Georgia’s Gaines signs with French professional team

Kenny Gaines is heading overseas.

Following a shot with the Houston Rockets during the NBA’s Summer League, Gaines told The Telegraph that he has agreed to a contract with Antibes Sharks, a basketball club in France.

During his Summer League tenure, the former Georgia guard flashed potential as a pro. In only five games played and a modest 13.2 minutes per game, Gaines ranked fifth on the team in scoring with 7.4 points per game.

Gaines is optimistic about his opportunity with Antibes and believes this is a step toward his NBA dream.

"It means everything to play basketball professionally," Gaines said. "I put my time and efforts into the craft to get paid for it. It knew it wasn't my time to be in the NBA yet, honestly. I know for a shadow of a doubt that it wasn’t because I wasn’t good enough for the league. But God just has some more things to work on with me personally on this next level before I can succeed on such a huge stage as the NBA."

After spending nearly a month mulling his options, Gaines signed a one-year deal with Antibes, which plays in the French Pro A league -- the country’s first division. While financial terms of his contract were not disclosed, Gaines passed on NBA training camp interest for guaranteed money with Antibes, according to his agent Dan Curtin.

Gaines will be playing alongside Isaia Cordinier, who was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the 2016 NBA draft but chose to play the upcoming season with Antibes.

Gaines said he remains "determined and hungry" for the NBA and has multiple short-term goals to accomplish during his overseas stint.

"I attack every day with the mindset of staying healthy, being efficient with my play and becoming a better player everyday," Gaines said. "I also want to develop great relationship with the coaches and players so that we can be a winning team, because it makes all of us look good in the grand scheme of things. My motivation for it all will be the same as it always has been, to never be a waste of talent. Most importantly, I play for my mom and want to help her build upon her church."

Gaines held multiple overseas professional offers but felt Antibes was the best fit for his lifestyle and playing career.

"The coach (Julien Espinosa) seemed like a good fit for me as well as the whole organization," Gaines said. "It's a great step for a rookie, being a good team in a competitive league, and of course a great location on the Mediterranean Sea."

This story was originally published August 16, 2016 at 10:24 AM with the headline "Georgia’s Gaines signs with French professional team."