<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Many of the 20-plus players in town this week for the Hawks' rookie/free agent minicamp have come here using a variety methods but with the same motive. Save for one free agent with a Georgia tie that's here for redemption and a chance to "represent" his home state team. A year ago this time, Rashad Wright was celebrating the culmination of his standout four-year career at Georgia as a second-round draft pick of the Indiana Pacers. Another year in Athens (Greece this time) later, and he's back on an NBA floor fueled by the same passion and desire that sustained him during his first pro season abroad. He was cut by the Pacers three days before the start of the NBA regular season and finished the year as the starting point guard on a Greek team, Panionios, that made the final four in its league for the first time in a decade. "I guess you could say I went from Athens to Athens," the Statesboro native said with a smile after practice at Philips Arena. "But it was good, man. I had a good experience over there. It was fun on and off the floor. And to play as a rookie was something that I really wanted. I thought it would be in the NBA, but I can't say I have any real complaints." Wright knew his situation with the Pacers was tenuous at best when he was drafted; second-round picks don't receive guaranteed contracts and therefore must earn a roster spot. With three veteran point guards on a roster loaded for a championship run, there was no room for a player who might never make the playing rotation. When he was cut, Wright opted for an overseas experience over the modest existence of the domestic minor leagues, where NBA dreams can be dashed between bus rides to towns most pro basketball fans have never heard of. "I wanted to get out of college and do something different, and I wanted to play," said Wright, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year as a senior and Georgia's all-time assist leader. "Plus, my family wanted me to help out [financially], so going overseas was a chance for me to do all those things, the way I wanted to." </div> Source
