ORLANDO -- Chris Lofton might not make an NBA team, but he sure caught people's attention at the Orlando Pro Summer League.He can shoot with the best. And nothing fazes him.
Lofton, the former Southeastern Conference Player of the Year (2007) from Tennessee, set an Orlando Pro Summer League record for most 3-pointers made (15 of 25), despite averaging just 16 minutes in reserve for the Boston Celtics.
At 6-2, 200 pounds, Lofton is a too-short shooting guard who is battling to carve a spot in the NBA, showing the kind of determination that marked his senior year in college when he played through radiation treatments following a diagnosis of testicular cancer.
At the time, hardly anyone knew.
"He can really, really shoot it,'' said Celtics assistant coach Mike Longabardi. "As a coach, you got to love a guy like him. He doesn't say much, doesn't act like it's any big deal, but he just gets himself ready to play. When his time comes, he's ready.''
Lofton, who wasn't drafted after his play slipped as a senior (2008) at Tennessee, spent last season in the Turkish Basketball League with Mersin Buyuksehir. He was stellar there, averaging 20.2 points while shooting 46 percent from 3-point range.
He scored 61 points in a single game last season when he hit 17 of 22 3-point shots. He had 47 points in another when he hit 13 3-pointers. The Celtics saw enough of him to give him a trial with their Summer League team. With Eddie House, they have a history of taking chances on undersized shooting guards with great shooting ability.
"I just wanted to come in here and show what I could do, come off screens and shoot the ball,'' Lofton said after Friday's fifth game. "I don't know what's going to happen next. Hopefully, I'm invited back [to training camp]. I think I can play in this league.''
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Good luck, not just because you are a family member.