Evaluating former Jayhawk great Darnell Valentine’s NBA legacy

Darnell Valentine was hailed for greatness early in his basketball career. Before his high school senior year, Five-Star director and basketball guru Howard Garfinkel simply said Valentine was the best guard he had ever seen in the camp history, even superior to stars Phil Sellers (Rutgers) and Butch Lee (Marquette).

The hosannas and rave reviews kept coming at Kansas, where he became a second-team All-American his senior year. Boston Celtics president Red Auerbach scouted Valentine during his sophomore year and thought he’d be a great pro, maybe even better than former KU and Celtic great Jo Jo White, who is enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame.

“Valentine is quicker than Jo Jo and he penetrates better,” Auerbach gushed to The Sporting News.

My dad and I, who were huge fans of D.V., were hoping Valentine could have an NBA career like White as soon as he was drafted with the No. 16 overall pick in the first round by the Portland Trail Blazers.

Blazers coach Jack Ramsay even thought Valentine was destined for stardom after his rookie season in 1982.

“Darnell Valentine may be the best point guard in the NBA, you’ll see,” Ramsay told Sports Illustrated.

Sadly, it never happened.

Valentine played well for Portland during his first four and half seasons, assuming the starting role in his second year. But Valentine’s skills didn’t ideally fit Ramsay’s extremely structured offense. Valentine didn’t have much freedom and Portland didn’t run the fast break enough, which was Valentine’s specialty.

He was also a below average outside shooter, although he could knock down the open jumper. Valentine, too, was not a great ballhandler, despite being a point guard, something then-KU coach Larry Brown talked about on his radio show.

But he was very quick with the ball and at his best penetrating the lane and either scoring a layup in traffic over big men or dishing to a teammate for an easy bucket.

And there were few better defensive guards than Valentine and any players who worked harder.

“He was a warrior,” Larry Drew told me years ago, who played against D.V. at Missouri and in the NBA, while also teammates with the Los Angeles Clippers.

"He's a fierce competitor," Ramsay added. “He never stops. He's never going to be outplayed."

Valentine was devoted to the game and also played selflessly in the pros, unlike at KU where he thought me-first and hurt the team at times by trying to do too much.

This all changed in the NBA, when Valentine likely had the revelation that he was no longer the best player on the team, and to have a long and successful career, he had to blend in as a role player, pass the ball and get his teammates involved like Jim Paxson, Calvin Natt, Mychal Thompson and later Clyde Drexler and Kiki Vandeweghe.

Ramsay paid Valentine the ultimate compliment when he said he “was perhaps the most self-disciplined player I ever dealt with ... (and) one of the best team players I ever coached.”

High praise, indeed, from the Hall of Fame coach.

Valentine had a rough break after four and half seasons with Portland when he played in obscurity for the futile Clippers for two and a half years before moving to Cleveland to finish his career. When he first became a Cav in 1988-89, I remember reading that Valentine — who was always known to have a big ego — said that he had never been around a guard and teammate in Mark Price who was so much better than him.

At that time, Valentine was in the twilight of his career, while Price made his first All-Star team in his third year. Price starred with averages of 18.9 points and 8.4 assists per game, while shooting 52.6 percent from the field and a scorching 44.1 percent from beyond the arc and 90.1 percent at the charity stripe.

Price’s career 40.2 percent marksmanship from three-point range ranks No. 37 all time, while his 6.7 assists per game ranks No. 30. Price was the far superior shooter to Valentine and also a better ballhandler. However, Valentine was quicker than Price, better at stealing the ball, and a more complete defensive player.

While he was no Mark Price and certainly no Jo Jo White — make no mistake — Valentine still had a solid NBA career during his nine seasons. To me, he ranks as the third-best former Jayhawk guard with the top NBA career behind White and Kirk Hinrich and the No. 11th-best former Jayhawk with the top NBA career overall (not countng current Jayhawks in the pros).

The 6-1 guard boasts career averages of 8.7 points (5,400), 5.0 assists (3,080), 2.1 rebounds (1,318), 1.5 steals (910), and 23.2 minutes in 620 games (345 starts). He shot 43.7 percent from the field, 26.1 percent from three-point range, and 78.7 percent at the free throw line. He always elevated his game in the playoffs with career averages during four postseasons of 12.0 points, 6.8 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.9 rebounds in 27.2 minutes per game over 26 contests. 

He shot 46.0 percent from the field, 50.0 percent from beyond the arc, and a sizzling 88.4 percent at the free throw line. His finest playoff performance came in 1984 in a five-game series loss to Phoenix in the first round, when Valentine starred with 18.4 points and 8.4 assists while shooting 50 percent from the field and and a blistering 91.4 percent at the free throw line in 35.6 minutes per game. He exploded for a game-high 29 points in a Game 3 loss to Phoenix and recorded 15 assists (tied for team playoff record) in a Game 2 loss to the Lakers in 1983. Valentine ranks No. 5  in Blazers history for career assists (161).

During the regular season, the former KU All-American scored a career-high 30 points versus Houston during the 1987-88 season with the Clippers, dished out a career-best 15 assists three times, had three games with eight steals, and four games with eight rebounds. He also posted a career-high 50 minutes in a triple overtime loss to Phoenix on Nov. 1, 1984 with the Blazers.

A tenacious defender with extremely quick feet and hands, Valentine ranks No. 90 all time in the NBA with 1.5 steals per game. He ranked No. 9 in the league in steals per game (1.9) during 1984-85 and No. 13 in total steals (143) that year. He also ranked No. 20 in total steals (122) in 1986-87. Valentine ranked in the top 20 in steal percentage during five seasons, including a career-best 3.6 (No. 5) in 1987-88.

Unlike at KU, he always thought pass first in the pros, ranking No. 15 in assists per game (7.0) during 1984-85 and No. 18 in total assists (522) that year. He ranked No. 17 in the NBA with 6.9 assists per game in 1986-87 and No. 20 in total assists (447) that season. He had three seasons where he ranked in the top 20 in assist percentage, including a career-best 37.3 (No. 6) in 1986-87.

I asked Valentine before his jersey retirement in Allen Fieldhouse on Jan. 1, 2005 how he felt about his NBA career. He was quite candid and didn’t seem to have regrets.

“I think it could have possibly been better, and it could have possibly been a lot worse,” Valentine replied. “I’m just thankful that it was what it was. I think I had some tough breaks. ... I’m proud of what I was able to accomplish.”

No, he never became an All-Star or averaged even 9.0 points per game over his career (career-high 12.5 ppg his second season), but Valentine made his mark with his outstanding defense and fierce work ethic, endearing himself to his coaches, teammates, and fans.

Lafayette Norwood, his close friend, mentor, high school coach and assistant at KU, thought Valentine caught a tough break by not catching on with the Chicago Bulls. Norwood actually told me several years ago that Chicago signed him to an offer sheet while Valentine was with the Clippers before the Clips matched it. But it was actually New Jersey which made the offer before the 1986-87 season. The Bulls, however, nearly traded for Valentine from Portland before the 1985-86 season, but the deal never happened.

“I thought that was the turning point in his life,” said Norwood, who added the Bulls didn’t have a point guard at the time. “I thought if the Bulls could have got him, he could have been able to experience some things I thought we had in mind at the beginning of his career. Chicago was in the process of beginning to evolve as far as being a championship final team. If he could have gone to Chicago, obviously with Michael (Jordan), he could have made that happen and become a critical (part to their success).”

As I wrote in a previous blog on D.V., Norwood thought Valentine could have elevated Jordan and his Bulls’ teammates’ games with his defense and become one of the best NBA point guards.

Still, like Valentine, Norwood was quite proud of what he was “able to accomplish” in the NBA.

“Oh, he had a great career,” Norwood said.

Former KU All-American Darnell Valentine finishes NBA career with Cleveland Cavaliers

After a productive year with the Los Angeles Clippers despite the team’s dismal struggles (12-70, worst record in NBA and lowest winning percentage in team history), Darnell Valentine entered the 1987-88 season looking to improve on both his own production and dramatically boost his team’s fortunes.

Unfortunately, Larry Drew, Valentine’s old rival from Missouri, beat him out for the starting point guard position, yet this former KU standout managed to start 32 of 72 games, including the last 27 contests. His statistics, though, slipped from the previous season. Valentine averaged 7.1 points, 4.8 assists, 2.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 20.7 minutes per game, while shooting 41.8 percent from the field, a career-high 45.5 percent beyond the arc (15-33) and 74.3 percent at the free throw line.

He scored in double figures 11 of 13 games from March 2 to March 25, including a stellar 25-points and 12 assists in 41 minutes against Sacramento on March 20.

Two weeks later on April 8, Valentine scored a season-high 27 points versus the Los Angeles Lakers, followed by a career-best 30-point outburst in a 122-105 win over Houston on April 10. Valentine added 11 assists and five steals in 33 minutes, shooting 14 of 19 from the field, 1 of 1 from three-point range, and 1 of 2 at the charity stripe. The former KU All-American was game-high scorer, even outscoring future Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon (19) of the Rockets.

The Clippers were still woeful with a 17-65 record under head coach Gene Shue.

After the season, Valentine finally got his wish and was out of L.A. He was acquired by the Miami Heat in the June expansion draft and then promptly traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for a second-round draft pick.

With now seven years in the NBA as a solid veteran, it appeared Valentine was in the twilight of his career. Cleveland and head coach Lenny Wilkins wanted Valentine as just a backup point guard to star Mark Price. Valentine played sparingly for the Cavs during 1988-89, averaging just 14.1 minutes in 77 games (four starts). He posted career lows in points (4.2), assists (2.3), steals (0.7) and rebounds (1.3) per game, while shooting 42.6 percent from the field, a career-low 21.4 percent from three-point range, and 81.3 percent at the charity stripe.

Valentine scored in double figures in just seven games all season, capped with a season-high 15 points against New Jersey on Feb 22, 1988. He also had a season-best 10 assists versus Milwaukee on March 23, 1989.

While his stats were down, Valentine was elated to be on a winning team after the dismal Clipper years. Cleveland finished at 57-25 in second place in the Central Division, but lost a heartbreaking 3-2 playoff series to Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs.

Valentine had his best game of the postseason in a Game 1 95-88 loss, posting eight points, six assists and three steals in 33 minutes.

His stay in Cleveland didn’t last long. In July, the Cavs announced they had no interest in resigning Valentine. He couldn’t make another team. So suddenly, after eight years in the NBA, Valentine’s career seemed to be over.

He was out of the NBA in 1989-90 before the Cavs suddenly resigned him the following season in early December 1990 to replace Price, who suffered a season-ending knee injury. While this was heartbreak for Price and Cavs fans, Valentine was thrilled to be back in the NBA where he made his name with his relentless self-discipline and dedication all these years.

He had been working as an intern at a Portland TV station and also playing in a Mexican basketball league. Mexico was, indeed, light years away from the NBA.

"I'm in paradise. Being back in the NBA is like surviving a plane crash," Valentine said at the time. "In Mexico, our team bus had a huge hole in the floor. We traveled around in a donkey bus. It was like being in Fred Flintstone's car. It had no bottom. I couldn’t believe it, and it makes me appreciate (the NBA)."

With Price down, Valentine became the starter during the 1990-91 season and I celebrated by buying my prized Cavs starter jacket. I cherished this jacket and wore it everywhere. I also wrote a letter to the editor in the Lawrence Journal-World how Valentine was back in the NBA where he rightfully belonged. I paid tribute to my childhood hero in that letter, praising his defense as the master of his craft and also his tremendous work ethic.

The day the letter was published, Lafayette Norwood called me at 9:30 a.m. Norwood, a very close friend of Valentine and his high school coach and assistant at Kansas, wanted to thank me for my letter. I was overwhelmed with gratitude by him taking the time to call me. We had a great, happy 20-minute talk about my letter and I also asked Norwood how Darnell was doing in Cleveland.

While it wasn’t my fault, I apologized to him for the Journal-World spelling his first name “Darrell.” I was shocked by the paper’s blatant mistake. My legendary journalism professor at KU said in our second day of class that he would dock us 50 points by incorrectly spelling a name. I couldn’t fathom how the Journal-World could get Darnell’s name wrong.

Norwood was extremely gracious and wasn’t worried at all about the mistake.

“Those things happen,” he said, which made me feel at ease.

I finished our phone call on cloud nine and went to the KU-Missouri game in Allen Fieldhouse later that day on top of the world.

In Valentine’s first two games with Cleveland, he made quite the splash. He averaged 18.5 points, 7.5 assists and shot 58 percent from the field while scoring 24 points in his second game in 44 minutes against the Bucks. While he couldn’t keep those numbers up, he still had a solid season, averaging 9.4 points, 5.4 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 28.3 minutes per game. He started 60 of 65 contests, while shooting 46.4 percent from the field, 24.0 percent beyond the arc, and a career-high 83.1 percent at the free throw line.

He scored a season-high 28 points against Atlanta on Feb. 5, while adding eight assists and four steals, followed up with 10 points and 10 assists two nights later against Houston.

And then on April 21, while he didn’t know it at the time, Valentine played the final game of his nine-year NBA career against the Sixers. He finished strong in his swan song, posting 12 points, nine assists and two steals in a 123-110 victory, while shooting 5 of 8 from the field, 0 of 1 from beyond the arc and 2 of 2 at the free throw line.

Missing Price, who was averaging 16.9 points, 10.4 assists and 2.6 steals in 16 games before his season-ending injury, Cleveland stumbled to a 33-49 record and sixth place in the Central Division.

While Valentine tried to hook on with the Milwaukee Bucks the next season in training camp, former Kansas State star point guard Steve Henson beat him out. So Valentine’s NBA career was now over.

But he couldn’t give up the game he always loved growing up in Chicago and Wichita. Valentine next played two years in Italy before finally hanging up his jersey for good.

All for the love of the game.