Hey! Whatever Happened To Nick Van Exel?

With the NBA getting its draft on in the Big Apple tonight, most basketball fans will tune in to see the glitz and glamour of David Stern’s version of the Price is Right, with young men, some fresh outta’ their freshman seasons, making their services available for millions.

 

Everyone knows pretty much that the top tier, lottery picks turn out to be pretty decent pros (in my mind, Kwame Brown never happened). But it’s the second round picks that’ll really surprise you.

 

Gilbert Arenas, Rashard Lewis, Manu Ginobili, the list goes on, are guys who were overlooked in the draft only to make teams pay for it later. One Nick Van Exel from Kenosha, Wisconsin was one of the leaders of that trend.

 

Coming out of Bob Huggins’ system with the Cincinnati Bearcats, Nick was eased into leadership status, not really starting until his senior year. But it was then that Van Exel excelled (I know, I’m bad), taking his team to the big dance and in the process, putting Cincy college ball on the map. He was an Iverson-sized point guard with Ohio sized confidence when it came to shooting the three ball, and he had the shattered Cincy records to show for it.

 

In the 1993 Draft, Big Daddy Stern called Nick’s name from the podium and he was off to Tinseltown. But things weren’t all golden in Los Angeles at the time, with the “Showtime” era having just concluded; the Lakers were in a “rebuilding” phase. (Back then; you’d NEVER think to hear “Lakers” and “rebuilding” in the same breath). Magic, and Worthy were gone. Pat Riley was replaced with Randy Pfund (a Pat Riley look-alike) until borrowing Milwaukee’s old coach, Dell Harris. L.A. was banking on Nick and second-year man Eddie Jones to carry the Lakers into the future, and they brought the team back to the playoffs in 1995. Nick also helped close down Boston Garden, nailing a three at the buzzer to give the Lakers a late season road win.

 

The Lakers were officially Nick and Eddie’s team, that is until a large present from Orlando was dropped in Jerry Buss’ lap, in the form of newly signed Shaquille O’Neal. Add that with another young punk (Kobe) that the Lakers gave up center Vlade Divac for and there was some smoke in the City of Angels.

 

Van Exel had a reputation of being a hot head as well. After beefing with Dell Harris, Kobe, Shaq, Chick Hearn, Magic (remember when he came back and faked Sprewell out of his shoes?) some refs and the guy in the front row, Nick was shipped to the Denver Nuggets for peanuts (Tony Battie and Tyronn Lue).

 

In the Mile High city, Nick was the lone star on a team that couldn’t buy a win. Nick slugged it out for four years in Denver until getting shipped to Mark Cuban’s Billionaire Boys Club in Dallas. With the Mavericks, Nick played an off-the-bench role that was crucial to the revival of the Mavs as a legitimate NBA team, with the Mavs going back to the playoffs for the first time since Magic, Kareem and Worthy.

 

Nick was a victim of Mark Cuban’s meddling, and was sent to Golden State for Antawn Jamison and cap room, and in Oakland, he floundered playing in only 39 games. The weak showing towards the end of his career made him constant trade bait, being sent to Portland, with disastrous results once again.

 

After being waived by the Blazers, Nick’s last crack at a ring came calling, with the San Antonio Spurs calling for his services. In an almost tragic twist of fate and irony, the Spurs made is to the conference semis before bowing out in game seven in San Antone to the Mavs, the very team Nick helped put back on the basketball map. He announced his career was over shortly thereafter.

 

One thing about Nick, despite his Donald Duck temper, was his clutch shooting ability. Like a true NBA vet, he always elevated his game during the playoffs. Today, you’d think of him as a flashier, more evil Tony Parker.

Of course, I gotta leave something for the people, so when you get some time at the office, hit the links!

 

 

Hey! Whatever Happened To Reggie Theus?

At the conclusion of every NBA season, the media carnival comes to town, but this county fair has only one ride, the “coaching carousel”.

 

In the next few weeks, you’ll see Larry Brown, a Van Gundy, and some other guys’ names spinning around, waiting to get scooped up by a team. What you’ll see often however, are teams that sign their “native sons” to coaching commitments (see: Magic and the Lakers, Rudy T and the Rockets, Frank Johnson and the Suns) and the newest example of this is T-NBC’s own Reggie Theus.

 

Everyone growing up in the 90’s remembers the neon colored, Saturday morning seizure known as T-NBC, with one of my favorite shows being “Hang Time”, which starred our honoree Reggie Theus as coach of a ragtag team of high school ballers (the girl had the most skills on that team, and they changed characters like dirty draws). But before the acting and coaching gigs came about, Reggie was kinda raw on the basketball court.

 

Coming out of the Westside (Inglewoooood!), Reggie started his stellar career hooping it up at Inglewood High (Paul Pierce’s alma mater). After his prep days, Reggie committed to play for Jerry Tarkanian’s Runnin’ Rebels at UNLV, giving the program its first real exposure and run to the Final Four (with Theus getting All-American honors).

 

After the college, it’s the afterparty, known as the NBA, and the Bulls invited Reggie to party right along with them, getting scooped in 1978. But Theus was no ordinary baller, he was known in the Chi as “Rush Street Reggie”, for being “The Man” about town and having a playboy pad that would make Hugh Hef jealous. He had style, and a vicious Jheri curl that looked like it could spontaneously combust at any minute. Theus was backing up his nightclub game with his on-court game, averaging around 22pts a game, and garnering 3 All-Star appearances in the Windy City.

 

Sometimes when a new coach brings a new system with him, things fall apart (see: Flip Saunders/Pistons), and in Reggie’s case, wackness showed up in the name of Kevin Loughery, a coach who would later run the Heat and Bullets into the ground. K-Lock benched Reggie, which led to Theus being shipped to the Kansas City Kings. Somehow, the Bulls would recover the following spring when they drafted some kid from Carolina with crazy skills.

 

In Kansas City, Reggie was called on to be the leader of a team with no identity, with the Kings eventually moving to Sacramento, and in their first year in Nor-Cal, the Kings made the playoffs (and wouldn’t see them again until 1996!) with Reggie leading the team in minutes played.

 

After struggling in Sacramento (think powder blue jerseys with the name under the numbers), Theus went on to be a special guest star for the Hawks, Nets and expansion Magic. After retiring from the league, Reggie got his act on, as mentioned before and coached at New Mexico State, bringing them to the big dance, before getting hooked up with the King’s job. No word yet on a “Deering High School Throwback Night”.

 

Of course I couldn’t leave you guys without a clip, so if you want to see Theus trying to get kids at NMSU, peep the clip.

 

Hey! Whatever Happened To Michael Dickerson?

With all the hoopla surrounding the Rolls Royce Silver Spurs’ dismantling of King James’ Chevy Cavaliers, Ryan posted some pure comedic gold a few days ago when he found a pic of Michael Dickerson’s basketball board game.

 

Never mind the fact that nobody plays board games anymore, it was Michael Dickerson, on the cover of a board game, looking as if maybe he was being held at gunpoint. I knew I had to do my weekly duty on this site on none other than the star-crossed Mr. Dickerson.

 

Coming into the NBA from a stellar season at Zona’, Mike Dickerson had a lot going for him entering the 1998 draft. He had the body (6’5”, 190) and insane leaping ability that made him one of the bright spots for the Houston Rockets. He averaged a modest 10 points per game on a Rockets squad that was busy recovering from the Clutch City era (Barkley/Drexler/Olajuwon/Pippen). It was the next season, however, that things would change for Mike.

 

The 1999 NBA Draft took place, and David Stern strolled to the podium to announce the second pick, which belonged to the Vancouver (yes, there was a team up there once) Grizzlies. Former Maryland Terrapin standout Steve Francis immediately (in the worst case of sportsmanship and straight up whining) balled his face up, when he realized he’d be paid millions to play basketball professionally. Really, Francis was upset at the fact that he’d be so far away from Takoma Park, MD, so he forced the Grizz’ hand and got himself shipped to Houston for Mike D.

 

Francis’ career jumped off nicely, but Dickerson’s journey wasn’t bad either. In the Pacific Northwest, Dickerson teamed up with fellow Zona’ alumn Mike Bibby (when he had hair) to form one of the league’s most promising young backcourt. Mike D averaged 18ppg and shot the lights out from downtown. You’d compare him today with a Jason Richardson, a guy who has the long rangy, body, but very explosive, with a nice jumper to boot. Granted, the Grizzlies were more of a Canadian sideshow than a good team, Dickerson gave opposing defenses problems night in and night out. Mike wasn’t an all-star, but he was on his way, and he was happy with his role (as evidenced by the smile on the cover of his board game).

 

Well kids, we all know how these stories end, and for Dickerson it hurt really bad, literally. Mike’s groin just wouldn’t cooperate, and once that goes, the rest of the lower body usually breaks down in some way shape or form. After Mike Heisley sold the team to Graceland, Dickerson tried his best to heal up so he could join Jerry West’s newest diamond in the rough, Pau Gasol. When that experiment failed to come to fruition, it was pretty much over for Mike D, as he called it quits in 2002.

 

Doing some TPS reports (i.e. “Googling”) I ran into a website that claims Mike D as a founder for News For The Soul, which is a life-changing internet radio show that can…..well…..teach you how to bend spoons with your MIND! Dead serious folks check that link here (www.newsforthesoul.com/dickerson.htm)  But seriously, Mike had skills on the court and it’s a shame we never got to see his full potential.

 

Hey! Whatever Happened To Steve Smith?

With NBA Armageddon (aka the Finals) getting underway by the Riverwalk in Texas, I harkened back to (actually, I just remembered), some of the great role players San Antone has had over the years.

As I was telling one of my boys the other day, the Spurs, for over a decade now, has been a “money in the bank” team when it comes to playoff time. One of the major reasons the Spurs always seem to have it together have been their role players, and in 2003 (the first NBA Finals on ABC, yuck!) one of the league’s hardest workers and craftiest vets got a ring, one Steve Smith.

Before I even start on my man Steve, is it me or have the Finals been cheapened by the whole “NBA on ABC/ESPN” thing? It seems so corporate and sponsored these days, unlike when you had Snoop Marvy Marv and the Czar on the Peacock, or even Tommy Heinsohn and James Brown on CBS. The only saving grace is getting to watch the Pussycat Dolls in jersey dresses for ten seconds before the action starts.

Coming out of Michigan State in the 1991 Draft, Steve wasn’t a flashy player, but he had that NBA Midas Touch, where the teams he landed on seemed to turn into playoff squads. Take the old school, Kevin Loughery edition of the Heat. On a team with “Rugged” Rony Seikaly, Glen Rice and “Baby Jordan,” Smith provided leadership and helped turn a losing Eastern Conference doormat into a respectable playoff team (one that fought MJ’s Bulls to a 5th game in the first round). With Seikaly headed to the Golden State, there were some moves made in South Beach, with Steve being shipped to ATL for Kevin Willis. And along with all his luggage, Steve Smith once again brought that Midas touch to a Hawks team that was in the beginning of the post-Nique era. Teaming up with Danny Manning (whatever happened to him?) and Mount Mutombo the Hawks went from a faceless squad to amongst the tops of the Eastern Conference. In one of the worst trades ever, the Hawks, tempted by the fool’s gold named Isaiah Rider, shipped Smith to Portland for Jim Jackson and an East Bay Funk Dunk, (which is really where the Hawks started their continuing downward spiral).

With the Blazers, Steve had an awakening, not only was he teamed up with studs like Scottie Pippen and a young Rasheed Wallace, but it was in the Rose City that Smith got his first whiff of last post-season play (that is until Kobe and Shaq snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the WCF’s). When the Spurs started making their championship run a taking the Lakers’ crown, they called on Smith for the veteran leadership and locker room presence.

In 2003, it all came together for Steve as his San Antonio Spurs beat Jason Kidd’s Nets for the Larry O’Brien, and Steve’s only championship ring. After the title season in Texas, Steve spent time as an on-court mentor to the young Hornets and Bobcats and even back to Miami where it all started before laying ‘em down for good in 2005.

There was one consensus thought amongst coaches and players alike when it came to Steve, the man could flat out shoot. It was his insane jumper that helped him be one of the league’s most efficient guys. Later in his career, he developed a sneaky, type of baseline spin move that was as automatic as the sunrise, so if you want a peek, check it out here.

Hey! Whatever Happened To Allan Houston?

In the annals of NBA playoff history, most remember the high profile matchups towards the month of June, more so than the early round, 4-games-to-one whoopings. Every once in a blue moon, you get something in the first round that gets you hype for the whole ride (i.e. this year’s Warriors, who should play in leather vests and mohawks next season). Everyone remembers Dikembe on the Sonics’ home floor celebrating as his eight-seed Nuggets destroyed Shawn Kemp and Gary Paytons’ flow, but few remember the climax to the bitter, bitter Knicks-Heat rivalry provided by my man Allan Wade Houston.

Growing up in Kentucky (where basketball is the only major thing going), Allan led his high school squad to the 1988 state championship. It was there he spurned Denny Crum and the Louisville coaches sweating him and jumped to the University of Tennessee. At UT, Allan joined a nice basketball legacy with the likes of Ernie Grunfeld and Bernard King, while playing under his pops. In 1993, Allan got his name called by King Sternolini and the rest as they say was history.

Or was it?

Going to the Pistons, Allan was brought in to take the torch from the great (yet ancient) Joe Dumars, who was the last link to the late 80’s, early 90’s Bad Boy Pistons. As a rookie, Allan didn’t make much noise, but started developing an insanely smooth jumper. It wasn’t until Grant Hill came the next season, that Allan’s potential was realized. Everyone in Motown was excited and primed for an insane one-two combo that could carry them deep into the playoffs and back into another championship era. However, Allan’s stay in Michigan was short-lived, as the bright lights and free agent money of the big city lured him away. Detroit fans took his leaving to heart, like a ventricle and harbored a ton of animosity towards Houston, but in New York, Allan would reach bigger and better things.

In the mid-late 90’s, when some of the NBA’s most heated rivalries were in full swing, the Knicks were everyone’s main antagonist. In the 1999 Special Lockout Edition of the NBA, New York had a phenomenal team on paper (Houston/Spree/Ewing), but was injured for most of the year. Allan got his mental toughness from one of the Knicks original lunatics, John Starks. By playoff time, they drew the rival Miami Heat and their coach/traitor Pat Riley (who left the cold concrete of NYC for South Beach). This wasn’t your ordinary rivalry, so needless to say, this round featured a lit match loitering around a keg of dynamite at all times.

The series was tied at 2 in the first round, with New York needing the W to advance, in Miami Arena no less. Chris Childs (remember when he punched Kobe in the neck?) inbounded the ball to Houston with 4 ticks left. After quick dribble penetration, Allan launched a buttery one-handed shot onto the rim that popped the net and Miami’s hopes for a post-post-Jordan title. The ref threw his hands in the air, and waived them like he just didn’t care, and the series was over with the upset in the books.

After that moment Allan’s stay with the Knicks brought along some injuries and some money issues. If you want to know why the Knicks went from perennial title team to David Stern’s troubled teenaged son, look no further than the Allan Houston situation. You see, the Knicks, enamored with Allan’s play and potential threw a max contract extension him, which handcuffed management financially so bad, that the new “amnesty clause” (or “Allan Houston” rule) was created. It’s basically a salary cap rule that keeps teams from self-destructing by way of bad contracts (I remember David Stern gave the Bullets a do-over when Miami lured Juwan Howard away from us one summer). As a matter of fact, Houston was the second highest paid “player” in the league LAST YEAR, earning $20 million bones.

Despite all the off court injury issues (which kept him from being 100% and forcing him to call it quits in 2005), Houston was known as one of the leagues’ deadliest scorers ever. You’d compare him to a Ray Allen today, but with a tougher attitude. He’s currently trying to comeback, so when his contract with the Knicks runs out (hopefully they’ve learned their lesson) we may see “H20” back on the hardwood. Check the links if you don’t know!

Hey! Whatever Happened To Jamal Mashburn?

By Brian Taylor

The memory was still fresh in my head today when I wrote this.

It was a Monday morning a few weeks ago, and the NBA was in the midst of a huge shakeup. The heavily favored (and in most circles, already-crowned) Billionaire Boys Club of Dallas was looking at the prospect of “going fishing” with E.J., Kenny Smith and Sir Charles, when a fresh face appeared on ESPN’s morning broadcast, with the following tagline underneath:

“Has Dirk gotten treated unfairly by the fans now that his team is losing?”

I removed my wave cap and wiped my sleep-encrusted eyes to see a dapper Jamal Mashburn explaining why Dirk shouldn’t be crucified for his team going down like the Titanic. Despite the horrendous teleprompter grammar, an ex-Mavs star talking about a current one was a light-bulb-over-the-head moment that inspired me to highlight the Monster Mash today.

One of the League’s most consistent scorers (and one of the youngest to net a half-dollar’s worth of points in a single game), Jamal started out going bananas in NYC playing ball and working hard, like most other kids with hoop dreams. He used to ride his bike around the city, delivering for a deli for cash, but it wouldn’t be long until Rick Pitino came calling and Mash got a spot with the Wildcats.

At Kentucky, Jamal was a man among boys, almost like his Michigan counterpart Chris Webber. You could see him and the Wildcats on any given night (wearing those denim blue jerseys) throwing down vicious dunks and terrorizing any and everyone in the SEC. After an All-American junior year, Mash decided to put his name into David Stern’s hat and in 1993’s draft, the Dallas Mavericks scooped him up.

Dallas in 1993 was a far, far cry from Dallas in 2007.

Everything routinely went wrong in Big D before Mash, from the 11-71 record (the worst EVER), to Reunion Arena falling apart, to the cheesy “M wearing a ten-gallon hat” logo, to the Mike Iuzzulino/Derek Harper backcourt. The Mavs had recently picked up Ohio State star Jimmy Jackson, and Mash was a fine compliment to J.J.’s play. Mash led all NBA freshmen with 19 points per game, and earned an All-Rookie first team spot. The next year, with a baby faced Jason Kidd on board, the Mavs improved and did damage.

However, Mash got hurt (the knees, always the knees) and didn’t quite have the dynamite in his legs he had in his first few seasons. Couple the injuries with the alleged Jim Jackson/Jason Kidd/Toni Braxton love triangle and Mash had plenty of reason to split Texas, so he was shipped to South Beach.

In Miami, under fellow Wildcat alum Pat Riley, Mash was used in a lesser offensive role with Timmy “Not That There’s Anything Wrong With That” Hardaway and ‘Zo making the buckets. Jamal did well for himself in Miami, but it was in Charlotte that he revived his career and jump-started the careers of others.

At the hive, Jamal was the elder statesman on a team featuring a young Baron Davis and a not-yet-tainted Jamaal Magloire. He took a lead-by-example type role for the young guys to follow and earned himself a trip to the 2003 All-Star game in ATL. With the Hornets, he averaged around 20 points and 6 boards a game, and even had some playoff battles with a pre-superstar Dwyane Wade. It seemed like Mash’s potential was on its way, better late than never.

Even though he got his groove back, Jamal was still in pain, and decided to get surgery /sit out the season in order to get himself to 100%, but the business side of the NBA came calling and Mash was sent to Philly for (the previously profiled) Glenn Robinson. Mash never got a shot to run with A.I., as he was inactive an injured for two years straight, and in March of 2006 he retired.

That Monday, it was good to see Mash still around the game, even if he is suffering from the typical “from the court to the studio” syndrome that most talking heads go through. But if you want to see the Monster Mash in his heyday, check the links!

Hey! Whatever Happened To Drazen Petrovic?

By Brian Taylor

Okay people, I know that 99.9% of basketball fans know what happened to Drazen Petrovic, but I’m writing this to shed light onto a fantastic talent that was tragically taken from us almost 14 years ago.

What made me think about Drazen today? Simple. Look at the playoffs today and check out the plethora of foreign talent that’s landed (and done well) on NBA rosters. The Suns have the Brazilian/Canadian connection with Barbosa and Nash, the Cavs’ Sasha Pavlovic is stepping up to annoy “Vin Weasel”, Yao Ming, Dirk Nowitzki, AK-47, the San Antonio Spurs and Raptors all speak to the changing face of Mr. Stern’s Neighborhood.

But even before those guys came along, the international players were few and far between, and usually they had to be “freak of nature status” to even get some burn (see: Manute Bol, Arvydas Sabonis). Sure, you had your Schrempfs and Sarunas Marciulionis, but it was Drazen Petrovic that really put the new European/International stamp on the game.

Everyone knows that the worldwide game is different than ours, with guys turning pro at an age where most American athletes are thinking about homecoming and junior proms. Drazen was no exception, being born after his brother Aleksandar, who already started playing hoops at a high level. Petrovic’s game developed quickly, and he landed a spot on the BC Sibenka squad, becoming that team’s star player at the age of 15. Not only was he a team leader, but he was clutch very early in his career. In 1983, Drazen nailed two pressure free throws to seal a championship for Sibenka (but it was rescinded later on, due to “spotty officiating”).

With the Yugoslavian national squad calling him up, it was there that Drazen went bezerk on the hardwood, often having 60-point games added to his stat sheet. In one contest, Drazen fried the opposing defenders from the arc, hitting nine from downtown (and at one point, seven in a row) for one of his most ridiculous stat lines ever, 45 points and 25 assists. After continuously beating down Europe, play station style; Petrovic decided he needed a new challenge. The Portland Trailblazers had scouted (and drafted) Drazen, but couldn’t get a hold of him until 1989. But things weren’t always rosy in Portland for Petro.

With the Showtime Lakers finally slowing down, the Portland Trailblazers seemed prime to rock the western conference crown, and did it with a hall of fame backcourt of Clyde Drexler and Terry Porter. Unfortunately, Drazen never really got any burn, and rode the pine as the Blazers rode their star guys into the finals against the Bad Boy Pistons. Petro knew he needed a change of scenery and a chance to show his stuff.

In 1991, Petro would finally get his big break, landing on an upstart new Jersey Nets team (a team that hadn’t sniffed the post season since 1986). Teaming up with Kenny Anderson and a not-yet-bipolar Derrick Coleman, Drazen enjoyed success two straight years as Jersey’s three-point marksman. He was the perfect compliment to the bruising Coleman and the speedy Anderson. The Nets went from “L.A. Clippers East”, to a legit threat to beat teams every night. Drazen lead all guards in field goal percentage and was ice cold from the free throw line. For the summer Olympics in 1992, Drazen’s squad was the only one remotely competitive with the Dram Team, leading the Croats to the silver. In one of the worst All-Star snubs in NBA history, Drazen was passed over for the 1993 game, where as a top 15 scorer he didn’t get an invite, (Cleveland’s Mark Price got that spot). You’d compare him today with a Manu Ginobili, but with a better field goal percentage.

Sadly, it all came to an end.

With the Nets’ first playoff series in ages over with, Drazen took a trip to Poland for the Croatian National Team’s tourney. Still feeling the sting of the All-Star snub, Petro considered returning to Europe to sign with a Greek team.

It was while traveling on the German Autobahn that Petro lost his life. As a sleeping passenger in a VW Golf driven by his girlfriend, an oncoming truck collided with the small car injuring the other two occupants.

The Nets retired his #3 jersey (a throwback that still elicits “oohs” and “aahs” of fans today), and the Basketball Hall of Fame inducted him in 2002.

The league, the sport and the world lost a very talented player, who’s legacy still lives on today whenever you watch NBA basketball, but if you’d like to see “Basketball’s Mozart” in action, check him out here.