HAINES CITY, Fla. — One Polk County pro basketball player is returning to professional basketball after an injury ended his career.

What You Need To Know

  • Dazeran Jones is returning to professional basketball after a foot injury ended his playing career 

  • Over the years, Jones found unique ways to stay in the sport, including becoming a motion-capture actor for NBA 2K series

  • Now, he's preparing for the Big3, a 3-on-3 pro basketball league owned by rapper Ice Cube

Dazeran Jones experienced a passion for the sport on a larger scale when he played collegiately for N.A.I.A Warner University and later spent time with the Jacksonville Giants of the American Basketball Association.

“This is my first championship trophy,” he said, pointing to a championship ring. “This one means a lot to me because it’s a big ring. Like, we earned it — game by game, practicing every day, fighting through adversity.”

Unfortunately, Jones faced his biggest challenge when a foot injury forced him to end his playing career. But he wasn’t ready to give up the game, and he found unique ways to stay in the sport. In 2022, Jones started a career as a motion-capture actor for the popular video game series, NBA 2K. That role also helped him land a part in the reboot of the movie, "White Men Can’t Jump." 

“I started taking acting a little more seriously after that,” he said. “I still have a lot to learn, but that jump-started an acting career through basketball.”

Jones missed the game itself, though, and decided to try out for the Big3, a 3-on-3 pro basketball league owned by rapper Ice Cube. Although he initially went undrafted, he received a call a couple of weeks later from the team “The Killer 3s,” expressing interest.

Dazeran Jones playing in the Big3. (Photo Courtesy: Dazeran Jones)


“Everybody embraced me from here to here, from Ice Cube to the regular staff,” he said. “I met a lot of different people, a lot of greats. Probably everybody touched the NBA in that league, other than two or three players out of the whole league. These were once lottery picks. These are legends.”

Now, Jones gets to play alongside the men he grew up watching. To prepare for the upcoming Big3 season, he trains with his childhood best friend, Terry Rose, on the same court where he first played.

“We train every day if we can,” Rose said.

Not only does this opportunity serve as inspiration for Jones’ children, it’s also a reminder to the community he loves.

“There’s more than one way to get to Walmart,” he said.

Or, in Jones’ case, more than one way to reach a goal.