Representation at the professional level of sports is something very few athletes at FGCU have been able to do. Many fans only know of two Eagles who have made it to the top of their respective sport: Kierstan Bell in the WNBA and Chris Sale in the MLB.
FGCU’s ‘Dunk City’ has struggled with representation in the NBA. Dakota Rivers looks to change that as he has moved to basketball’s next level in the NBA G League.
Rivers’ passion for basketball started at a young age when he would play at his local YMCA in Windermere, Florida. While he was “really bad at basketball” at the time, that did not stop his pursuit of a professional basketball career.
“It didn’t take me till I was a freshman in high school to feel like I was able even to do this, long term,” Rivers said. “And then, after my junior in high school, I transferred to a different school, and I started getting more national attention.”
His move from West Orange High School to Windermere High School in Lake Butler, Florida G-League proved the difference as he put up 16.5 points per game, 8.9 rebounds per game and 3.1 blocks per game during his 2018-19 season. His performance ranked 141st, 91st and 42nd in each respective category in Florida.
Rivers received scholarships to play at 20 different schools, but he elected to play at FGCU because it was close to home. FGCU was one of the few schools that did not write him off when he tore his quad in high school.
“(The) coaching staff was very high on me, especially the staff that recruited me. They really wanted me there, and they were sending me letters every day, and they were very eager about what I could bring to the table. It was a very easy decision,” Rivers said.
Rivers played his entire collegiate career at FGCU from 2019 to 2024.
Although his best statistical season came his sophomore year, averaging 6.3 points per game, 1.94 blocks per game (34th nationally) and a career most blocks (6) and points in a single game (15), he garnered the most attention in his final season in Southwest Florida.
As a redshirt senior Rivers was able to carry the ‘Dunk City’ mantra to dunking the largest collegiate stage, as he represented FGCU in the 2024 State Farm Slam Dunk Challenge. Although he was out in the first round of the tournament, he ended his collegiate career as the first player in the FGCU men’s basketball program to receive an invitation to the contest.
The biggest challenge for Rivers was how to continue his basketball career after college. He did not have the best statistics to get picked by a team in the NBA draft but wanted a way to show his talents to NBA scouts. A workout in Las Vegas proved all the difference.
Pop Little, a sports agent of SML Sports, got Rivers a last slot for a professional pickup game. During this game, he impressed a scout from the Texas Legends, the Dallas Mavericks G League affiliated team.
“I got invited to training camp, and then I actually fell a little bit short in training camp, so I got waived and brought back, three days later, because I was replacing one of the guys on their team that was going to play in the FIBA (International Basketball Federation).”
Rivers impressed stepping in for forward Phillip Wheeler while he was playing for FIBA. His performance earned him a spot on the Legends for the 2024-25 NBA G League season. He continues to progress in the G League. Rivers has averaged 0.7 points, 1.6 rebounds and a 40% field goal percentage across his first seven games.
“When I first got onto the team, I realized I needed to be a little bit more versatile,” Rivers said. “I feel like I have the skill set to be versatile and to do those things. So working on those things in practice and applying them into the games was gonna be very important for me moving forward.”
Rivers only has one goal on his mind as he continues to develop his talents in the G League.
“I want to be in the league. I want to be the NBA,” Rivers said. “I want to be able to take care of my mom, my dad, my brother and the people who supported me along the way.”
