LAS VEGAS – Even though his collegiate awards for being a superior defensive player were stacked knee-high, Myles
Burns kept hearing mean whispers upon his arrival at the University of Mississippi for his senior season.
Burns’ new teammates were fully aware that while he played at Loyola New Orleans, he won an impressive four consecutive Defensive Player of the Year honors, was a four-time All-American and also was a four-time first-team All-Southern States Athletic Conference selection. In addition, Burns finished his career at Loyola New Orleans ranked first on the school’s all-time list in steals (358), second in scoring (1,852), second in rebounds (1,069), fourth in blocks (116) and seventh in assists (298).
However, since that portion of Burns’ historic resume was secured on the NAIA level, not many gave it much credence upon his arrival at Ole Miss.
“When I first got to Ole Miss, they were talking bad about me,” Burns told Mavs.com. “It was like, ‘An NAIA guy? What’s he going to do?’
“I said, ‘Alright, just watch me go.’ And sure enough, I made my mark.”
While playing all 33 games – including starting 30 games for Ole Miss last season — Burns averaged eight points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.4 steals in 26.9 minutes. His 80 steals were the second-most ever in a season by an Ole Miss player.
Although Burns was not one of the 58 players chosen in last month’s NBA Draft, the 6-6, 210-pound forward did earn a spot on the Dallas Mavericks’ summer league roster. And that’s a step in the right direction for the Houston native.
After each season at Loyola New Orleans, Burns considered transferring to a Division 1 university, particularly since such a move was a constant topic of co
nversation among his teammates and peers.
Burns said: “Everybody was telling me after every game, ‘Why are you here? You should be playing D 1.’ I always told them that I want to learn, and I know that coming into college my freshman year, I didn’t have the best attitude coming from where I came from.
“For me to adjust and survive where I came from, I had to have more of an attitude. I couldn’t be that stoic in nature and calm. So, when I got (to Loyola New Orleans) I learned a lot.”
It was teaching tools provided by then-Loyola New Orleans coach Stacy Hollowell that stuck with Burns as he tries to make the gigantic leap to the NBA.
“Shout out to my coach, Stacy Hollowell, for sticking with me all the way to this point, because without him I wouldn’t have learned,” Burns said. “So, I transferred (to Ole Miss) my final year to let people know that I could do it on the D 1 level, because we were beating D 1 teams.
“I went to a Power Five school (in Ole Miss), I did my thing there and I showed these people it doesn’t matter where you came from.”
A graduate of Houston Lamar High School, Burns was realistic when sorting through his journey into the world of pro basketball.
“That’s the beauty of the NBA, or just your career in general,” Burns said. “You don’t need to be drafted to get a contract.
“Me, I kind of knew my chance of getting drafted were pretty low. That doesn’t mean I’m less of a player than anyone.”
So, Burns kept his head high, and kept pursuing his goal.
“Obviously, basketball is a lot of politics, but also just my approach really was just knowing that I had NBA teams that were interested in me,” he said. “I know a lot of them wanted to see what I can do five-on-five, and I think that’s why I’m in the summer league.
“Sometimes it’s harder to capitalize on your strengths doing three-on-threes and one-on-ones. Sometimes people play a lot better on five-on-fives, and I’m one of those people who once you see me go, I can get it done. The process is really just staying level-headed and just staying connected and trusting the people around you and making sure you have the right people.”
As the Mavs prepare to play their summer league opener at the NBA 2K24 Summer League on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT against Oklahoma City at the Thomas & Mack Center, Burns is hoping to be in position to make his mark – again.
“I’m a guy, I predicate myself on energy,” Burns said. “So, at the end of the day if I don’t score and I don’t get a rebound, you’re going to get some energy out of me. I’m going to fire somebody up. I feel like what I bring mainly and primarily is the intangible and energy.
“There are so many guys that can do what anybody does on this team. It’s all about the mentality and your approach to everything, and I feel like that’s what I bring – a good approach to everything. I just feel like I can be the glue guy for this team. Whatever you want me to do, I can do it, I can work on it, I’m willing to work on it, I’ll stay up day and night if you want me to.”
In other words, Burns, who helped Loyola New Orleans capture the 2022 NAIA National Championship, doesn’t mind doing the dirty work for the Mavs. That’s already a huge part of his DNA.
“A lot of people don’t understand, you can still be an All-Star being a defensive guy,” Burns said. “It’s not all about scoring. Especially in today’s game, everybody is a scorer. But who really is a defender? Who really can defend, go box out, get a rebound, make an outlet pass?
“And that doesn’t mean you have to limit yourself to doing that. But if that’s what it takes to win, stick with it.”
For now, Burns would like to find a pathway to stick with the Mavs. He believes he can be a huge asset to this team.
“I do think I could provide a different element when I get going,” Burns said. “I feel like my energy is contagious. That’s the winning mindset, the winning mentality, and these guys have been just so open to it.
“It would be nice to play in Texas, so I’m really hoping they give me a contract and an opportunity to play here because I’ll do whatever they want me to do.”
Twitter: @DwainPrice
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