In 2013, he was the first-round NBA pick, 29th overall. Destined to do great, Archie Goodwin had an unexpected and drastic fall. Despite his raw athleticism, after several burst-or-bust moments and limited time on the court for 5 NBA seasons, the fans saw him leave the NBA. And since then, he has been flourishing in the patches with small stints, which one recent stunt even earning heavy praise from Floyd Mayweather Jr‘…

The former NBA star is currently making waves with the Jiangsu Dragons, a basketball team in the Southern Division of the Chinese Basketball Association. The shooting guard’s hard work amidst turmoil is not going to waste. The 30-year-old started the season on a high with his stint with Eberlein Drive, as the team reached the semis of The Basketball Tournament (TBT), where the winner took $1 million home. Interestingly, Mayweather Jr. had expressed interest in investing in it in 2023 because of his obsession with basketball, and as expected, Goodwin hasn’t escaped his eyes!

On December 5, the player dropped 38 points and 10 rebounds against the Guangdong Southern Tigers, serving a well-decorated response to critics. Promptly, the boxing icon took matters into his own hands to promote the former NBA star and shared the game’s clip on his Instagram Story wrote. “@nba my guy @allaflare10 Out In China putting in Work.. 38 points”, he wrote.

The Dragons ultimately defeated the Guangdong Southern Tigers 100-98—their first win of the season. What’s more? Goodwin also secured 25 points in his December 1 match against Tianjin. So, the Arkansas native is on a roll right now, and these strong performances could push him to maybe break into the NBA once again—his last chance to fulfill his potential and destiny.

For the unversed: When 19-year-old Goodwin was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder, and then traded to the Golden State Warriors, and then to the Phoenix Suns (all in one draft night), he was touted to be a “low-risk high-reward” rookie. Fresh off of a rough season at the University of Kentucky, the player was still expected to be a diamond in the rough—one that would slowly reach its potential. In three seasons with the team, he totaled 8.9 points per game, 2.5 rebounds per game, and 19.5 minutes per game. But the real problem lied in his shooting abilities.

During his stint with the Suns, he averaged 13.9%, 29.3% and 23.5% from three; not good numbers, to be honest, leading the team to part ways with him. The Phoenix Suns chose guard John Jenkins’ shooting and undrafted rookie Derrick Jones Jr.’s defensive potential over fourth-year guard Archie Goodwin just as his final year on his rookie contract was set to begin. Notably, Goodwin had reportedly requested the team to trade him, but the Suns weren’t able to help him before the start of the regular season…

As per the Suns’ then GM Ryan McDonough, “Not that these decisions are ever easy…We felt like we got down to 16 really good, quality NBA players. Archie and his agents for the last few months asked us to accommodate a trade request. With that in mind, we told Archie and his agent we’d try to help him move to a team where he’d have an opportunity and play. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to work out a deal. This time of a year, it’s hard.”

During the next two years, he was waived off by three teams in a span of just one year! The New Orleans Pelicans let him go after just three games on November 20, 2016; the Brooklyn Nets signed him to a multi-year contract on April 7 the next year before releasing him on July 28; the Portland Trail Blazers signed him to a training camp contract on September 11, 2017, and let him go on October 13, after appearing in five preseason games.

Not a very memorable career…However, the latest game has lifted the player’s spirits as he responded to Mayweather Jr’s shout-out, complete with a veiled dig toward his naysayers…

Archie Goodwin appreciates Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s much-needed boost

Goodwin took to his Instagram handle and shared the story posted by Mayweather Jr. That’s not all. He also put two shushing emojis in the caption as a gesture of him silencing his critics. He noted in the captions, ” 🤫🤫.”

Since moving to CBA, Goodwin has averaged 14.2 points per game along with a field goal percentage of 46.2%, a 3-point shooting percentage of 25%, and a free-throw accuracy of 74.5%. Besides these, he also averages 4.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.7 turnovers per game. These numbers don’t include his latest 38-point game, which will further boost the stats. When you look at his NBA numbers, you can see the star difference.

He was averaging 8.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game while playing approximately 15 minutes per game. His shooting efficiency stood at 58.3% from the field. So, Goodwin is going through a late resurgence in his career. If he continues on the same path, he could bag an NBA contract, too. But it remains to be seen whether he could do it.

What do you make of this comment by Floyd Mayweather about Archie Goodwin? Let us know in the comments below.