Reading draft prospect reports the past few years has taught me one thing: I was born in the wrong era. All these athletic guys with no shooting ability getting drafted.
My grandfather played basketball and was reportedly a star center. His nickname was “Legs.” I got a toy hoop for Christmas when I was 3? I don’t remember it, but have seen pictures. I was a tall, skinny kid and got a real hoop for my 8th birthday.
I played organized ball through sophomore year. I went from being the starting center 7-8th grade to being a backup guard. I was 6’0” in 8th grade, so one of the taller kids and definitely more athletic. I remember as a child a pediatric doctor telling my mom that I would top out at least 6’3”, possibly 6’4”. I never made it. I stopped growing taller in 9th grade at 6’1”, and played forward that year. By 10th I was dropped down to guard as the other guys shot past me in height.
I was a very good defender. I was both quick and fast and could run for days. (Ran a 10.65 electronic timed 100m and a 47.38 400m) I could dunk at 6’0” in the 8th grade (measured a 38” one step vertical in 10th), and my wingspan is greater than my height, but not by a lot.
The trouble is I couldn’t shoot outside of the paint and my dribble was rudimentary. I could rebound and pass, because that’s what a center does. Play defense. But I had spent 5-6 years playing as a big with no ball handling experience or shooting from outside. I was washed up as a guard and concentrated on football and track. I only played summer pickup basketball games after that.
Today, if I’d grown another couple of inches I’d have had a chance at being a 2nd round NBA pick! Lol. It’s funny, but not that far fetched. I was a good enough athlete to play Division I football.
