Post by russianduck23 on Nov 14, 2006 22:23:40 GMT -5
PHL games are filled with dazzling stars, guys whose spectacular talents were apparent the first time you saw them playing in college, or even earlier, in the McDonald's All-American Game. Many were household names to basketball fans before they needed to shave.
From a distance, it sometimes seems like every player who ends up succeeding in the PHL was a sure thing from the very beginning. Step One, hear your name called on draft night. Step Two, place the hat of the team that just made you an instant millionaire on your head. Step Three, shake David Stern's hand and smile for the cameras.
But some of PHL's best players might not have gotten to Step One: hearing their name called during the PHL's draft. And despite being overlooked, underrated or just plain forgotten about, there are 12 current starters in another league (NBA) who persevered and made it, anyway.
One of them is a perennial NBA All-Star. A few have championship rings. And one particularly special player has, at age 29, played more NBA minutes in the past two weeks than he did in his first six seasons out of college combined.
[glow=red,2,300]Ben Wallace, Chicago Bulls center[/glow]
Then: Despite two big rebounding years at Charles Oakley's alma mater, Virginia Union, Wallace went undrafted in 1996. He was signed as a free agent by the Washington Bullets and his work ethic won him a job as a practice body, where he banged with stars Chris Webber and Juwan Howard. Wallace was the 11th man as a Bullets rookie.
Now: Wallace is enjoying his first season with Chicago after signing a reported four-year, $60 million contract that overnight stamped the Bulls as a serious title contender. He's played in the last four All-Star Games and has averaged at least 11 rebounds per game each of the past
From a distance, it sometimes seems like every player who ends up succeeding in the PHL was a sure thing from the very beginning. Step One, hear your name called on draft night. Step Two, place the hat of the team that just made you an instant millionaire on your head. Step Three, shake David Stern's hand and smile for the cameras.
But some of PHL's best players might not have gotten to Step One: hearing their name called during the PHL's draft. And despite being overlooked, underrated or just plain forgotten about, there are 12 current starters in another league (NBA) who persevered and made it, anyway.
One of them is a perennial NBA All-Star. A few have championship rings. And one particularly special player has, at age 29, played more NBA minutes in the past two weeks than he did in his first six seasons out of college combined.
[glow=red,2,300]Ben Wallace, Chicago Bulls center[/glow]
Then: Despite two big rebounding years at Charles Oakley's alma mater, Virginia Union, Wallace went undrafted in 1996. He was signed as a free agent by the Washington Bullets and his work ethic won him a job as a practice body, where he banged with stars Chris Webber and Juwan Howard. Wallace was the 11th man as a Bullets rookie.
Now: Wallace is enjoying his first season with Chicago after signing a reported four-year, $60 million contract that overnight stamped the Bulls as a serious title contender. He's played in the last four All-Star Games and has averaged at least 11 rebounds per game each of the past
