Can a former Forestview and Gaston Day standout join a select part of Gaston County history in tonight’s NBA draft?

By Richard Walker

Will Gastonia’s Nate Hinton join local history during Wednesday night’s 2020 NBA draft?

Hinton, who declared for the NBA after two years at Houston, is projected as a possible late second round draft pick in the draft.

A 2018 Gaston Day School graduate who also attended Forestview and Charlotte’s Northside Christian high schools, Hinton is a 6-foot-5 guard prospect who averaged 8.8, 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists during his two-year career at the University of Houston. He averaged 10.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists last season.

He was a 2019 All-American Athletic Conference freshman team selection and second team All-AAC pick in 2020.

Hinton is attempting to join former Gastonia products Thomas “Bubba” Wilson, Eric “Sleepy” Floyd, James Worthy, Darrell Armstrong and Hassan Whiteside as former NBA products.

Wilson, a 1974 Huss graduate, was a fifth round pick out of Western Carolina in 1978 before playing one season for the Golden State Warriors in 1978-79.

Floyd, a 1988 Huss graduate, was a first round pick out of Georgetown in 1982 before playing 14 seasons in the NBA.

Worthy, a 1979 Ashbrook graduate, was the first overall pick out of North Carolina in 1982 before playing 13 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Armstrong, a 1986 Ashbrook graduate, was undrafted out of Fayetteville State before playing 14 seasons in the NBA.

And Whiteside, who attended Ashbrook, Huss and Forestview, was a second round pick out of Marshall in 2010 who just completed his eighth season in the NBA with the Portland Trail Blazers.