BROADCASTS.com

Damien Wilkins was released by the Pacers one week ago, just before his contract became guaranteed for the rest of the season. What he did, earning a roster spot, and the impact he was able to have with the Pacers in a little more than four months was special.\nHere\u2019s a sample from starting center Myles Turner on Wilkins no longer being on the team:\n[sigh] \u201c\u2026 That one hit me home a little bit. For him, it wasn\u2019t like a surprise or a low blow, so I respect that from the organization, but as far as me and him \u2013 he just talked to me all year.\xa0He\u2019s seen this game a lot over the past years. He just wants me to be the best version of myself I can be. A lot of that is just the mental aspect of it and that\u2019s one thing he helped with me a lot.\u201d\nWilkins turned 38 years old last Thursday, and more than half of the team made it to a surprise celebration.\nHis story is a good one, returning to the NBA for the first time since 2013 after stops in Beijing, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and the G League. That last game in 2013, he got the start while with Philadelphia \u2014 and coincidentally it came at Bankers Life Fieldhouse against the Pacers.\nLast Friday (Jan. 12), I sat down with Damien and his fianc\xe9, Jasmine, for more than an hour to reflect on his time in Indy and his unique career path.\n\u201cIt\u2019s been crazy, man. But I wouldn\u2019t write the story any different. If I had a chance to write it, I wouldn\u2019t write it any different. And I feel like the past four years, being away from it, this year has made all of that worth it.\n\u201cThe story is far from ending.\u201d\nIn what may have been in final game with the Pacers, on January 6, 2018 against the Chicago Bulls,\xa0Wilkins started at the last minute and finished with a season-high 11 points and two rebounds in 22 minutes.\n\u201cThis has been one of the best half years of my career. It has absolutely been amazing.\u201d\nSubscribe to the Pacers Podcast\xa0on Apple Podcasts.\nI welcome your questions and comments @ScottAgness on Twitter\xa0or via email.\nTopics Discussed:\n\n* Teammates surprising him at birthday party\n* The awkwardness of knowing he was going to be waived \u2014 but none of his teammates did\n* His impact on the locker room, and specifically on Myles Turner\n* His Ray Allen story, and getting to the gym three hours early\n* The strengths of playing for a coach who played in the NBA\n* His experience playing overseas: in\xa0Beijing, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico\n* Why he sits next to the coaches during games, and whether coaching or working in a front office is in his future\n* What it meant to be a Pacer and play in Indianapolis [51:50]\n* What\u2019s next for him