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Sundiata Gaines stood in the lane after an opponent's layup, waiting for a Salt Lake City Stars teammate to come and in-bound the basketball. When nobody arrived after several seconds ticked off the clock, Gaines grabbed the ball, stepped across the line and prepared to make the pass himself.

Seven years ago, Gaines also took action when necessary. His buzzer-beating 3-pointer gave the Jazz a 97-96 victory over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in a nationally televised game, propelling a career that would take the point guard to three other NBA teams, then around the world and back to Salt Lake City.

When the Cavs make their annual Utah visit Tuesday, Gaines will be facing the Austin Spurs at Salt Lake Community College, 10 miles from Vivint Smart Home Arena. The NBA Development League's top salary is $26,000 for the season — about what he earned during that initial 10-day contract with the Jazz in January 2010, before the team signed him for the rest of the season.

The D-League's attraction? "Just being in Utah," said Gaines, 30. "Sometimes, it's always good to go get a lot of money overseas or whatever, but … playing in America, whether it's the D-League or the NBA, I feel more comfortable. That's where my heart is at and what my gut is telling me to do, so I'm here."

Waived by the Jazz in training camp in October 2010, Gaines also played for Minnesota, Toronto and New Jersey during his 113-game NBA career. Since then, he has found work in China, Turkey, Venezuela, Italy and Israel. He maintains his New York accent wherever he goes. And one theme of his life remains consistent: People remember that shot.

"Oh, yeah," Gaines said. "All the time. I hear about it all the time. The crazy thing is it was seven years ago. To a lot of people, it seems like a year or two."

The moment is indelible in Utah, that's for sure. In his fifth NBA game, having arrived from the D-League's Idaho Stampede, Gaines played nine minutes and scored nine points. The Jazz needed him in the fourth quarter after Deron Williams reinjured his wrist and left the game, although coach Jerry Sloan was not even sure who was his fifth player as he drew a play during the final timeout.

"The play was never designed for me," Gaines said. "Coach Sloan just told me to run to the corner."

As the team broke the huddle with 5 seconds remaining and Cleveland leading by two points, first-year Jazz radio broadcaster David Locke said, "Why do I have a feeling it's gonna be Sundiata Gaines?"

Maybe for the same reason that Gaines told himself to be prepared. Kyle Korver likely would be double-teamed after receiving C.J. Miles' in-bounds pass. That's what happened, then Ronnie Price was hounded after taking Korver's pass, so Price dribbled, spun and tossed the ball to Gaines on the right wing.

Gaines remembers "just being ready, embracing the moment, being confident," he said. He delivered the shot over Anthony Parker and, after being mobbed by his teammates, went across the court and climbed atop the scorer's table in triumph.

The shot "really got my career started," he said, "and I've taken advantage of the opportunity."

Gaines finished the season with the Jazz, appearing in the franchise's most recent victory in a playoff game. He played the last 29 seconds of the first half of Game 6 vs. Denver after Williams got into foul trouble.

Gaines' game-winner against Cleveland continued a trend for James, who scored 20 points in the fourth quarter of a losing effort that night. LeBron is 5-8 lifetime in Salt Lake City, playing for Cleveland and Miami. That record covers five straight losses — including a defeat with the Cavs in November 2014, via Gordon Hayward's shot at the buzzer from a spot near Gaines' launch point.

James will have Korver on his team Tuesday following a trade with Atlanta. Gaines returned to Utah partly because he believes he can make it back to the NBA. He scored 29 points vs. Texas in November, soon after joining the Stars, and is averaging 12.7 points as the backup to former Cal star Tyrone Wallace, a second-round pick of the Jazz.

His job is to "stabilize the group when things get kind of overwhelming to Tyrone as a rookie," said Bart Taylor, the Jazz director of scouting/Stars vice president of basketball operations.

Gaines is gracious whenever he's asked to relive his most famous moment, but he's not stuck in 2010. "I've still got a lot more [ahead] in my career," he said.

It's just that whatever shots he makes Tuesday will come in front of maybe 1,000 fans in a junior college gym, far removed from the sold-out arena downtown, where he once topped LeBron.

Twitter: @tribkurt —

Where are they now?

The 10 players on the court when Sundiata Gaines hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer in the Jazz's 97-96 defeat of Cleveland on Jan. 14, 2010

Jazz

Sundiata Gaines • Salt Lake City Stars

Kyle Korver • Cleveland Cavaliers

C.J. Miles • Indiana Pacers

Ronnie Price • Out of NBA after 11 seasons

Mehmet Okur • Phoenix Suns assistant coach

Cavaliers

LeBron James • Cleveland Cavaliers

Anthony Parker • Out of NBA after nine seasons

Delonte West • Out of NBA after eight seasons

Mo Williams • Atlanta Hawks

Anderson Varejao • Golden State Warriors