'A dream come true': Edmonton Stingers basketball player signs NBA contract
CEBL top star Xavier Moon signs with LA Clippers on 10-day deal
A well-known Edmonton basketball player has made the jump to the NBA on short-term contract.
Xavier Moon, who was the top player in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) playing for the Edmonton Stingers last season, has signed a 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Clippers.
He debuted Monday night in the Clippers game against Brooklyn Nets, scoring two points in 12 minutes of court time.
"I have so many emotions going through my body right now," Moon said in an interview Monday ahead of the game.
"I'm still processing it myself even though we had our first game last night. It's a dream come true."
Moon, 26, is originally from Alabama and joined the Stingers in the 2019 season.
Moon led the Edmonton Stingers to the CEBL title in each of the past two seasons, taking Finals MVP honours both times. He led the CEBL in scoring in 2021 and was the league's MVP three years in a row.
He said he believes he earned the chance to play in the NBA.
"Everybody cried," he said of what happened when he told his family.
"I told my mama first and she was getting ready to cook something and she broke down."
Moon signed with the Clippers' G League affiliate Agua Caliente Clippers in October and went on to average 12.4 points and 7.3 assists per game while shooting over 50 per cent from the field.
Moon follows Javin DeLaurier of the Niagara River Lions, Xavier Sneed of the Niagara River Lions and Cat Barber of the Guelph Nighthawks, who were recently signed to the Milwaukee Bucks, Memphis Grizzlies and Atlanta Hawks, respectively.
"It's just crazy being there, being on the floor seeing some of the guys that you watch on TV all the time," Moon said.
With files from CBC Sports