ROANOKE, Va. – During his four years at William Fleming High School, Troy Daniels became a star under Coach Mickey Hardy. He led the Colonels to a state championship in 2007. By the time his senior season rolled around, a seed of drive and persistence had been planted.
"I believed in myself from day one," Daniels said.
He went on to play at Virginia Commonwealth University where he shot lights out; and in his final two seasons he averaged double figures in points for the Rams. He says talk of him reaching NBA started to swirl but he knew a long road was ahead.
"Coach Shaka Smart sat me down and said, 'Hey, you know, you really might have a shot. You do something so well that NBA teams need,'" Daniels said.
After spending time in the G-League, Daniels found himself on three different teams in 2014-2015. But he never let that negatively affect his passion to get better.
"I was just very appreciative to just be in the NBA. Because it's just that 1 percent. I'm part of that 1 percent. I never, not one time thought about that," Daniels said.
In the summer of 2016 the Memphis Grizzlies offered him a contract deal for three years. He says the first person he called was his mom.
"She was the first person I called. She got so excited. She even started crying, you know what I mean, like I got drafted or something like that. So it was a very great moment," Daniels said.
"I know he earned it, and when you earn something, it's great. You feel so good when you see it manifest," said Troy's mother Cheryl Twine.
This past season he averaged 8 points per game and shot 39 percent from 3-point range. Now that he's able to live out his dream, he's helping the next generation do the same. Giving back to the William Fleming community and the Star City, is something that his mom says she always imparted in him.
"Fleming is his roots. It's where it started for him, you know. So he makes it a point to come back to Fleming and give back," Twine said.
Daniels says his message to today's youth is simple.
"Believe. Believe in yourself. Believe what you're trying to do. You can accomplish anything in this world. The first step to all of that is just believe in yourself," Daniels said.