The silent ‘G’ in the East Campus Store

Freshman forward Michael Gbinije works weekends at the East Campus Store under the Marketplace during the offseason when he has more free time.
Freshman forward Michael Gbinije works weekends at the East Campus Store under the Marketplace during the offseason when he has more free time.

Amid reports Sunday that Michael Gbinije may transfer, he was the same place as usual—at work.

As he continues to play basketball and train for next season, wherever that might be, Gbinije spends his weekends working at the East Campus Store. With rumors that Gbinije may leave Duke spreading on Twitter shortly after 3 p.m. Sunday, the 6-foot-7 wing player was pulling his usual shift at the store beneath the Marketplace from 4-8 p.m., brushing off discussion of his athletic future.

“Since the offseason I’ve had a lot of time to reflect with how things were during the regular season,” Gbinije said in an interview Wednesday. “So I figured why not just get a job, get some pocket money.”

During basketball season, Gbinije did not have enough time to take up a job. But the rigors of being a student-athlete with regular practices, workouts, study halls and games taught him how to manage his time, making a part-time job down the road realistic.

In season, Gbinije said he would typically wake up at 9 a.m. but not return to his dorm from West Campus until 8-10 p.m. Now saddled with a less demanding offseason schedule, he gets back a few hours earlier but keeps the time-management skills he honed during more hectic times.

“We’re on such a busy schedule during the season, it’s really helped me to fit my job into my schedule and learn how to plan around things,” he said. “It’s taught me a lot.”

But the job is part of a larger maturation process for Gbinije, who has noticed stark differences between his high school and collegiate days both on and off the court.

Once the No. 29 recruit in the nation coming out of high school according to ESPN.com, Gbinije played in just 19 of Duke’s 34 games, logging an average of 5.8 minutes in those contests, often as a defensive specialist. He finished the season with a total of 33 points, 16 rebounds and three assists. As a senior at Benedectine High School he averaged 25 points, 10 boards and five assists per game.

“I think overall everything this year has been humbling, especially coming out of high school where you’re the man and everything is given to you,” Gbinije said. “[In college] it’s kind of the complete opposite, and I’m trying to adjust to it and make the best of it.”

That transition has been off the court too, where the social lives of student-athletes are often removed from the rest of the student body. Having a job, especially one that forces him away from his busy life on West Campus, has further thrust Gbinije into the general population of Duke’s Class of 2015.

“I usually don’t walk around putting myself on a higher pedestal—I try to be as humble as I can,” he said. “And I think getting a job at the Marketplace allows me to do [that and] make some money, but more importantly I get to interact with the people on East Campus because usually I’m never there.”

The decision is already paying dividends as Gbinije gets to know his classmates. Once, a surprised student asked him why he was working there when he is on full scholarship.

“Just trying to be a regular student,” Gbinije recalled answering.

Gbinije is a unique sight within the store—when he works the register, the checkout counter barely reaches his knees. Working there Sunday, he towers over his two female co-workers, both of whom are over a foot shorter than him.

The experience has been a financially and socially rewarding one for him, regardless of whether or not he remains a part of the Duke Class of 2015.

“Now I get the chance to meet my freshman class for once,” Gbinije said. “It is kind of weird that [freshman year] is almost over, but it’s better to meet them now than never.”

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