Five years ago, I was a scrawny kid heaving the ball at the hoop with a two-hand set shot. Today, I'm a junior at the University of California at Santa Cruz, home of the Banana Slug. I stand 5-foot-6, have bulked up to 135 pounds and feature a sweet left-handed jump shot.
My official basketball career is very short. I played throughout high school -- at lunchtime, but there aren't any statistics. I played in an intramural league at college, but no stats were kept for that, either. My guess is I averaged about five points and three assists in 25 minutes per game.
The day I realized I was going to declare for the NBA Draft was like any other. I had finished playing a series of pickup games at the gym on campus, and the competition was tough as always. I matched up against a shooting guard, who was about 5-10, 180. This guy tried to pop some outside shots, but couldn't do it with my hand in his grill. He tried to post me up, but couldn't back me down. After three consecutive wins, it dawned on me: I was ready for the show...
