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In a modest hotel room in Las Vegas, a city where chance determines if dreams are made or destroyed,
the Venezuelan Gregory Echenique hopes that it decides his fortune.
During the last few weeks, the Venezuelan has been traveling to different American cities to try out with NBA teams.
A lot of traveling. I arrive, work out, and sleep.
The fact that more teams are giving me an opportunity makes the process exciting. But at the same time, you are alone.
When he is not traveling, Gregory trains in this athletic center with other players, some of them veteran basketball players.
Gregory knows what a life of basketball is like.
His father, Jose, played professionally in Venezuela for 17 years.
We traveled because Jose was a basketball player and whenever we traveled the first thing Gregory found was the basketball and hoop.
When the games ended, while we were waiting to leave they say that I was always on the court trying to shoot.
After displaying his talent at an early age, Gregory's father trained with him on the neighborhood basketball courts
night and day, whether they were holidays or festivals, even on his birthday.
I told him, "Look, I believe you have talent for this."
"You should leave Venezuela and I believe that basketball will be your springboard so that you can pay for a quality education so that we don't have any debt."
In 2005, St. Benedict, a Catholic high school in New Jersey with a renowned basketball program,
offered Gregory a scholarship as a boarding student. At 14 years old, Gregory left behind his home and family in Venezuela.
It was very hard.
When I left him in New Jersey, he said something that almost made me cry.
He said work hard over there (Venezuela), I will work hard here (New Jersey).
Scott Smith's family became Gregory's second family, helping him stay focused and finish his studies at St. Benedict.
Considered as one of the top national prospects, scholarship offers from universities became abundant. Finally, he chose Rutgers University.
However, the following year, disillusioned with the program, Gregory transferred to Creighton University in Nebraska.
We were nationally ranked, we went to the NCAA tournament, we won a game and advanced to the second round. I accomplished many goals at Creighton.
In May 2013, Gregory completed another of his goals and graduated with a degree in marketing.
With only a few weeks remaining until the NBA Draft, Gregory was invited to try out with several NBA teams.
Hello, today is May 31, it is 8:05 in the morning. I am in Portland.
In the end, Gregory will have attended 12 workouts in total.
I am right now in the process of getting a job, it is a very strange process. ThereĀ“s a lot of rumors, people talk a lot.
But maybe those rumors are not true and you don't know who actually is really interested in your game.
Now, Gregory Echenique only can wait until a team calls his name on Draft Day.
If it doesn't happen, it's not the end of the world. I will continue working and I will try again until it happens.