<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>The chances of Darius Washington making the opening night roster of the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs are not good. His chances of eventually playing in the NBA, though, are getting better. "I'm still confident that I can play in the league," Washington said by phone during a break in practice over the weekend. "I've never lost that. But now I've got a better idea how to get there. You have to be smarter. And I've learned patience." Washington is the 6-foot-2 guard from Edgewater High School who left Memphis brimming with confidence after two seasons in college basketball, only to go undrafted in 2006 and then get waived in the preseason by the Dallas Mavericks. He spent last season playing professionally in Greece and the Czech Republic, hoping to hone his game to get another chance to reach the NBA this month. The Spurs invited him to training camp, where he has spent the past week working with and learning from people such as Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Bruce Bowen and Coach Gregg Popovich, who won NBA titles together in 2003, 2005 and 2007. "Just being here is great. Most guys can't say they've played with world champs like this. You can't help but learn professionalism here," Washington said. "I go out every day and try to see how I can work my way in, how I could contribute."</div></p> Source: Orlando Sentinel</p>
