By: Kevin Hashiro
De’Andre Haskins certainly made his mark in Chaminade University athletics. Haskins, who earned his communications degree from Chaminade in the fall of 2013, was named the Pacific West Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Year in 2013-14 after finishing with an 18.3 ppg average. He helped guide the Silverswords to a championship game appearance in the inaugural PacWest Tournament and a berth in the NCAA West Regional. He also led the ’Swords to a pair of wins in the EA Sports Maui Invitational during his time, including a career-high 32-point performance in a stunning 86-73 win over Texas in 2012, where he was named to the all-tournament team.
Haskins signed his first professional basketball contract with T71 Dudelange in Luxembourg Diekirch League in January 2014. Although playing time was scarce, living in another country was an eye-opening experience for the Long Beach, Calif., native.
“It was an extreme eye-opener for me because it’s the pros, the next step up,” Haskins said. “The league brought me opportunities for me to expand my range on the offensive end and work extremely hard on the defensive end.
“I continued to expand my knowledge as a person as well because I’m out there in Europe by myself in a different community with different people. The community I was placed in was amazing and I couldn’t have asked for a better first year out in the European circuit.”
Despite being far away, Haskins did feel a sense of comfort in a foreign land.
“The culture is so similar to Hawai‘i,” he said. “In Hawai‘i, everyone speaks of ohana. Luxembourg and Dudelange in particular, it was mainly about family. The players appreciate their family and fans so much more. That’s one of the biggest thing that I took away from there.”
Haskins also had a craving for sushi and particularly, rice, while living in Luxembourg. Upon his return to Hawai‘i after his first season of pro ball, his first meal was sushi even though he never had a craving for it before.
He also noted that his Chaminade education and experience helped to prepare him for his life overseas.
“Chaminade life is very interactive, as well as overseas,” Haskins said. “We have a small community here and when you’re a basketball player at Chaminade, we’re actively involved in the community. As a professional, we always have to be ourselves. You’ll get called out if you’re trying to be someone you’re not.
“That’s what I got from Chaminade and Luxembourg: Just continue to be professional and be yourself, be transparent.”
Haskins’ route to professional hoops didn’t have the typical road that others have followed, which is normally to leave school to prepare for play-for-pay then return later to finish their degree. Instead, he put off signing a pro contract for several months and remained in school to finish his degree.
“Growing up, that was a priority for me,” Haskins said. “I was the first one from my family to graduate. I wanted my nieces and nephews to know that an education is a key to build our character up. It means the world to me and I’m glad I had the opportunity to make my mother proud to finish my degree.”
The summer of 2014 was certainly been a busy one for Haskins. He returned to Hawai‘i in June and got married. He was also drafted 61st overall in the Worldwide Invitational Camp in Las Vegas in mid-July. The camp is where coaches and general managers from leagues across Europe and Asia use the event as an opportunity to scout potential prospects. The camp is also held concurrently with the NBA Summer League, which provides another opportunity for those individuals who have the dream of playing in pro basketball’s highest level.
“I’m working hard on my individual game and taking care of my body so I can continue to play and enjoy the game,” said Haskins, who continues to chase his pro hoops dream.
“I know that with my faith, my hard work and dedication to the game, it’ll pay off,” he said.
