By Associated Press
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The uncle of former NBA player Lorenzen Wright says police told the family the athlete who had been missing for 10 days has been found dead.
Curtis Wright told The Associated Press that police called the player’s father, Herb Wright, a couple of hours ago.
Police weren’t commenting, but The Commercial Appeal cited a police source as identifying a body found in field in southeast Memphis as Wright’s.
As police were at that scene, people flooded the area to watch.
The 34-year-old Wright was last seen July 18 when he was expected to fly out of town. His family filed a missing person report July 22.
Wright played 13 years in the NBA with five different teams.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/other_nba/view.bg?articleid=1270858
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Lorenzen Wright never forgot promise to friends, family
The Wright Stuff
If my math is right, Vince Chase, Turtle and E were likely still in Queens. And Johnny Drama was on Viking Quest.
It was 2002 and I attempted to put together a piece for Sports Illustrated on NBA players and their entourages. Or, to use the racially tinged term of art, their poss�s. I visited with Gary Payton's crew in Seattle. And Jerry Stackhouse's "Stack Pack" in Detroit. And Ricky Davis' various wingmen in Cleveland.
In the course of the reporting, I heard one story again and again: LorenzenWright, then of the Memphis Grizzlies, was the Jordan of poss�s. Hell, he employed one "bobo" who drew a check just for waking him up every morning.
Like a lot of rumors floating around the sportscape, it contained vestiges of truth, but ultimately it was a lot more complicated. Wright not only kept a sizable entourage, but it also even had a name, "the Wright Stuff." And, yes, Rewis "Raw Dawg" Williams was tasked with getting Wright out of bed each morning at 9:15, a job made even odder by the fact that Wright was married at the time.
Along with Raw Dawg, there was "A-One," "E Man" and two security staffers, Tim and Dennis. They shared "a company car," a green Ford Expedition that Wright, naturally, purchased. They each earned a salary, as much as $2,000 a month. When they went out for barbecue or gambled at the casino in Tunica, Miss., Wright paid. When they each had "The Wright Stuff" tattooed on their arms, Wright picked up the tab on that, too. Stop the story there and it sounds like a trite cautionary tale: groupies, sponges and still another athlete hell-bent on blowing his millions.
But then Wright explained the situation to me. In the early '90s he was the star forward on a Memphis high school team. Raw Dawg was the point guard. They drove around their corpse of a neighborhood in Wright's beat-up car and if they had a few bucks they went to Taco Bell. But they dreamed big. Raw Dawg explained that one night, over a 10-pack of tacos, he and "Ren" made a deal. "If one of us blew up, he'd take care of the other," Raw Dawg recalled. "Of course, to us at the time that meant buying nice shoes."
Raw Dawg stopped growing at 5-foot-9 and went to tiny Tougaloo (Miss.) College. He was supposed to play ball there, but it didn't work out, and he eventually left school. Wright, meanwhile, became a star at Memphis State. In 1996, the Los Angeles Clippers made him a lottery pick. And he remembered the pledge he made Raw Dawg.
It wasn't a debt he was paying, a bet he had lost or blind loyalty. "I wanted him to share in some of my success," Wright said. "Why wouldn't you want your friends with you in the good times?"
For his part, Raw Dawg took his duties seriously. He learned to cook and became Wright's personal chef of sorts. He read up on fitness and physiology and became a personal trainer for Wright. And, yes, there were the wake-up calls, too. "My day is pretty much up to Ren," Raw Dawg said. "The biggest thing is that I be on time."
And the other Wright Stuff members had similar stories. One was a cousin of Wright's who was going through some hard times. "He could use some help," shrugged Wright, then in the middle of a $42 million contract. Another was a longtime friend who had hoped to major in business in college but had dropped out when the bills piled up. Wright wanted to help him, too.
Apart from the odd jobs and the errands, the Wright Stuff served another purpose. Lorenzen Wright's father, Herb, was a well-regarded coach and rec center director in Memphis. When Lorenzen was in grade school, Herb kicked a man out of the gym. The man returned with a gun, opened fire and paralyzed Herb. Now, the Wright Stuff was taking care of Herb, whether it was wheeling him to his courtside seat at a Grizzlies game or shuttling him to his doctors appointments.
So Wright was using his success to help out family members and prop up the careers of quasi-siblings down on their luck. He was happy to let fortunate friends share some scraps of his success. He let a boyhood friend serve as a business manager. Funny, no one wanted to make a half-hour HBO series about this arrangement.
On Wednesday, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reported that law enforcement officials found Wright's body in a wooded area in Memphis. Wright, who played his final NBA game in 2009, was last seen at a Memphis barbershop on July 19.
For whatever sordid details might or might not emerge in the coming days, it bears remembering that this was a guy saddled with pressures beyond basketball who went to great lengths looking after his family and friends.
By: Jon Wertheim (CNNSI)
NABC tells coaches no more financial ties with Pumps
KANSAS CITY, Mo.(AP) -- The National Association of Basketball Coaches said Friday this will be the last year its members can have financial relationships with the Harold Pump Foundation, a charity run by basketball power brokers David and Dana Pump.
The brothers are well known in college basketball circles, sponsoring camps and summer leagues. The NABC, however, said the NCAA has barred financial links in this area, expressing concern about "funneling of money" issues in men's basketball recruiting.
NABC executive director Jim Haney said the move was not necessarily aimed only at the Pumps.
"There are foundations that have been formed to create funding mechanisms for summer programs, for club teams as a means of soliciting funding," Haney told The Associated Press. "One of the things that's occurred, directly or indirectly, is college coaches have felt pressured to contribute to those funds -- 'You fund it, you'll have access to the players that I control.' "
Calls to Double Pump Inc. in Westwood, Calif., were not immediately returned. Yahoo! Sports reported Friday that the NCAA has also adopted legislation shutting down a coaching search company operated by the Pumps called ChampSearch. Tennessee reportedly retained the company before hiring Bruce Pearl as head coach of its men's program.
"What are Dana and I supposed to do?" David Pump told Yahoo! Sports. "Of course I'm very disappointed. Dana and I work our whole life to build our business, and people are doing things like this. Don't you think they're being a little unfair?"
The NCAA's new rules on the subject bar schools and staff to pay a consulting fee "to an individual associated with a prospective student-athlete or to a consulting firm in which an individual associated with a prospective student-athlete has a proprietary or financial interest."
The NCAA did not immediately return calls Friday. Its director of basketball enforcement, LuAnn Humphrey, told Yahoo! Sports there were concerns about a conflict of interest.
"We are going to be concerned about the structure of any business who would potentially meet that definition (of being associated with prospects)," she said. "If you have a consulting firm that is in some way tied to prospects -- some of the benefits or the monies could be going to prospects -- there is that conflict of interest. Is the person being hired because they have a connection to prospects? Or are they being hired because they are a search firm?"
The Kansas City-based NABC said "numerous athletic administrative and coaches" have attended the Harold Pump Foundation golf outing and fundraiser over the past decade. Haney said the NCAA ban doesn't take effect until next year and coaches may attend the foundation's fundraiser this year.
"There may be some guys who decide to attend. There may be some guys who choose not to attend," he said.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The brothers are well known in college basketball circles, sponsoring camps and summer leagues. The NABC, however, said the NCAA has barred financial links in this area, expressing concern about "funneling of money" issues in men's basketball recruiting.
NABC executive director Jim Haney said the move was not necessarily aimed only at the Pumps.
"There are foundations that have been formed to create funding mechanisms for summer programs, for club teams as a means of soliciting funding," Haney told The Associated Press. "One of the things that's occurred, directly or indirectly, is college coaches have felt pressured to contribute to those funds -- 'You fund it, you'll have access to the players that I control.' "
Calls to Double Pump Inc. in Westwood, Calif., were not immediately returned. Yahoo! Sports reported Friday that the NCAA has also adopted legislation shutting down a coaching search company operated by the Pumps called ChampSearch. Tennessee reportedly retained the company before hiring Bruce Pearl as head coach of its men's program.
"What are Dana and I supposed to do?" David Pump told Yahoo! Sports. "Of course I'm very disappointed. Dana and I work our whole life to build our business, and people are doing things like this. Don't you think they're being a little unfair?"
The NCAA's new rules on the subject bar schools and staff to pay a consulting fee "to an individual associated with a prospective student-athlete or to a consulting firm in which an individual associated with a prospective student-athlete has a proprietary or financial interest."
The NCAA did not immediately return calls Friday. Its director of basketball enforcement, LuAnn Humphrey, told Yahoo! Sports there were concerns about a conflict of interest.
"We are going to be concerned about the structure of any business who would potentially meet that definition (of being associated with prospects)," she said. "If you have a consulting firm that is in some way tied to prospects -- some of the benefits or the monies could be going to prospects -- there is that conflict of interest. Is the person being hired because they have a connection to prospects? Or are they being hired because they are a search firm?"
The Kansas City-based NABC said "numerous athletic administrative and coaches" have attended the Harold Pump Foundation golf outing and fundraiser over the past decade. Haney said the NCAA ban doesn't take effect until next year and coaches may attend the foundation's fundraiser this year.
"There may be some guys who decide to attend. There may be some guys who choose not to attend," he said.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Remembering Reggie
By Kirk Minihane
Created 07/27/2010 - 12:21pm
Reggie Lewis died 17 years ago Tuesday.
Hard to believe that he would be 44 years old now, probably be six or seven years out of the league. Maybe he'd be a coach, maybe he'd be sitting next to Mike and Tommy, maybe he would have moved into the front office. Who knows?
My best guess, though, is that he would have retired and just gone away. Reggie Lewis was quiet, shy, retreating. Everything that the year or so after his death wasn't. He wasn't built like a Jo Jo White or M.L. Carr, mugging for JumboTrons or playing a million local golf [1] tournaments. Sure, he would have shown up for the occasional playoff game. And it would have been nice to see Reggie Lewis, after a 16 or 17-year career, be able to watch his No. 35 go up to the rafters. But I think he would have followed the John Havlicek school of ducking out of the spotlight.
He would have also, I think, followed Havlicek somewhere else.
Springfield.
When Reggie Lewis stepped on the floor for Game 1 of the Celtics [2] first-round series with the Hornets [3] on April 29, 1993 it was supposed to be the start of a new era. Larry Bird [4] had retired after the previous season and the skinny kid from Northeastern had taken over as captain. He averaged 20.8 points per game in 1992-93, shooting 47 percent from the floor and nearly 87 percent from the line. Already established as an All-Star, Lewis had proven that he could be the best player on a very good team. The Celtics [2] won 47 games in a tough Eastern Conference [5] (Jordan, the Riley Knicks [6], Price and Daugherty in Cleveland, LJ and Alonzo in Charlotte) and there could be a case made that Reggie Lewis was the second-best shooting guard in the NBA [7] and one the 10-12 best overall players.
And he started out the first three minutes of the Charlotte game seemingly intent on making sure that everyone knew that this was both his team and his time. He scored 10 points in those three minutes, hitting a couple of his trademark pull-up jumpers over Kendall Gill. The idea that Reggie Lewis could be dominant in a playoff game was nothing new -- he was probably the best player not named Michael Jordan [8] in the 1992 playoffs, averaging 28-4-4 in 10 playoff games in 1992, outplaying Reggie Miller for the second straight year in a head-to-head playoff matchup -- but to do it without Bird meant something else to Celtics fans. Everyone liked Reggie enough, but could be THE guy? For those three minutes the answer sure looked like "yes".
And then he staggered and fell …
Look, there is a time and place for talk of Donna Harris and Gilbert Mudge and the Dream Team and Jerome Stanley and Arnold Scheller and unmarked graves and lawsuits and did he or didn't he and why did let him back on the court. But this isn't about that. When Reggie Lewis died a father and husband died. Of course that's paramount over anything else. But it also signaled the death of the Celtics for a decade and a half. The one-two combo of the Len Bias and Reggie Lewis tragedies spiraled the Celtics into 15 years of NBA [7] irrelevance.
Reggie Lewis, at the very worst, was going to be the best player on a year-in, year-out 45-50 win team for a decade. He was never going to be an MVP, but just a level below that. A seven or eight-time All-Star and occasional second or third team All-NBA guy. He couldn't win a title as the best player maybe, but could have done it with one or two other guys at his level. Think Paul Pierce [9].
(Crazy that Pierce would almost certainly not been a Celtic had Lewis lived and had a full career. Lewis would have been 32 years old -- Pierce's age now -- and a team with a still close to prime Reggie Lewis probably wasn't going to pick 10th in the draft. Plus Pierce played the same position and did a lot of the same things offensively. Strange to think that Pierce has been around here forever and it was already five years after Reggie died when he was drafted. Oh, and the NBA was just about to enter a truly ugly era when Reggie died. They sure could have used a quiet, classy guy who eschewed the trash talk and just played basketball during the years of 78-74 games and the likes of Antoine Walker [10] demanding max contracts.)
But he never got that chance. His death is still a mystery (imagine how crazy all the stuff around his death would be today? Remember, no internet and sports talk radio was still young in 1993) but the kind of player he was is not up for argument or whacked out theories.
One of the big reasons I wanted Kevin Durant [11] to end up in Boston in 2007 was because of how much he reminded me of Reggie Lewis. He's a better player than Reggie (not by much, though), but the pull-up jumper and where the ball is released is uncanny. When I see Durant I always think of Reggie. That's the kind of player he was.
An almost impossible cover as a one-on-one scorer. Also one of the two or three players I can remember who actually was a better shooter with a hand in his face as opposed to being wide open (the harder the shot the more likely he made it). His pull-up jumper, usually after two or three hard dribbles with his left hand, was becoming one of the NBA's signature moves by 1993. What made it so difficult to defend was what in large part made Lewis such a good defender -- his long arms. He was 6-foot-7 but seemed 6-11 with his wingspan. Ask Michael Jordan [8] -- nobody defended Jordan better (want proof? [12]). A terrific all-around player on the verge of stardom when it all ended.
Reggie Lewis died 17 years ago Tuesday.
And we still wonder why it happened and what could have been.
Published on WEEI (http://www.weei.com)
Created 07/27/2010 - 12:21pm
Reggie Lewis died 17 years ago Tuesday.
Hard to believe that he would be 44 years old now, probably be six or seven years out of the league. Maybe he'd be a coach, maybe he'd be sitting next to Mike and Tommy, maybe he would have moved into the front office. Who knows?
My best guess, though, is that he would have retired and just gone away. Reggie Lewis was quiet, shy, retreating. Everything that the year or so after his death wasn't. He wasn't built like a Jo Jo White or M.L. Carr, mugging for JumboTrons or playing a million local golf [1] tournaments. Sure, he would have shown up for the occasional playoff game. And it would have been nice to see Reggie Lewis, after a 16 or 17-year career, be able to watch his No. 35 go up to the rafters. But I think he would have followed the John Havlicek school of ducking out of the spotlight.
He would have also, I think, followed Havlicek somewhere else.
Springfield.
When Reggie Lewis stepped on the floor for Game 1 of the Celtics [2] first-round series with the Hornets [3] on April 29, 1993 it was supposed to be the start of a new era. Larry Bird [4] had retired after the previous season and the skinny kid from Northeastern had taken over as captain. He averaged 20.8 points per game in 1992-93, shooting 47 percent from the floor and nearly 87 percent from the line. Already established as an All-Star, Lewis had proven that he could be the best player on a very good team. The Celtics [2] won 47 games in a tough Eastern Conference [5] (Jordan, the Riley Knicks [6], Price and Daugherty in Cleveland, LJ and Alonzo in Charlotte) and there could be a case made that Reggie Lewis was the second-best shooting guard in the NBA [7] and one the 10-12 best overall players.
And he started out the first three minutes of the Charlotte game seemingly intent on making sure that everyone knew that this was both his team and his time. He scored 10 points in those three minutes, hitting a couple of his trademark pull-up jumpers over Kendall Gill. The idea that Reggie Lewis could be dominant in a playoff game was nothing new -- he was probably the best player not named Michael Jordan [8] in the 1992 playoffs, averaging 28-4-4 in 10 playoff games in 1992, outplaying Reggie Miller for the second straight year in a head-to-head playoff matchup -- but to do it without Bird meant something else to Celtics fans. Everyone liked Reggie enough, but could be THE guy? For those three minutes the answer sure looked like "yes".
And then he staggered and fell …
Look, there is a time and place for talk of Donna Harris and Gilbert Mudge and the Dream Team and Jerome Stanley and Arnold Scheller and unmarked graves and lawsuits and did he or didn't he and why did let him back on the court. But this isn't about that. When Reggie Lewis died a father and husband died. Of course that's paramount over anything else. But it also signaled the death of the Celtics for a decade and a half. The one-two combo of the Len Bias and Reggie Lewis tragedies spiraled the Celtics into 15 years of NBA [7] irrelevance.
Reggie Lewis, at the very worst, was going to be the best player on a year-in, year-out 45-50 win team for a decade. He was never going to be an MVP, but just a level below that. A seven or eight-time All-Star and occasional second or third team All-NBA guy. He couldn't win a title as the best player maybe, but could have done it with one or two other guys at his level. Think Paul Pierce [9].
(Crazy that Pierce would almost certainly not been a Celtic had Lewis lived and had a full career. Lewis would have been 32 years old -- Pierce's age now -- and a team with a still close to prime Reggie Lewis probably wasn't going to pick 10th in the draft. Plus Pierce played the same position and did a lot of the same things offensively. Strange to think that Pierce has been around here forever and it was already five years after Reggie died when he was drafted. Oh, and the NBA was just about to enter a truly ugly era when Reggie died. They sure could have used a quiet, classy guy who eschewed the trash talk and just played basketball during the years of 78-74 games and the likes of Antoine Walker [10] demanding max contracts.)
But he never got that chance. His death is still a mystery (imagine how crazy all the stuff around his death would be today? Remember, no internet and sports talk radio was still young in 1993) but the kind of player he was is not up for argument or whacked out theories.
One of the big reasons I wanted Kevin Durant [11] to end up in Boston in 2007 was because of how much he reminded me of Reggie Lewis. He's a better player than Reggie (not by much, though), but the pull-up jumper and where the ball is released is uncanny. When I see Durant I always think of Reggie. That's the kind of player he was.
An almost impossible cover as a one-on-one scorer. Also one of the two or three players I can remember who actually was a better shooter with a hand in his face as opposed to being wide open (the harder the shot the more likely he made it). His pull-up jumper, usually after two or three hard dribbles with his left hand, was becoming one of the NBA's signature moves by 1993. What made it so difficult to defend was what in large part made Lewis such a good defender -- his long arms. He was 6-foot-7 but seemed 6-11 with his wingspan. Ask Michael Jordan [8] -- nobody defended Jordan better (want proof? [12]). A terrific all-around player on the verge of stardom when it all ended.
Reggie Lewis died 17 years ago Tuesday.
And we still wonder why it happened and what could have been.
Published on WEEI (http://www.weei.com)
Former Harvard standout Lin ready to prove himself with Warriors
As he sat on a couch in the coach's office at Palo Alto High School in Northern California, the walls festooned with aged, curling photos of teams from 50 and 60 years ago, Jeremy Lin understood the importance of his contract with the Golden State Warriors. After all, his new deal meant as much to him as it did to the Asian community that has been rooting for him.
But he's chosen to narrow his focus.
"I understand my unique situation," said Lin, who, as an undrafted free agent out of Harvard, signed a two-year deal with Golden State last week. "But I am playing because I love the game. I am not playing for other fans. I don't think that is the right approach to the game. I appreciate everything they do, and I totally appreciate that support -- I really do. But when I step on the floor it is going to be because I love the game, pure and simple.
"When I put that pressure of pleasing everybody else, the Asian community and every other Asian, that's when I lose my joy for playing the game and that is when it's not fun for me anymore because I am playing for the wrong reasons," added Lin, the son of Taiwanese immigrants. "It is impossible to please everybody."
It is interesting to see a player like Lin in these early days of fame. After a solid summer league performance in Las Vegas with the Mavericks, the versatile guard drew interest from other teams, including the Warriors and Lakers. And Golden State, which recently traded C.J. Watson to Chicago and was in need of a backup for Stephen Curry, gave Lin a partially guaranteed contract.
Suddenly, he is being interviewed on national television shows. His parents -- both computer engineers -- are being called by journalists inquiring about his upbringing, and the Warriors are creating a marketing campaign designed specifically for him.
"Just my whole story is so unique," Lin said. "Not only Asian-American, I'm from Harvard, from the Bay Area, I was virtually unknown coming into the draft scene. Not once -- never -- was I on anybody's draft board coming in. Everyone just kind of removed me from the picture once the season ended. My emergence was so sudden."
It was sudden, but perhaps overdue. As a high school senior in 2006, he averaged 15 points, seven assists, six boards and five steals, leading underdog Palo Alto to a state championship over Mater Dei, a team stacked with future NBA talents.
In his senior year at Harvard, Lin averaged 16.4 points, 4.5 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 2.4 steals and was unanimously selected for the All-Ivy League First Team. And his 30-point, nine-rebound performance against 12th-ranked Connecticut had Huskies coach Jim Calhoun saying, "I've seen a lot of teams come through here, and he could play for any of them."
But for Lin, who still drives around in his beat-up Ford Taurus with dents spattered on the driver's side, going pro, he says, is "surreal." Especially with his hometown Warriors.
He often thinks back to 2007 when he was sitting in his Harvard dorm room. The Warriors completed their "We Believe" defeat of the Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs -- the first No. 8 seed to beat a top seed in a seven-game series -- and only he was there to jump up and down in celebration.
How interesting, then, that his choice of where to play in the league came down to those two teams, and the Warriors won out again.
"Well, we'll see," Lin said. "I have not done anything in the NBA yet. Who knows? If my career is terrible, maybe it will be the Dallas Mavericks who won."
You do not hear too many NBA players talk like this, seeds of self-doubt occasionally sprouting. You also rarely hear this sentence: "I compare myself to [Suns backup point guard] Goran Dragic."
Lin may have been a slashing shooting guard at Harvard, but he will have to return to playing point in the NBA, a position he last played in high school. Adding strength and a consistent jump shot and improving his defense and knowledge of the game are musts for every NBA rookie. And Lin is no exception.
But he will also have to reconcile his beliefs with the NBA lifestyle. A non-denominational Christian, he speaks openly of playing for the glory of God, of one day becoming a pastor who can head up non-profit organizations, either here or abroad.
Lin said that when he showed up to play in the Mavericks' mini-camp, he was handed a jersey with the No. 7, God's number, which represents Divine completion.
"I was like, 'Wow, that's interesting,' " Lin said. "Deep down inside, that was God's way of reminding me he was there with me."
But Lin also has heard the stories about the NBA -- reckless spending, women and drugs.
"I know there is a lot of temptation out there and I have heard about the NBA lifestyle," Lin said. "I am not saying I am better than anybody else, but I am going to try to live the way I have always lived and try not to change just because I am in the NBA."
That mini-camp is where Lin really started to believe he was capable of playing at the NBA level. He sensed it at the pre-draft camp in Portsmouth, Va. It was validated as he went around the country participating in individual workouts and discovered time after time that he was as good as, and sometimes better than, the players against whom he was competing.
Still, that was not translating to recognition.
"I thought there were several workouts where I played very well and it just seemed like nobody noticed or cared," Lin said. "I was very confused at times. I'd call my agent and say I was easily the best one in this workout, and no one seemed to care. Deep down inside I believed in myself and it started to show at summer league."
That's when Lin matched up against Wizards point guard John Wall, the top pick in the draft. Everyone in the gym stopped to watch Wall, and they couldn't help but notice the Asian kid who was playing pretty well against him.
That's when the calls began coming in to his agent and this strange journey began. It remains to be seen where it will go.
"I still need to prove I can play in the NBA," Lin said, "and I have not proved that yet."
But he's chosen to narrow his focus.
"I understand my unique situation," said Lin, who, as an undrafted free agent out of Harvard, signed a two-year deal with Golden State last week. "But I am playing because I love the game. I am not playing for other fans. I don't think that is the right approach to the game. I appreciate everything they do, and I totally appreciate that support -- I really do. But when I step on the floor it is going to be because I love the game, pure and simple.
"When I put that pressure of pleasing everybody else, the Asian community and every other Asian, that's when I lose my joy for playing the game and that is when it's not fun for me anymore because I am playing for the wrong reasons," added Lin, the son of Taiwanese immigrants. "It is impossible to please everybody."
It is interesting to see a player like Lin in these early days of fame. After a solid summer league performance in Las Vegas with the Mavericks, the versatile guard drew interest from other teams, including the Warriors and Lakers. And Golden State, which recently traded C.J. Watson to Chicago and was in need of a backup for Stephen Curry, gave Lin a partially guaranteed contract.
Suddenly, he is being interviewed on national television shows. His parents -- both computer engineers -- are being called by journalists inquiring about his upbringing, and the Warriors are creating a marketing campaign designed specifically for him.
"Just my whole story is so unique," Lin said. "Not only Asian-American, I'm from Harvard, from the Bay Area, I was virtually unknown coming into the draft scene. Not once -- never -- was I on anybody's draft board coming in. Everyone just kind of removed me from the picture once the season ended. My emergence was so sudden."
It was sudden, but perhaps overdue. As a high school senior in 2006, he averaged 15 points, seven assists, six boards and five steals, leading underdog Palo Alto to a state championship over Mater Dei, a team stacked with future NBA talents.
In his senior year at Harvard, Lin averaged 16.4 points, 4.5 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 2.4 steals and was unanimously selected for the All-Ivy League First Team. And his 30-point, nine-rebound performance against 12th-ranked Connecticut had Huskies coach Jim Calhoun saying, "I've seen a lot of teams come through here, and he could play for any of them."
But for Lin, who still drives around in his beat-up Ford Taurus with dents spattered on the driver's side, going pro, he says, is "surreal." Especially with his hometown Warriors.
He often thinks back to 2007 when he was sitting in his Harvard dorm room. The Warriors completed their "We Believe" defeat of the Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs -- the first No. 8 seed to beat a top seed in a seven-game series -- and only he was there to jump up and down in celebration.
How interesting, then, that his choice of where to play in the league came down to those two teams, and the Warriors won out again.
"Well, we'll see," Lin said. "I have not done anything in the NBA yet. Who knows? If my career is terrible, maybe it will be the Dallas Mavericks who won."
You do not hear too many NBA players talk like this, seeds of self-doubt occasionally sprouting. You also rarely hear this sentence: "I compare myself to [Suns backup point guard] Goran Dragic."
Lin may have been a slashing shooting guard at Harvard, but he will have to return to playing point in the NBA, a position he last played in high school. Adding strength and a consistent jump shot and improving his defense and knowledge of the game are musts for every NBA rookie. And Lin is no exception.
But he will also have to reconcile his beliefs with the NBA lifestyle. A non-denominational Christian, he speaks openly of playing for the glory of God, of one day becoming a pastor who can head up non-profit organizations, either here or abroad.
Lin said that when he showed up to play in the Mavericks' mini-camp, he was handed a jersey with the No. 7, God's number, which represents Divine completion.
"I was like, 'Wow, that's interesting,' " Lin said. "Deep down inside, that was God's way of reminding me he was there with me."
But Lin also has heard the stories about the NBA -- reckless spending, women and drugs.
"I know there is a lot of temptation out there and I have heard about the NBA lifestyle," Lin said. "I am not saying I am better than anybody else, but I am going to try to live the way I have always lived and try not to change just because I am in the NBA."
That mini-camp is where Lin really started to believe he was capable of playing at the NBA level. He sensed it at the pre-draft camp in Portsmouth, Va. It was validated as he went around the country participating in individual workouts and discovered time after time that he was as good as, and sometimes better than, the players against whom he was competing.
Still, that was not translating to recognition.
"I thought there were several workouts where I played very well and it just seemed like nobody noticed or cared," Lin said. "I was very confused at times. I'd call my agent and say I was easily the best one in this workout, and no one seemed to care. Deep down inside I believed in myself and it started to show at summer league."
That's when Lin matched up against Wizards point guard John Wall, the top pick in the draft. Everyone in the gym stopped to watch Wall, and they couldn't help but notice the Asian kid who was playing pretty well against him.
That's when the calls began coming in to his agent and this strange journey began. It remains to be seen where it will go.
"I still need to prove I can play in the NBA," Lin said, "and I have not proved that yet."
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Warriors sign undrafted free agent Lin
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Jeremy Lin took a seat in a small room in front of an array of television crews, photographers and print media on Wednesday afternoon. He'd never seen anything like that at Harvard.
"This is unbelievable," Lin said after the Golden State Warriors signed the undrafted free agent guard. "I've never been part of something like this."
He became the first Asian-American player signed by the Warriors since 1947. In an area with a large Asian population, Lin becomes an instant celebrity.
"I consider myself a basketball player more than an Asian-American," said the Bay Area native. "I'm ready to play at this level and I appreciate the support of the Asian community. This is a dream come true. I always wanted to be in the NBA and now I get to do it with the Warriors, the team I grew up watching."
The 21-year-old Lin averaged 16.4 points, 4.5 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game as a senior at Harvard. The season was highlighted by a 30-point, nine-rebound performance against Connecticut.
Lin is from nearby Palo Alto. He led Palo Alto High School to a state championship in 2006.
"This has not sunk in yet," he said. "I've had a lot to think about the last 12 hours and I still can't get my head around it. Growing up I had my Latrell Sprewell poster and Joe Smith jersey."
Lin became a prospect during his final year with the Crimson and furthered his worth playing with the Dallas Mavericks' summer league team in Las Vegas.
Mavericks president of basketball operations Donn Nelson called Lin before the NBA draft and offered him the opportunity to play in the league. He was originally scheduled to play in the San Francisco Pro-Am League.
"Donn Nelson took care of me," Lin said. "He invited me to July 4th festivities, brought me to Dallas for a 10-day training camp and went out of his way."
Lin became the first Ivy League player to record 1,450 points, 450 rebounds, 400 assists and 200 steals. He finished his college career as Harvard's all-time leader in games played (115) and fifth in points with 1,483 points.
"I understand there are not many Asians in the NBA and there are not many Ivy Leaguers in the NBA," Lin said. "Maybe I can help break the stereotype."
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
"This is unbelievable," Lin said after the Golden State Warriors signed the undrafted free agent guard. "I've never been part of something like this."
He became the first Asian-American player signed by the Warriors since 1947. In an area with a large Asian population, Lin becomes an instant celebrity.
"I consider myself a basketball player more than an Asian-American," said the Bay Area native. "I'm ready to play at this level and I appreciate the support of the Asian community. This is a dream come true. I always wanted to be in the NBA and now I get to do it with the Warriors, the team I grew up watching."
The 21-year-old Lin averaged 16.4 points, 4.5 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game as a senior at Harvard. The season was highlighted by a 30-point, nine-rebound performance against Connecticut.
Lin is from nearby Palo Alto. He led Palo Alto High School to a state championship in 2006.
"This has not sunk in yet," he said. "I've had a lot to think about the last 12 hours and I still can't get my head around it. Growing up I had my Latrell Sprewell poster and Joe Smith jersey."
Lin became a prospect during his final year with the Crimson and furthered his worth playing with the Dallas Mavericks' summer league team in Las Vegas.
Mavericks president of basketball operations Donn Nelson called Lin before the NBA draft and offered him the opportunity to play in the league. He was originally scheduled to play in the San Francisco Pro-Am League.
"Donn Nelson took care of me," Lin said. "He invited me to July 4th festivities, brought me to Dallas for a 10-day training camp and went out of his way."
Lin became the first Ivy League player to record 1,450 points, 450 rebounds, 400 assists and 200 steals. He finished his college career as Harvard's all-time leader in games played (115) and fifth in points with 1,483 points.
"I understand there are not many Asians in the NBA and there are not many Ivy Leaguers in the NBA," Lin said. "Maybe I can help break the stereotype."
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Inaugural SPARQ Rating National Championships July 8th 2010
June 29, 2010
Tim Tebow scored a 96.92. So far this year, the highest score is
127.86. Who will beat it? On July 8th, the 25 fastest, strongest, most
explosive players in high school football will clash at the inaugural
SPARQ Rating National Championship at Nike Worldwide Headquarters.
For the past six months, Nike Football and SPARQ have been going across
the country hunting for the top high school football athletes,
measuring the athleticism of football players through a series of
drills and tests geared toward the sport - the 40-yard dash, agility
shuttle, kneeling ball toss and vertical jump.
The 25 highest-rated athletes will report to Nike’s campus in
Beaverton, Oregon all with the same goal in mind – to be crowned the
SPARQ Rating National Champion. The competition will be headlined and
emceed by Heisman Trophy winner and Denver rookie Tim Tebow, who had
this to say about the event, “I’m thrilled to be a part of the SPARQ
Rating National Championship because it celebrates the nation’s best
football athletes and all the hard work they have put in this
off-season.”
Who is the country’s most elite high school football athlete? We’ll
soon know. Stay tuned for news and updates about this first-ever, one
of a kind event.
Story via Nike Football
Tim Tebow scored a 96.92. So far this year, the highest score is
127.86. Who will beat it? On July 8th, the 25 fastest, strongest, most
explosive players in high school football will clash at the inaugural
SPARQ Rating National Championship at Nike Worldwide Headquarters.
For the past six months, Nike Football and SPARQ have been going across
the country hunting for the top high school football athletes,
measuring the athleticism of football players through a series of
drills and tests geared toward the sport - the 40-yard dash, agility
shuttle, kneeling ball toss and vertical jump.
The 25 highest-rated athletes will report to Nike’s campus in
Beaverton, Oregon all with the same goal in mind – to be crowned the
SPARQ Rating National Champion. The competition will be headlined and
emceed by Heisman Trophy winner and Denver rookie Tim Tebow, who had
this to say about the event, “I’m thrilled to be a part of the SPARQ
Rating National Championship because it celebrates the nation’s best
football athletes and all the hard work they have put in this
off-season.”
Who is the country’s most elite high school football athlete? We’ll
soon know. Stay tuned for news and updates about this first-ever, one
of a kind event.
Story via Nike Football
Monday, July 12, 2010
Jesse Jackson faults Cavs owner's LeBron comments
CHICAGO (AP) -- Jesse Jackson criticized Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert on Sunday, saying Gilbert sees LeBron James as a "runaway slave'' and that the owner's comments after the free-agent forward decided to join the Miami Heat put the player in danger.
Shortly after James announced his decision last week, Gilbert fired off an incendiary letter to Cleveland's fans, ripping the 25-year-old and promising to deliver a title before James wins one. He called James' decision "cowardly'' and later told The Associated Press he believes James quit during a handful of Cavaliers playoff games.
"He has gotten a free pass,'' Gilbert told the AP in a phone interview late Thursday night. "People have covered up for (James) for way too long. Tonight we saw who he really is.''
Jackson said Gilbert's comments were "mean, arrogant and presumptuous.''
"He speaks as an owner of LeBron and not the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers,'' the reverend said in a release from his Chicago-based civil rights group, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. "His feelings of betrayal personify a slave master mentality. He sees LeBron as a runaway slave. This is an owner employee relationship - between business partners - and LeBron honored his contract.''
Messages were left Sunday night seeking comment from Gilbert, the Cavaliers and James.
Jackson also called Gilbert's comments an attack on all NBA players and said the owner should face a "challenge'' from the league and the players' association.
NBA spokesman Tim Frank declined comment.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Shortly after James announced his decision last week, Gilbert fired off an incendiary letter to Cleveland's fans, ripping the 25-year-old and promising to deliver a title before James wins one. He called James' decision "cowardly'' and later told The Associated Press he believes James quit during a handful of Cavaliers playoff games.
"He has gotten a free pass,'' Gilbert told the AP in a phone interview late Thursday night. "People have covered up for (James) for way too long. Tonight we saw who he really is.''
Jackson said Gilbert's comments were "mean, arrogant and presumptuous.''
"He speaks as an owner of LeBron and not the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers,'' the reverend said in a release from his Chicago-based civil rights group, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. "His feelings of betrayal personify a slave master mentality. He sees LeBron as a runaway slave. This is an owner employee relationship - between business partners - and LeBron honored his contract.''
Messages were left Sunday night seeking comment from Gilbert, the Cavaliers and James.
Jackson also called Gilbert's comments an attack on all NBA players and said the owner should face a "challenge'' from the league and the players' association.
NBA spokesman Tim Frank declined comment.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Celtics, Pierce reach agreement
By Steve Bulpett | Friday, July 2, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics
Paul Pierce will remain a Celtic.
The club has reached agreement with its captain on a new contract, according to sources. The deal is for four years at $61 million with certain options for both sides after the first three.
The papers cannot be signed and the deal cannot be officially announced until next week.
Pierce opted out of the final year of his previous contract and became an unrestricted free agent at 12:01 Thursday. But he took that route with the intention of re-signing with the Celtics [team stats] in a deal that would help his own future and allow the club better maneuverability.
Pierce will in the 2010-11 season make significantly less that the $21,513,521 he was scheduled to receive. That will aid the Celtics’ position versus the luxury tax.
It’s important to note that, while the basic parameters of Pierce’s new contract (years, money) have been agreed upon in principle, there are still a number of details to be worked out — as one would expect when more than $60 million is involved.
There is no doubt the sides have achieved their main goal of keeping Pierce in Green, but the deal will gain more definitive shape before it can be signed next Thursday.
The team’s other big-name free agent, Ray Allen, has been contacted, but it remains to be seen what other type of interest he gets from NBA teams looking for a veteran shooter.
Nevertheless, Pierce’s return, on the heels of Doc Rivers’ decision to return as coach, means the Celtics are well on their way toward restoring most of the team that came up a game short in the NBA Finals in June.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1265319
Paul Pierce will remain a Celtic.
The club has reached agreement with its captain on a new contract, according to sources. The deal is for four years at $61 million with certain options for both sides after the first three.
The papers cannot be signed and the deal cannot be officially announced until next week.
Pierce opted out of the final year of his previous contract and became an unrestricted free agent at 12:01 Thursday. But he took that route with the intention of re-signing with the Celtics [team stats] in a deal that would help his own future and allow the club better maneuverability.
Pierce will in the 2010-11 season make significantly less that the $21,513,521 he was scheduled to receive. That will aid the Celtics’ position versus the luxury tax.
It’s important to note that, while the basic parameters of Pierce’s new contract (years, money) have been agreed upon in principle, there are still a number of details to be worked out — as one would expect when more than $60 million is involved.
There is no doubt the sides have achieved their main goal of keeping Pierce in Green, but the deal will gain more definitive shape before it can be signed next Thursday.
The team’s other big-name free agent, Ray Allen, has been contacted, but it remains to be seen what other type of interest he gets from NBA teams looking for a veteran shooter.
Nevertheless, Pierce’s return, on the heels of Doc Rivers’ decision to return as coach, means the Celtics are well on their way toward restoring most of the team that came up a game short in the NBA Finals in June.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1265319
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