DeAndre Kaneâs return to the world of professional basketball was supposed to be simpler than this.
After two years away from the game, in May 2023, the former Iowa State guard and Los Angeles Lakers summer league invitee signed with GrindavÃk, a team in Icelandâs top league that play in a small town of the same name. After a good quality career in both Europe and America that had him knocking of the door of the NBA, Kane – it appears – opted for a quiet place to play and stay in shape for the final stages of his playing days.
Instead, however, Kane has found himself in a city struggling to recover from a series volcanic eruptions that have displaced most of its residents, and disrupted daily life across the Reykjanes Peninsula. Since late 2023, GrindavÃk has been at the center of a string of volcanic eruptions from the nearby Fagradalsfjall system, one of Icelandâs most active volcanic zones.
Kane’s Brief Lakers Days
Kane – a member of the 2015 Lakers summer league roster – joined GrindavÃk ahead of the 2023â24 season, his first contract since the global pandemic. The team plays in the Icelandic Ãrvalsdeild, a small but competitive league that has hosted several international veterans over the years – Kaneâs experience, size, versatility, dynamic play and LaMelo Ball-esque confidence was supposed to level up a Grindavik roster that had lost multiple players to injury.
Within weeks of his arrival, though, the teamâs focus shifted from basketball to logistics. Repeated volcanic activity near Mount Fagradalsfjall forced games to be moved and residents to evacuate. The eruptions and lava flows have destroyed roads, forced mass evacuations, and left large sections of the town uninhabitable. When Kane arrived, much of the local population was still displaced, and the basketball arena was operating under emergency conditions – games were frequently postponed or relocated due to seismic activity.
Players and coaches have been commuting from nearby towns for practices, with home games often relocated at short notice. Kane and his teammates have therefore been working under limited resources, playing in smaller gyms and dealing with irregular schedules as seismic activity continues.
Before the eruption, the population of the town of Grindavik was reported to be approximately 3,000 people. Now, it is down to about 900, and at one point was down to 100. And yet somehow, Grindavik and Kane keep playing. Indeed, they are currently top of the league.
Permanently On The Road
Despite a lack of prestige, and a subpolar climate most Americans would find too difficult to deal with, the Icelandic league pays well compared to otherwise comparable leagues, and is able to pull in a decent quality of import player accordingly. By way of example, joining Kane in the backcourt for Grindavik for the second half of last season was Jeremy Pargo, former Cleveland Cavaliers player and brother of another former Lakers guard, Jannero.
Moving to the country was nevertheless a big step down in prestige on the surface for Kane, who – as evidenced by his time with the Lakers – was at one point on the cusp of the top tier. After five years in college – four at Marshall and a graduate season at Iowa State on a high-profile Fred Hoiberg team – he went undrafted in the 2014 NBA Draft, but quickly joined the Lakers for Summer League. Kane played in five games that competition, averaging 5.6 points and 2.2 rebounds per game and shooting 44% from the field, but did not receive an invite to training camp.
Kane subsequently built a steady career, mostly across Europe, where a Hungarian passport acquired in 2017 allowed him to circumvent import quotas. He played in Russia, Germany, Israel, Spain, Hungary, Serbia and Belgium, adapting to multiple roles from combo guard to defensive specialist, with his most notable stretch coming with Maccabi Tel-Aviv, where he appeared in two seasons of EuroLeague play. He also topped up his earnings with four victories in The Basketball Tournament, including three victories with the Overseas Elite. Iceland pays quite well, but not that well.
Despite the challenging circumstances, Kane has been productive on the court, averaging 12.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists through the teamâs first three games. Despite Mother Nature’s best efforts, he remains under contract with GrindavÃk, continuing to train and play as conditions allow. Kane’s experience with the Lakers was brief, but it began a professional journey that has now reached one of the most remote corners of the basketball world – and, currently, one of its most unpredictable.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Former Lakers Guard’s Comeback Marred by Constant Volcanoes appeared first on Heavy Sports.