunity.
Undrafted out of UConn, he joined the Magic's G-League affiliate in Lakeland in October. In 37 games with Lakeland — games typically played in mostly empty arenas — he averaged a team-high 20.5 points per game and made 38.9 percent of his 3-point attempts.
"I enjoyed coaching him," Lakeland coach Stan Heath said. "He was very coachable. He wanted to improve. He was a hard worker. He watched film. When you asked him to do something, he would do it to the best of his ability. He's just a guy that understands that he's got talent, but he's still developing."
Players on 10-day NBA contracts face a conundrum: They want to impress and make an immediate mark with their scoring, but they also must fit into what the team is trying to accomplish.
Magic coach Frank Vogel and some of his new teammates said Purvis should have no problems navigating that fine line. When Purvis was asked about his success in Lakeland, he deferred credit to his Lakeland teammates. And when he was asked how he wants to impact Orlando during his 10-day deal, he said he must play well on the defensive end of the floor.
"He had a terrific year in the G League," Vogel said. "He's one of the guys that really stood out amongst the entire league's scouts, not just our personnel, in terms of being a call-up option. So we're definitely looking forward to seeing what he can do with us."
Purvis will have an opportunity, for sure.
The Magic suffer from injury problems. Swingman Evan Fournier sprained a knee ligament on Wednesday. The Magic placed forward Aaron Gordon into the NBA concussion protocol on Thursday, And swingman Terrence Ross remains out from a knee injury he suffered in late November.
Purvis and Coger talked for years about reaching the NBA one day.
Now that Purvis is in the league, he Purvis intends to made the most of his chance with the Magic — not just for himself but for Coger, too.
"We definitely had the same dreams," Purvis said. "This would've been his year to play in college. He'd been in [junior college]. He had a lot of different things he wanted to do as well. He didn't get the opportunity, and I just want to make the best of this opportunity, because I know that he would've appreciated the opportunity of just making it to college and playing on a college team."
jrobbins@orlandosentinel.com. Read his blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog and follow him on Twitter at @JoshuaBRobbins.
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