| 18 July 2011
I hate to say it, but we’ve officially reached the most inglorious part of the sports calendar.
The NBA has been done for over a month. Baseball is fun enough to watch, but not yet far enough along to be captivated by. The NFL is still locked out, meaning that even if I wanted to, there’s no real reason yet to make fun of Rex Ryan. And then there’s college football, which is close enough to practically taste, yet far enough away that fans will spend this week manufacturing excitement over “media days.” For those wondering, media days are basically just a series of mundane press conferences where no one says anything, everyone pats each other on the back, and every coach tries to sell his team as a National Championship contender (This of course, despite the fact that half his wide receivers can’t catch, the defense can’t tackle and his best tight end just got arrested for armed robbery). Good times. Wake me up when camps open in a couple weeks.
So it’s what that, that I was just genuinely stuck in terms of how to pass my time yesterday. As hard as I tried, I just couldn’t feign interest in the women’s World Cup (and understand it wasn’t a, “I hate women’s sports,” thing, just an “I really, really don’t care,” thing), meaning, that my already bleak sports day was basically over before it even began. Add in the fact that it was too hot to be outside, I was too broke to go to the movies, too disinterested to hang out with my family and too lazy to get work down, and I was really screwed.
Then I decided to go to the Greater Hartford Pro-Am.
Simply put, I’ve been hearing about the merits of Pro-Am basketball for a long time. I’ve had friends recommend the Hartford Pro-Am for years, and had a buddy gush over one he attended in Los Angeles the other day. Bomani Jones talked on his radio show recently about attending a Pro-Am in North Carolina where former pros like Rasheed Wallace and Jerry Stackhouse, and current college stars like incoming Duke freshman Austin Rivers all played.
And while Hartford can’t quite offer that star power, it does still bring plenty to the table. Pros that are from the area or attended college here pop in and out like Waldo, and you’re never quite sure who might show up to ball on a random day. Ryan Gomes has been a regular through the years. Marcus Camby used to come all the time, although he’s been limited recently, probably since his joints and bones are practically made of spaghetti at this point. And just yesterday, Kemba Walker showed up unannounced for the first game of a tripleheader. Of course with my truly impeccable timing, I showed up minutes after he left the gym.
Of the guys I did see though, were a cool mix of pros and amateurs, really good high school players and college stars, some players you might know, and others you definitely haven’t heard of.
The star of the first game was the latter, a former high school star named Charles “The Beast,” Easterling.
If you’re looking for an NBA comparison to his game, Easterling is like Charles Barkley, only shorter, wider and meaner. The guy can handle the ball or step out and hit three’s, but really does his damage in the paint. I’m not lying when I say that despite only standing 6’2, he snatches up just about every rebound there is to grab. Easterling played high school during the time that I did, and became a local legend when he led to two different high schools to two state championships in back-to-back years. Had he been 6’8 I’m convinced he’d be in the NBA right now, but instead, Easterling has spent his career overseas, yet still comes back to the area every summer to play in the Pro-Am. He scored 59 points in three quarters once, at which point Ryan Gomes said, “No player I have played against can cover Charles effectively one on one.”
Then there are the college guys.
A handful from all over the area played yesterday, but the biggest attraction was undoubtedly UConn guard Jeremy Lamb. Although to see him, you’d never know he was a college star, or really, even a college kid at all. In person, Lamb looks like he’s about 11-years-old, and is so skinny that Paris Hilton would be envious. And seeing him take off his warm-ups, you’d never guess in a millions years that Lamb is a future NBA lottery pick.
Well, at least until he started playing anyway.
Coming off a few weeks with the Under-19 National team earlier this summer, Lamb was so much better than everyone on the court yesterday it was laughable. He got to the rim whenever he pleased, and hit an array of runners, floaters, step backs and deep three’s, all without breaking a sweat. He also had the highlight of the afternoon, when he hit a 30-foot three with two hands to beat the halftime buzzer. Basically, there wasn’t anything he couldn’t do. And despite the average competition, I’m not lying when I say that I believe Lamb will be a contender for the National Player of the Year next year. If that makes me a homer, so be it.
Really though, what I loved about the Pro-Am was that sitting just a few feet away, you can pick up on nuances that you just can’t catch on TV. You literally see everything: When a guy is actually playing hard versus going through the motions. When someone is trying to impress a girl in the stands. And when somebody gives a ref one of those, “If you blow that whistle, I will find you in the parking lot after this game…Don’t test me,” stares. And it’s awesome.
There were so many examples of those subtleties, but maybe the best came from one of my favorite UConn players Alex Oriahki.
By all accounts, Oriahki is a really good teammate; quite frankly, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say a bad word about him. But it’s one thing to read it, and it’s another to see it in person. And yesterday, I saw exactly what kind of teammate he was with my own two eyes. The guy did it all. He barked out directions on defense. He set good screens for his guards (something that nobody does in these kinds of events. I mean noooooobody). And he gave dap to his teammates after every made basketball, whether he was involved in the play or not. Being so close to the court and seeing Oriahki in action gave me such a fresh appreciation that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. Yes he might be limited offensively, which is why most believe that he'll struggle at the next level. But I at the same time, he plays so hard, with such a good attitude, that I feel like he’s going to stick around the NBA a long time. He’ll be a great asset for the right team.
Of course, it works the other way too.
UConn had two highly rated incoming freshmen who played yesterday, neither of which overwhelmed me.
The first, DeAndre Daniels, did little to impress one way or the other, which is saying something, since his recruitment was followed more closely than the stock market in some circles this spring. But with that said, I just didn’t see what all the fuss was about. Daniels was a bit skinny, somewhat passive, and overall, didn’t have a skill-set that blew me away. I think he’ll have a good first year of college basketball, I just don’t see him having a huge, immediate impact. And he’s definitely not a one-and-done player, like some have projected.
And worse was the other freshman, a guard named Ryan Boatright. From the second warm-ups started, Boatright carried himself with an “I’m too good to be here,” arrogance, and when the ball tipped, that only got worse. During the game, he spent too much time dribbling (too often into waiting defenders), and not nearly enough deferring to teammates, Lamb in particular. Maybe I was looking too much into it, I don’t know. But considering that last year’s UConn team had less drama than an episode of The Brady Bunch, I guess I’m just a little worried how a dribble first, shoot second point guard will play with the rest of the team.
As for everything else, what made the day for me was the overall atmosphere of the event.
Maybe my favorite part was that all three games featured a courtside DJ/PA announcer, who had little problem sharing his own opinions, even as plays were going on. Basically, he made Dick Vitale look unbiased by comparison.
The best comment of his was undoubtedly when a short three-point shooter got his shocked blocked in the lane and the DJ said, “My man, do us all a favor and don’t come inside the three-point line again,” This again, on a loud speaker, for the whole gym to hear. Later, the announcer had another gem, when a recently married player missed a fast break dunk, and he said, “Gentlemen, see what happens when you get married?” He then added, “It’s ok, I can say that. I’m divorced.”
Either way, the day was a blast. And to anyone who has Pro-Am basketball in your area, I’ve got one piece of advice. To quote the old Nike commercials, “Just do it.” Don’t hesitate. Just get in the car, tell your girlfriend you’ll be back at dinner and go. Honestly, where else can you see high-quality basketball, stay entertained for hours, and not spend a single dime?
Besides, what else were you going to do? Read media days notes?
Photo Courtesy: Greater Hartford Pro Am
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