Kirk Hinrich is one of Chicago Bulls' all-time greats

After profiling Drew Gooden (No. 9 ex-Jayhawk who’s had the best pro career) and Nick Collison (No. 8) in my last two installments in this series, I now look at their former gutty KU teammate and the third outstanding member of Roy Williams’ 1999 recruiting class, one of the best groups in school history that left an indelible mark in Kansas basketball annals.

No. 7 Kirk Hinrich

Kirk Hinrich’s childhood hoop dreams officially came true at 7:10 p.m. (CT) on June 26, 2003, when NBA commissioner David Stern announced during the league draft that the Chicago Bulls had selected the former Kansas standout guard with the seventh pick in the first round.

Hinrich smiled broadly, pumped his fists, embraced his family members, and put on a Bulls hat. He was simply overwhelmed at the moment.

“I’m just real excited,” Hinrich said. “I can’t be more happier. It’s a dream I’ve had all my life. I think I’m going to go in there with the right attitude and make it work out.”

Chicago was looking for a point guard after starter Jay Williams suffered a broken leg in a motorcycle crash a week earlier; his NBA career would be over after just one season.

Hinrich, who admitted he “had to overcome the stereotype of being a white point guard,” greatly impressed scouts during workouts with his athletic ability. 

“I think I showed them,” said Hinrich, a Sioux City, Iowa, native. “I went in there trying to impress people. I’m just thrilled to death going to Chicago.”

Now, as Hinrich’s NBA career appears to be over after 13 years (he hasn’t officially announced his retirement, but was not picked up last season), he’s become one of Chicago’s all-time greats, spending all but two and a half seasons with the franchise that drafted him. The 6-4 Hinrich ranks No. 1 in Bulls history in three-point field goals and three-point field goals attempted, No. 3 in career games and seasons played (both behind Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen), No. 3 in assists and steals (both again behind Jordan and Pippen), No. 4 in minutes, No. 8 in field goals, No. 6 in field goals attempted,  No. 8 in points, No. 7 in assists per game, No. 6 in assists percentage, No. 7 in defensive win shares, No. 10 in win shares and No. 8 in value over replacement player.

Hinrich and Chicago have simply been a great basketball marriage, beginning with his first year in the city when he made the NBA All-Rookie First Team and averaged 12.0 points while ranking eighth in the league with 6.8 assists per game.

"I feel I'm kind of meant to play in Chicago," Hinrich told the Chicago Tribune on Feb. 14, 2004 during that rookie season. "The city is blue-collar. It's how I play. I'm a guy willing to do the little things. I've had to work for everything I've ever gotten. And to play in front of fans like we have who come every night even though we haven't been winning, it motivates you."

Hinrich was a pivotal part of Chicago’s run to the playoffs his second year in the league and the team has been in the playoffs 11 of the last 13 seasons.

“He helped birth a new, competitive basketball era for the franchise after the depths of 1999 through 2003,” longtime Bulls’ writer Sam Smith wrote at NBA.com on Nov. 24, 2015.

Hinrich averaged in double-figure scoring in seven of his first eight seasons in the league, and the only year that didn’t happen was 2008-09, when he just missed with 9.9 points per game as Derrick Rose joined the Bulls and became the starting point guard. Hinrich has also averaged in double figures in eight of 11 playoffs.

Hinrich’s second-to-fourth years were statistically his best, when he averaged 15.7 points and 6.4 assists in 2004-05 (21.2 ppg in playoffs), 15.9 points and 6.3 assists in 2005-06 (20.5 ppg in playoffs) and a career-high 16.6 points and 6.3 assists in 2006-07. Hinrich was called the face of the franchise and even compared to Steve Nash while on the cusp of NBA stardom. While it never happened as Rose arrived as the new man in town and Hinrich’s offensive production and minutes slipped, he still carved out a very distinguished and impressive NBA career.

After stints with the Washington Wizards (2010-11) and Atlanta Hawks (2011-12), Hinrich rejoined the Bulls in 2012-13 (he started all 60 games with Rose injured) and played there until he was traded to Atlanta on Feb. 18, 2016, a move which reportedly upset several Bulls’ players.

During his last NBA season with both Chicago and Atlanta, Hinrich played in a career-low 46 games and averaged just 3.0 points and 1.6 minutes in 13.7 minutes per game.

Known in Chi-Town as Captain Kirk with his relentless passion, gritty play, strong leadership and tenacious defense, Hinrich persevered through injuries during the latter years of his career while still making winning plays when in action. Like his former KU teammate Nick Collison, Hinrich’s game has transcended pure numbers in many ways. The ball always moved better when Hinrich was in the game and he’s one of the greatest warriors and battlers in Bulls history, reminding Chicago fans of former great Jerry Sloan.

Hinrich’s coaches have all loved him.

"You go by what he does for the team and how he helps you win," then-Bulls’ coach Tom Thibodeau told the Chicago Tribune during the 2014-15 season. "That's where he is invaluable. I just love his competitive spirit. To me, he's going to fight for everything. He's going to run your team. He's a great leader. Here, you can see how vocal he is. He knows what everyone is supposed to do. He's getting guys to the right spots."

Current Bulls’ coach Fred Hoiberg is another admirer.

"Kirk is just so rock-solid," Hoiberg told the Chicago Tribune on Oct. 10, 2015. "He's always in the right spot. Defensively, he's very smart (and) he can get us into an offense. He does a lot of things that don't show up in a box score. That's a tough role to have, but Kirk has played it well his entire career."

Hoiberg talked more about Hinrich at NBA.com on Nov. 24, 2015.

“Fans should appreciate everything he does because he is all about winning,” Hoiberg said. “You can’t have enough of those guys on your team. He has the ultimate respect of his teammates because of how hard he plays and how he does those little things.”

Hoiberg, a fellow Iowa native, has been a long fan of Hinrich’s.

“He’s had an unbelievable career. Besides him decommitting from Iowa State (Hinrich did so after ISU coach Tim Floyd left to accept the Bulls’ head coaching job), I’m a big admirer of everything he has accomplished,” Hoiberg said with a laugh. “Even back in the days when he was playing at Kansas following a fellow Iowan was fun. I think he came (to the Bulls) the year I left. I would have loved to have played with Kirk. He’s the ultimate team guy. ... He’s just a flat out winner.

“The biggest thing is the way he organizes you, gets you into an offense. We scored 31 in the first quarter against Phoenix. A lot of that was because of Kirk’s pace. He’s going to get your defense organized as well because he talks and communicates out there on the floor. He’s a great example for the young guys because of how he works, how he approaches it; he’s a true professional. Played a lot of minutes in this league, 13 years and still going out and producing like he has.”

Hinrich’s former and current teammates rave about him as well.

“The thing about him is he's not scared of anybody,” Collison told the Chicago Tribune during Hinrich’s rookie season. “People look at him and think he's from Iowa, he's not big and doesn't look athletic, and they expect to intimidate him. But he defends as well as anyone I've ever seen or played with. Kirk gets the stereotype of the white guard ... But guys try to rush him and he goes right by them. He loves it when guys pressure him and play him physical."

Collison and Hinrich were former AAU teammates before their paths crossed again at Kansas.

"The first time I knew about him," Collison said, "was in an AAU tournament (for kids)19 and under and we're 16. There are all these McDonald's All-Americans with their uniforms and matching shoes, and we're these kids from Iowa with the ratty uniforms and Kirk takes on the best guy and we win by 20.

"He was so fearless. I remember one time in college he gets hit in the eye. There's blood in there and we find out the next day he has a concussion. So he's holding his left eye after he got hit and with one hand still is dribbling and making the passes. He never came out of the game."

With his career ticking down and Hinrich on the last year of his contract in 2015, he was still playing with that same fiery passion and trying to improve.

"Oh, geez, I don't know, I don't know," Hinrich told the Tribune then about how many jumpers he’s shot in his lifetime.

"That's the great thing about this game, you can always get better. Growing up, it's what I wanted to do and I feel blessed to be able to do it."

The former KU star said that October day that he wasn’t thinking about retirement just yet.

"It seems like yesterday I was a young player and now all these players call me, 'The Old Guy,' " Hinrich said. "I'm going to cherish it and not take anything for granted. I realize I'm at the tail end of my career (but) I feel like I can play longer.

"I hope that I will know when it's time to go," he added. "Mentally and physically it can be challenging at times but I'm up for it (this season). ... When you get back to it (basketball after the offseason) you realize how much you really love it and want to do it as long as you can. I love the competition of it. I love the camaraderie with my teammates, the sense of coming together as a team and trying to accomplish something."

With hoops has come a marriage and family. Hinrich has a wife, Jill, and four young children.

"When I was young it was easy to get caught up in the lifestyle — it's a great life," he said. "You get so many privileges but you have to be a pro and do your job. When I got married and had kids, it put everything in perspective for me. It was the first time I ever really had to balance basketball and anything else. To balance it was one of the more challenging things I've ever had to do."

Now, after all of his accomplishments playing in the Windy City for 10 and a half seasons, Hinrich couldn’t ask for anything more.

“I grew up a big Bulls fan,” Hinrich told Smith. “To be drafted here and play most of my career here is such a blessing.”

Omar Sanchez of Bullsnation.net called him a “legendary Bull” on Aug. 25, 2015.

“Chicago’s Discobolus has always been with us. A physical specimen and war-tested master of the game. A constant balanced attack without having the flashiest game to play with. Captain Kirk isn’t ‘Augustus of Prima Porta’ or Michaelangelo’s ‘David’, but he is the ultimate litmus test for what it means to be a Bull.”

And then read what Smith penned on NBA.com in November 2015:

“Hinrich isn’t being enshrined in Springfield, but his Bulls career will rank among the best ever in franchise history. It should merit consideration to eventually have his jersey number retired if not only for his statistical accomplishments, but for the blue collar, working class way he’s gone about his job that is both a tribute and a testament to his city and team. Hinrich doesn’t excite the crowd or the highlight room denizens. But he gets the attention of the stars of the game with his relentless, physical, combative style that often frustrated the likes of Miami star Dwyane Wade into some of the toughest games of his career. Wade once even needed the defense of Pat Riley about Hinrich’s tenacious style of play. It was no surprise, even approaching 35 in January, that Hinrich ran Stephen Curry into one of the least productive games of the season in the Warriors’ tense victory over the Bulls.”

Hinrich, a 2007 All-Defensive Second-Team selection who started 665 of 879 NBA games, boasts career averages of 10.9 points (9,594), 4.8 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 30.7 minutes per game, while shooting 41.1 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from beyond the arc, and 80.0 percent at the charity stripe.

Hinrich, 36, ranks No. 58 all time in three-point field goals (1,172) and No. 91 in assists (4,245).

According to basketballreference.com, he's earned $71,692,268.

An All-Big 12 First-Team selection his junior and senior seasons at Kansas, Hinrich was also a third-team Associated Press All-American as a senior in 2003 while named to the Wooden All-American team. Hinrich, who helped spark KU to two Final Fours in 2002 and 2003, had his jersey retired in Allen Fieldhouse on March 1, 2009.

He ranks 12th all time at Kansas in scoring (1,753 points), fifth in assists, sixth in steals, third in three-point field goals, and eighth in minutes.

Hinrich loved his KU career and playing for Roy Williams in storied Allen Fieldhouse.

“I think (it’s) the all-time best basketball arena,” Hinrich said. “It has so much history.”

History will prove that Hinrich was one of KU’s all-time greats. However, his road to stardom got off to a rocky start his freshman season. As Hinrich struggled adjusting to college basketball and school, he reached arguably the lowest point in his life at Kemper Arena in Kansas City against Saint Louis on Dec. 30, 1999. That’s when he went scoreless and had five turnovers in 13 minutes.

Williams, one of Hinrich’s biggest supporters, was waiting for him after the game. As the two walked back to the bus for the 45-minute drive to Lawrence, the head coach put his arm around his despondent player.

“You’re the guard I wanted,” Williams told Hinrich softly.

Hinrich told me before Chicago’s exhibition game against Seattle in Allen Fieldhouse in October 2006 that it was the turning point of his career.

“To have a coach behind you 100 percent like that and show that much confidence in you, it meant a lot,” he said.

Hinrich eventually became KU’s starting point guard and blossomed into an All-American. Williams will always have a true affinity for what he meant to him and Kansas basketball. The current North Carolina head coach has said the recruiting class of Hinrich, Collison and Gooden restored his faith in the game and reignited his passion for coaching.

Williams calls Hinrich’s competitive fire almost peerless.

“He’s one of the most self-disciplined players I’ve ever coached,” Williams once told the New York Times. “I was an assistant coach at North Carolina when Jordan played there. I think Kirk is in the same ballpark with Michael as far as competitiveness is concerned. ” 

Nick Collison enjoying NBA career as consummate blue-collar player

I profiled two former great KU big men in Raef LaFrentz and Drew Gooden in my previous blog posts. Now, here comes another one who’s made his mark in the NBA while truly embracing his role as the consummate blue-collar player.

No. 8 Nick Collison

After dominating the Big 12 and earning first-team consensus All-American and NABC Player of the Year honors his senior season while leading Kansas to the national championship game, Nick Collison was deemed a surefire lottery pick in the 2003 NBA Draft.

It was just a matter of how high he would go.

With the No. 9 pick of the draft, New York went big by picking Georgetown power forward Mike Sweetney. Collison’s name was called three picks later by Seattle.

ESPN’s Dick Vitale said the Knicks made a huge blunder in passing on Collison, who averaged 18.5 points and 10.0 rebounds in 2002-03 while grabbing a whopping 23 boards in a game against Texas.

“He’s a gamer,” Vitale said during the draft broadcast. “I think the Knicks are going to certainly regret not taking him up there over Sweetney. This kid is an absolute gamer — makes shots, plays on the defensive end. He’s unbelievable on the glass. He was a double-double guy last year, just a flat-out winner.”

Fourteen years later, history shows Vitale was correct. Sweetney, who battled weight problems, lasted just four years in the NBA with New York and Chicago. Collison, meanwhile, has been a rock-solid “gamer’ for 13 seasons (he was injured his first year and didn’t play) with the same franchise that drafted him (Seattle moved to Oklahoma City in 2008-09), a rarity to play with one organization for so long in today’s game. 

Throughout his career, Collison has endeared himself to the Thunder faithful, his coaches, management, teammates, and national media with his nonstop hustle and blue-collar play. A true winner, Collison has helped lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to one NBA Finals berth in 2012 and four Western Conference Finals appearances. Never a big stat guy, Collison’s true worth has come with all the intangibles, including fiery competitiveness, basketball I.Q., mean screens, drawn charges, post defense, and boxing out and rebounding, while being a great teammate and serving as an outstanding ambassador for the franchise.

Collison’s best years statistically were his third-to-fifth years in the NBA when he averaged 9.6 points and 8.1 rebounds in 2006-07, a career-high 9.8 points and 9.4 boards in 2007-08 (his 254 offensive rebounds ranked 10th in the league, while he also recorded 23 double-doubles) and 8.2 points and 6.9 rebounds per game in 2008-09.

The 6-10 forward’s production has dropped the last few years in the twilight of his career, playing in a career-low 20 games this past season and averaging 1.7 points and 1.6 rebounds in 6.4 minutes per contest. But Collison produced in the minutes he got, shooting an impressive 60.9 percent from the field. He ended the season at home against Denver on April 12 with six points, two rebounds and one assist, while receiving a huge ovation from the fans who have grown to love “Mr. Thunder” for what he’s meant to the franchise his entire career.

This may or may not have been his last game with Oklahoma City; Collison is a free agent this summer for the first time in his career and has no plans to retire yet at age 36.

“I plan to play for sure,” Collison said during his exit interview in April. “I wasn't sure going into the season how I would feel at the end of the year, but I still enjoy playing, and I enjoy being around the group. I enjoy being on the team, and I still think I have something to offer.”

He would certainly like to continue his career with the Thunder. Collison has loved every minute of his experience in Oklahoma City.

“It's just first class,” Collison told NBA.com on June 1. “The organization will always try to figure out the best way to do something, and they'll put in the work, the effort to try to do it the best way. That's all you can ask for as a player. The people that work here enjoy it and they're treated well.”

“I've been treated great here, and I've had great experiences here, and it's been the best basketball years of my life for sure playing here,” Collison added.

Oklahoma City General Manager Sam Presti thinks extremely highly of Collison.

“He represents the type of player that we want to ultimately have our organization embody,” Presti told The Oklahoman on March 29, 2014. “His fingerprints are all over the success of the organization, and those fingerprints will have a lot of staying power.”

The former KU All-American spoke to me in October 2010 before an NBA exhibition game against the Miami Heat at Sprint Center in Kansas City how he had to reinvent himself in the pros after being such a prolific scorer and dominating player in college. He just wanted to find his niche as a blue-collar energy player who defended, rebounded, and did all the intangibles.

“I think that’s what I have to do to be on the floor and that’s what I have to do to be productive,” Collison said. “I’ve been able to find a way to help a team. That’s what I wanted to do when I got to the league. I went into it knowing I can’t expect necessarily what I’ll be in five years, but hopefully I can find away to stick and fill a role, and I think I’ve been able to do that.”

He didn’t miss being a star at Kansas. Instead, he’s been the true role player playing with such star teammates as Ray Allen, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.

“I never had a stretch where I looked back longingly on the days where I scored 20 points per game,” Collison said.

Collison, though, said it was a learning curve when he entered the NBA.

“I don’t think it was an adjustment in terms of I felt something was missing, but the actual things I was doing was different,” Collison said. “I wasn’t catching the ball in the low block a lot and playing with my back to to the basket a lot. I had to find other ways to find offense. (I was also) guarding a lot of pick and roll situations, which I didn’t do in college so I had to learn how to get good at that.”

He has always been great at sacrificing his body and drawing charges, leading the NBA in that category in 2009-10.

"He likes it in his own crazy way,” former OKC coach Scott Brooks told The Oklahoman in March 2010. "It gets him juiced up. It he gets one it gets him fired up to get two in a row. He’s probably the best I’ve ever been around. Ten years from now when he’s close to retiring, he’ll be doing the same thing.”

Brooks, indeed, loved Collison’s competitive fire.

“You could put him for five minutes or for 35 minutes, he’s going to give you everything he has,”  Brooks told The Oklahoman during the 2014-15 season.

Collison has always made OKC better when he’s on the floor. ESPN’s Tom Haberstroth wrote on the website on Jan. 25, 2015, that “as far back as 2011, Collison has been known as a ‘No-Stats All-Star’ in the same ilk as Shane Battier for his lofty plus-minus that placed him among superstars. Collison does a ton of positive things -- sets screen, takes charges, boxes out -- that aren't picked up in the box score. And he takes great pride in that.”

Collison, who has served as a great mentor in his latter years to the young Thunder big men, feels lucky the Oklahoma City fans deeply respect his hard work. The crowd roars when Collison makes one of his patented hustle plays.

“I feel like they really appreciate what I do, and I know that’s rare for a player like me,” Collison told The Oklahoman in March 2014. “A role player like me who averages four (points) and four (rebounds) or whatever it is, no one really thinks twice about him. But I know that I have kind of a special place here. So I really appreciate that.”

For his NBA career, Collison has played in 895 games (177 starts) and averaged 6.0 points (5,328), 5.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 20.7 minutes per game while shooting 53.3 percent from the field (No. 35 all time) and 72.6 percent at the free throw line. His 11.1 offensive rebounding percentage ranks No. 42 all time while his 114.6 offensive rating is No. 59. Meanwhile, Collison’s 54.1 2-point field goal percentage ranks No. 10 among active players and No. 33 all time.

According to basketballreference.com, Collison has earned $57,993.990.

This Iowa Falls native’s NBA career was all made possible by what he accomplished at Kansas, where Collison enjoyed a magical four-year career from 1999-2003. He led Kansas to two Final Fours, including a trip to the national championship game against Syracuse in 2003. Collison ranks as KU’s second all-time leading scorer, third-leading rebounder and fourth-leading shot blocker, the only Jayhawk to be listed in the top-four in those three categories.

Collison’s No. 4 jersey was retired in Allen Fieldhouse on Nov. 25, 2003.

Collison told me he loved playing for head coach Roy Williams, who made him better both on and off the court.

“He was huge for me and my development,” Collison said that day in Sprint Center in 2010. “Coming from high school to college, it’s a huge transition for everybody, whether you’re a basketball player or not so to have a mentor like that was big for me evolving as a person and as a basketball player. Basketball wise, I picked up a lot of good habits that have allowed me to play at this level, and allowed me to stick around at this level. Preparation, certain things actually on the basketball court. Toughness is a big thing I got from him.”

Williams called Collison a gem to coach.

“With Nick, you tell him something one time, show him how to do it, explain what you want him to do, then go on to something else because you’ll never have to show him again. He was the most fundamentally sound player I’ve ever received out of high school,” Williams told The Oklahoman in December 2010. “His dad did a great job with him in high school. That was a great foundation for him. He had more post moves than anybody I’ve ever seen since Kevin McHale. On top of that, he’s one of the fiercest competitors I’ve ever seen, so coachable. ... I don’t know if I’ve ever had anyone easier to coach than Nick Collison.”

Williams recalled one of his favorite stories regarding Collison, how he helped spur the Jayhawks to an Elite Eight victory over Arizona in 2003.

“I kneeled down in front of the team and said a couple of little things,” Williams related. “I said, ‘Anybody got anything to add?’ and Nick said, ‘Yeah, I’m going to the Final Four. If you guys want to go along with me, get your act in gear.’”

KU got in gear and marched to the national championship game before falling to Syracuse. Collison ended his collegiate career with 19 points and 21 rebounds, the second-most rebounds in a championship game and the most in 47 years.

While it was a bitter loss, Collison relished his college years.

“I really had a great experience in college,” Collison said. “I would recommend KU, I would recommend playing for coach Williams. The stuff I went through was great for me.”

Former Jayhawk star Drew Gooden lived a nomadic NBA life

In my previous post, Raef LaFrentz cracked the top-10 of the former Jayhawks to have the best NBA career. Now, in this series, I examine another great ex-KU big man who carved out an impressive life in the pros.

NO. 9 DREW GOODEN

As Drew Gooden was posting monster numbers during his junior year at Kansas en route to consensus All-American honors, his dad believed Gooden would soon become an NBA superstar.

“By 2006, he’ll be a household name,” Andrew Gooden Sr. told the San Francisco Chronicle on March 12, 2002. “He’ll be one of the best players in the NBA.”

Gooden never became a “household name” or “one of the best” in the pros, being traded six times and playing on 10 different teams during his nomadic 14-year NBA career. A natural scorer and rebounder who was almost a walking double-double when given minutes, Gooden’s NBA life was both a blessing and a curse. It was a blessing in that he played for so many teams that wanted his services; a curse in that so many teams didn’t want to keep him.

Whatever the case, Gooden produced impressive numbers in the league before retiring in 2016, a long journey beginning with lofty expectations since being drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies with the No. 4 overall pick in 2002, just after leading KU to its first Final Four in nine years.

The 6-10, 250-pound forward was a consistent scorer, averaging in double figures his first 10 seasons in the NBA. Gooden, who was named Rookie of the Month in November 2002 and to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, posted his best stats in his third year in the league in 2004-05 with the Cleveland Cavaliers, when he teamed with LeBron James and averaged 14.4 points and 9.2 rebounds (13th in NBA) in a career-high 30.8 minutes per game while starting 80 of 82 contests.

Gooden became just the second player (Shawn Kemp) in Cavs franchise history to record at least 1,000 points, 750 rebounds, 100 assists, 75 steals and 75 blocks in one season. He also recorded 37 double-doubles (eighth in NBA) while shooting 13-of-13 from the free throw line versus Milwaukee on Jan. 30, 2005, setting career highs in both categories.

He also shined in his first playoff appearance during his rookie season in 2003 with the Orlando Magic, averaging 14.0 points and 12.7 rebounds in seven games. Gooden came up big again in the postseason for the Cavs in the 2007 NBA Finals (they lost to San Antonio), averaging 11.4 points and 8.0 rebounds in 30.3 minutes per game.

Gooden, who averaged 13.7 points (his highest output since 2004-05) and 6.5 rebounds playing center for Milwaukee in his 10th season in 2011-12, reinvented himself launching the most threes of his career (55) while making a career-best 16 for 29.1 percent. He even was selected as March 8, 2012 Player of the Week. However, after such an impressive season, the former KU star only played in 16 games the following year while averaging career lows in points (3.3 ppg) and rebounds (1.9 rpg).

The Bucks then released him in the summer of 2013 using the amnesty clause. For Gooden, he found himself out of the league for the first time in his career.

“I was robbed. I just came arguably off my best year in the NBA and became the 15th man starting the first day of training camp,” Gooden told the Washington Post on April 28, 2015. 

“And nobody saw me play the whole season, so when I was amnestied, it was like ‘What the hell can Drew Gooden do right now?’”

Gooden used his time away from the NBA staying in the gym, shooting jumper after jumper, three-pointer after three-pointer to expand his long-distance game.

Washington eventually signed Gooden in 2014 to two 10-day contracts and then to the remainder of the season, where he produced off the bench averaging 8.3 points and 5.2 rebounds in 22 games while shooting 53.1 percent from the field, 41.2 percent from beyond the arc, and a sizzling 88.9 percent at the free throw line.

His numbers dipped during the 2014-15 season with the Wizards, averaging 5.4 points and 4.4 rebounds in 16.9 minutes per game. However, he set new career highs in three-point field goals (23) and three-point attempts (59) while shooting 39.0 percent from beyond the arc. 

Gooden then elevated his game in the playoffs, connecting on 7-of-14 three-point attempts against Toronto in 20.5 minutes per game in a four-game sweep during the first round. Gooden wound up playing 10 playoff games and went 12-of-26 from deep for 46.2 percent. This was after Gooden had made just one three in 56 career playoff games entering the 2015 playoffs.

The Wizards rewarded Gooden with a one-year contract worth $3.3 million. Gooden, though, battled injuries and only averaged 2.7 points and 2.8 rebounds in 10.2 minutes per game (30 contests) during his final season.

Gooden, who was originally drafted by the Grizzlies and then-head coach Hubie Brown as a small forward, played power forward and center during his career since leaving Memphis in 2003. He talked about his transformation to ESPN.com’s Scoop Jackson on May 9, 2015.

“I started my first two months in the league as a small forward,” Gooden said. “Back then I was called a 'tweener.' It wasn't called a stretch 4 -- it was a tweener. I wasn't big enough to play in the post and rebound, yet I wasn't fast enough to guard smaller players (and didn’t) have the skills to shoot and be a perimeter player from the outside. So I had committed myself to telling myself, 'Hey, I'm a power forward. I'm going to rebound. I'm going to do the dirty work, rough-nose defense, and if this is how I'm going to play 10-plus years in the NBA, so be it.' I had to take that route. I came in small, as a guy spacing the floor, shooting 3s, coming off pick-and-rolls. I had to develop into a traditional forward when I came in just so I could play 10 years in this league.”

While he never became an All-Star, Gooden still had a very productive and fine NBA career while earning $67,930,972, according to basketballreference.com. He started 500 of 790 games and posted career averages of 11.0 points (8,653) and 7.1 rebounds in 25.7 minutes per game, while shooting 46.2 percent from the field, 25.7 percent from three-point range, and 76.0 percent at the free throw line.

He ranked No. 8 in the NBA in offensive rebounds in 2005-06 and No. 5 in 2006-07, while sixth in defensive rebounds in 2004-05. Gooden ranks No. 53 all time in offensive rebound percentage (10.6), No. 82 in defensive rebound percentage (21.7), and No. 69 in total rebound percentage (16.1).

For all those numbers, he will best be known for playing on 10 different teams. Gooden talked to Bleacher Report in February 2015 about his many travels around the league. His nomadic career all began in Memphis, where he lasted just 51 games as a rookie before his trade to Orlando. Even on draft night in June 2002, Gooden had a notion he wouldn’t be in Memphis for long.

“I came into draft night with the possibility of getting traded,” Gooden said. “[Grizzlies general manager] Jerry West assured me that if I was available with the fourth pick, they were going to draft the best player available—whether it fit the system or not. Coming in, my agent said, ‘Don’t get too comfortable with that hat.’ So even though I had the Grizzlies hat on, there was a possibility I might be getting traded.

“But I stuck it out, went through summer league, played my first couple of months with the Grizzlies. It seemed like it was going to work, [that I could] coexist with the other guys and play small forward. But eventually it didn’t work out. The funny thing is, Jerry West had assured me again, when the trade deadline was coming up, that I wasn’t getting traded. ... That was the only time in my career when I was reassured that I wasn’t getting traded and it happened.”

The trades kept coming over and over again for Gooden.

“After numerous times going through a trade or the time or the window before a trade, I’m kind of numb to the feeling,” he said. “I know it’s a business, and I learned it early in my career.”

Gooden learned to make the best of his opportunities wherever he was traded. A jovial personality, he always got along with his new teammates. And the former Jayhawk star helped his teams win lots of games while keeping an eye on the bigger picture.

“Once it happened once (trade), that was the shock. But like anything else, we’re all human. We’ll be able to adapt to whatever that situation is,” Gooden said. “If you want to play and have goals in this league like I did—I had a goal that I wanted to play multiple years in this league—you suck it up, you keep working hard and the wind will carry you where it needs to carry you, in the direction you need to be.”

In addition to his his hardwood accomplishments, Gooden made a big difference off the court during his career. Gooden, who was listed among professional athletes as "Good Guys in Sports" by The Sporting News on three occasions, opened the Drew Gooden Reading and Learning Center at Cleveland's East End Neighborhood House in September 2005, won the NBA Community Assist Award the next month, and named the Al Lerner Community Service Award winner at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards in February 2006.

A 2002 consensus first-team All-American and Big 12 Player of the Year at KU, Gooden became just the second Jayhawk (Danny Manning) to amass at least 1,500 points, 900 rebounds, 100 blocks and 100 steals in a career. He ranks 19th on KU’s all-time scoring list (1,526 points), sixth in rebounding and fourth with 44 career double-doubles.

His jersey was retired in Allen Fieldhouse on Jan. 18, 2003. Even more important, after 14 years since leaving KU, Gooden completed his bachelor's degree in communications in December 2016 and participated in graduation ceremonies at Mount Oread in May.

After some early growing pains playing for coach Roy Williams, Gooden became a superstar his junior year in 2001-02, averaging 19.8 points and 11.4 rebounds in leading Kansas to the Final Four. He set a school record with 25 double-doubles that season (now No. 2 behind Thomas Robinson) and tied Raef LaFrentz for most consecutive double-doubles (seven) in KU history.

It was, quite simply, a season for the ages.

“Drew is so emotional at times and can just throw the guys on his back and carry them,” Williams said then. “He had a four-five-six-seven-game, you put a number on it, stretch that was about as good as anybody I've ever had. I think Drew's game has developed each and every season, each and every month of every season.” 

And then Williams said this at the time to ESPN The Magazine:

"This guy is the best offensive rebounder I’ve ever seen."

Raef LaFrentz made his name in the NBA with shot blocking, three-point shooting

I’ve always been fascinated in how former Jayhawks perform in the NBA, becoming a draft junkie since 1976 when my childhood hero Norm Cook was selected with the No. 16 overall pick in the first round by the Boston Celtics. While Cook’s pro career never panned out, Kansas basketball has turned out some great NBA players in its illustrious history, from the best of the best in pro basketball history as old-timers like Wilt Chamberlain to recently retired superstar Paul Pierce. 

Now, Josh Jackson and Frank Mason have a chance to make their mark in the NBA as their journey starts on June 22 with the NBA Draft — Jackson as a likely top-three pick and Mason a probable second-rounder.

In this series, I rank the top-10 former KU players with the best NBA careers.

No. 10 RAEF LAFRENTZ

Raef LaFrentz was so highly coveted during his memorable senior year at Kansas that many basketball observers predicted he would be the No. 1 pick in the 1998 NBA Draft.

"At this point he's the strong favorite to go Number 1," Boston Celtics general manager Chris Wallace told Sports Illustrated on Dec. 29, 1997. "And it doesn't matter who comes out. It's Raef's position to lose."

LaFrentz was a mobile 6-11 player with a soft shooting touch blessed with a deadly turnaround jumper and great rebounding skills.

Wallace also liked the fact that LaFrentz was a lefthander.

“I just think it adds a little trickery that gives him a small advantage,” Wallace said.

Denver Post columnist Jim Armstrong also was a believer. Armstrong wrote:

“So if the Nuggets get the first pick in the NBA draft, do they take Raef LaFrentz, the safe pick, or Paul Pierce, who’s got some Jordan in him? Big men win games, but showmen sell tickets. At the moment, that’s what the Nuggets’ front office needs to concern itself with.”

LaFrentz didn’t end up going No. 1, but No. 3 to Denver, seven picks ahead of former KU teammate and future Hall of Famer Pierce. After tearing his ACL 12 games into his rookie season, many experts still believed LaFrentz was destined for greatness.

After all, he averaged 13.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game before the injury, scored in double figures in 10 of 12 games, and posted three double-doubles, including 24 points and 12 rebounds versus the powerhouse Los Angeles Lakers.

“Raef is going to be an All-Star soon,” then-Nuggets' strength and conditioning coach Steve Hess told the Denver Post in August 1999. “He’s never going to have another problem. That’s my belief. Raef is a potential superstar. So he can’t come back and be OK. He has to come back and be unbelievable. There’s a lot of pressure on him. It’s not like any guy coming back from a surgery and if he does good, you’re like, ‘Wow.’

“Raef has to come back and blow everyone’s socks off, so can you imagine going to bed every night and thinking about that? Not only do you have to come back from this rehab, but you have to be unbelievable — and he will be.”

LaFrentz never became a superstar or All-Star and never an inside scoring force as he was at Kansas, but did make his mark in Denver with his multidimensional skills as a big man who could spread the floor and shoot three-pointers and block shots with the best in the NBA.

He averaged at least 12.4 points his first three full seasons in the league, while blocking at least 180 shots per season during that span. In his third full season in 2001-02 playing for both Denver and the Dallas Mavericks, LaFrentz became just the third player in NBA history to record 100 three-pointers (104) and 100 blocks (213) in the same season. He ranked No. 6 in the league in blocks in 1999-2000, No. 3 in 2000-01, and No. 2 in 2001-02.

Despite his success, those early years playing for Nuggets’ coach Dan Issel were frustrating.

“I know Dan just wants to get the most out of me as he can. But he tears me down as a person,” LaFrentz once told the Denver Post.

Issel resigned in December 2001 and LaFrentz was later shipped to the Mavericks. After 2002, LaFrentz’s production slipped with more injuries. 

The former KU All-American, though, showed signs of his old form with the Boston Celtics for two years from 2004-06, when he was reunited with Pierce and averaged 11.1 points and 6.9 rebounds in 2004-05 before playing in all 82 games the following season for the first time in his career and making a career-best 112 threes.

Battling knee problems and other injuries, LaFrentz finished his career with two injury-plagued seasons in Portland, and actually did not play at all in 2008-09 after undergoing shoulder surgery. 

Despite never reaching stardom, LaFrentz persevered through adversity and had a very productive NBA career while ranking No. 44 all time with 1.6 blocks per game.

LaFrentz, who retired at age 33 in 2009, started 438 of 563 contests while posting career averages of 10.1 points (5,690) and 6.1 rebounds in 25.8 minutes per game. He shot 46.6 percent from the field, 36.3 percent from beyond the arc, and 71.1 percent at the free throw line. 

In August 2015, LaFrentz was named the No. 21 best player in Denver Nuggets history by Hoopshabit.com. He ranks eighth in Denver annals with 556 blocks, 10th with a three-point percentage of .376, and third with an average of 2.5 blocks per game.

A two-time consensus All-American and Big 12 Player of the Year, LaFrentz joined Tim Duncan and Shaquille O'Neal as the only players in the 1990s to earn first team AP All-America honors twice. He is also the third-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder in KU history, one of just three Jayhawks to be in the top three in both categories with Danny Manning and Nick Collison. LaFrentz also became just the first KU player to average a double-double in 1998 (19.8 ppg, 11.4 rpg) since Roger Brown in 1971 (11.2 ppg, 11.1 rpg).

The school’s career leader in double-doubles (56), his No. 45 jersey was retired in Allen Fieldhouse on Feb. 16, 2003.

Former KU coach Roy Williams often said he recruited the Monona, Iowa, native harder than any other player to Kansas.

“The  bottom line was, I couldn’t say no to coach Williams,” LaFrentz told Sport Magazine in April 1997. “The kind of relationship is something that I thought was special, even in high school.”

LaFrentz talked more about his Iowa and KU roots at his induction into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.

“It all started in a small town of Monona, Iowa, about 12,000 people in northeastern Iowa,” LaFrentz said. “A big thank you to my folks, Ron and Ellen. They tried to instill a work ethic in me. I don’t know if it worked or not, but I worked very hard to make them proud.

“From there, my basketball career as a whole, coach Williams, I owe him a great deal. He came up to Monona, he found me and gave me the opportunity to come to the University of Kansas and be a part of the rich tradition. I was fortunate enough to win a lot of basketball games and play with some great players --Jacque Vaughn, Jerod Haase, Paul Pierce, Scot Pollard, all helped to form my basketball game and form me as a person. Great times at the University of Kansas.”

Williams loved coaching LaFrentz; he called the big man a fiery competitor. Williams relayed a special memory of LaFrentz’s competitive spirit to Sports Illustrated his senior year on Dec. 29, 1997.

"I won't say it's a mean streak because he's not a mean guy, but he's definitely got a competitive streak," Williams said. "I'll give you an example. Last year everyone talked about our senior leadership because we had the best group of seniors you could imagine: Jerod Haase, Scot Pollard, Jacque Vaughn. But we're playing Nebraska at home, and we go into overtime, and Raef just takes over. The players leave my huddle and then huddle up themselves about 10 feet out on the floor, and Raef looks at the seniors and just says, 'Give me the damn ball.' Then he goes out and scores 11 points in overtime, and we win. Now that's a competitor."

Indeed, he was.

"I like beating people," LaFrentz told SI. "I like matching my skills against yours and winning, in whatever we play: cards, board games, basketball. It doesn't matter. I just don't like to let someone beat me." 

LaFrentz said he got his competitive fire from his dad, Ron, a former basketball player at Northern Iowa.

"He's got a mean streak like nobody else.”

Darnell Valentine made his mark in the NBA

In my last blog entry, I wrote about Darnell Valentine’s jersey retirement in Allen Fieldhouse in 2005. Now, I feature him again with a story about his NBA career. I rank Valentine as the No. 3 former Jayhawk guard with the best NBA career behind Jo Jo White and Kirk Hinrich. And I have D.V. as the No. 11 ex-’Hawk overall with the top NBA career.

Like I did with Paul Mokeski, yet even more so, I followed Valentine’s pro career religiously as my fandom reached new heights. Every time he was on TV, it was like Hanukkah, a time to celebrate and rejoice with my dad in watching my childhood hero perform on basketball’s greatest stage. I remember getting so nervous when he was at the free throw line; I wanted so much for the ball to swish through the net. And when he missed, which wasn’t very often (78.7 percent career free throws), I felt badly for him. 

I would also listen to his games on the AM radio and chart his statistics for the season. Following Darnell in the NBA became a central part of my life in high school and college. The first thing I did when I got the paper was look at the box scores to see how Darnell performed the previous night. I cheered his successes and became saddened whenever he was injured. Once in college at KU, after he suffered an injury while playing for the Los Angeles Clippers, I took a break from studying in the stacks of Watson Library and wrote a long, heartfelt letter to him, closing with an inspirational poem about D.V. taking the ball coast to coast and scoring a layup over Moses Malone.

It was a letter I needed to write; I had to let my childhood hero know how important he was to me.

Several months later, Darnell wrote me back as I leaped for joy when the letter arrived in my mailbox. Oh, I’ll never forget that letter postmarked Dec. 17, 1986 written on stationary from the Holiday Inn Westwood Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles:

“Dear David: How are ya? I’ve spent a lot of time in Lawrence this summer and I’m surprised I didn’t meet you. But I received your letter, and it was really inspiring. I appreciate your support and loyalty. The amazing thing that may surprise you is fan support goes a long, long way and it makes the game of basketball that much more enjoyable. Kansas is truly a beautiful place with beautiful people and I’m proud to be a part of it. Thank you and take care. God Bless, Darnell.”

I’ve always appreciated Darnell for taking the time to write me back, and will forever cherish that letter. 

I ached for D.V. to reach the upper rank of NBA point guards, and while it never happened, I always admired his tenacious defense and how hard he worked and competed to become the best player possible.

...

Darnell Valentine first exploded on the national scene the summer after his junior year at Wichita Heights at Howard Garfinkel’s prestigious Five-Star camp in Wheeling, West Virginia. After Valentine’s performance, Garfinkel simply gushed that he was the best guard in the history of the camp, even superior to Butch Lee of Marquette and Phil Sellers of Rutgers.

Scouts continued to rave over Valentine’s game as the phenom joined Kansas basketball. During his sophomore year in 1978 while scouting at the Big Eight Holiday Tournament in Kansas City, Boston Celtics general manager Red Auerbach was awed over Valentine’s skills.

“Valentine is quicker than Jo Jo (White) and he penetrates better,” Auerbach told The Sporting News in comparing him to the former Celtics’ star (1969-1979) who was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame last September.

As Valentine earned All-American honors his senior year in 1981 and prepared for the NBA Draft, Auerbach predicted the Wichita native was destined for stardom.

“He is,” Auerbach marveled, “going to be a great one.”

While Valentine never lived up to the hype, he had a very commendable nine-year NBA career and was a true defensive wizard with an unwavering work ethic. The 6-1 guard’s career all began with the Portland Trail Blazers, who chose him as the No. 16 pick in the first round of the draft.

After learning the ropes his rookie season under starter Kelvin Ransey and averaging 6.4 points per game, Valentine became the starting point guard in Year 2. Portland head coach Jack Ramsay was so high on Valentine that he raved about him to Sports Illustrated just before his second season.

"Darnell Valentine may be the best point guard in the NBA, you'll see," Ramsay said.

Valentine averaged a career-high 12.5 points and 2.1 steals per game in 1982-83, endearing himself to Ramsay and Blazers fans with his nonstop hustle, defensive prowess, and charming personality.

"He's a fierce competitor," Ramsay told "The Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball." "He never stops. He's never going to be outplayed."

Unfortunately, Valentine never rose to NBA stardom despite his outstanding defense and great playmaking and penetration ability. He was a questionable outside shooter, battled injuries, and was constantly fighting for minutes with fellow point guards Lafayette Lever and Steve Colter in Portland. He also played in a complex halfcourt offense under Ramsay, which restricted his freedom.

Then with the arrival of rookie and future All-Star Terry Porter in 1985-86, the Blazers dealt Valentine to NBA purgatory with the woeful Los Angeles Clippers for a first-round draft pick, where he played in obscurity for two and a half seasons before finishing his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers (two seasons) at age 31 in 1991.

Valentine talked about that trade to Los Angeles to the Oregonian in 2009.

"It was an open competition in training camp (with Colter and Porter), and I came out the starter," Valentine said. "I was playing well, but then they wanted to change directions."

Before the Clippers’ deal, a trade to Indiana fell apart as Valentine became “a lame duck.”

"Everything was so abrupt. So I passed the baton to Terry,” Valentine said of Porter, who became an All-Star and one of the top assist men in NBA annals.

Valentine, who was ranked the No. 33 best player in Trail Blazers' history by the Oregonian in 2009, always elevated his game in the playoffs for Portland. He averaged 12.0 points, 6.8 assists, and shot a scorching 88.4 percent from free throw line during the postseason, and is tied for the team record for most assists in a playoff game with 15. Valentine, who averaged 18.4 points and 8.4 assists in a playoff series with Phoenix in 1984, also ranks fifth all time in Blazer history in playoff assists.

"I was never the greatest player during the season," Valentine said. "But when it got to playoffs, I think teams were so intent on stopping our strengths – (Jim) Paxson and (Calvin) Natt – that it allowed me to make things happen."

Valentine, whose trademark was his tree-trunk thighs, has a favorite story about his time in Rip City.

"I had those big legs, which were probably my rite to passage,” he said. “Well, there was another player in the league who had big legs too – World B. Free – and Mychal Thompson would never let me hear the end of it. He always wondered why I couldn't jump like World B. Free. So he always called me 'Ground Jordan'."

While he wasn’t a leaper, Valentine was the consummate and unselfish point guard for Ramsay. The Hall of Famer and late Portland head man loved coaching Valentine and greatly admired his work ethic.

Under the caption, “Heart of a Champion,” here’s what Ramsay wrote in his 2004 book, “Dr. Jack’s Leadership Lessons learned from a Lifetime in Basketball”:

“Many of the players I coached who weren’t among the team’s most gifted players were the hardest workers and made maximum use of their skills. Darnell Valentine was perhaps the most self-disciplined player I ever dealt with.

“DV — who had watermelon-sized quads, a strong upper body and excellent quickness handling the ball and defending — worked fanatically on his conditioning.  He was on the floor an hour before practice, working on his defensive footwork, pull-up jumpers, or full-court drives to the hoop. Then he would stretch for about 15 minutes before the team practice began. He was also extremely careful about his diet. He ate primarily foods high in carbohydrates and supplemented them with enough protein and fat to fuel his extraordinary energy level. Valentine even brought his own food blender with him on road trips and often boarded the team bus carrying large bags of fruit and veggies, which he offered to everyone. In addition to his fierce work ethic, relentless self-discipline and powerful will to win, he always wore a smile and was one of the best team players I ever coached.”

Valentine was overwhelmed with gratitude when I relayed Ramsay’s statement to him before his jersey retirement at KU on Jan. 1, 2005. The two were good friends and fellow fitness addicts; they used to take bike rides together.

“Coming from him, that’s an incredible compliment,” Valentine said. “I appreciate that. We did a lot of things alike. We thought alike. Even when I was traded to the Clippers, I know that I understand the business of basketball now, sometimes it’s not about the coach and it’s not about your playing. It’s a business. Sometimes, things are done by committee. Jack and I, we had a great relationship.”

Valentine, who has lived in Portland since he retired from basketball and worked for Precision Castparts (a Fortune 500 manufacturing company) as employee engagement leader since 2007, richly enjoyed his time with the Blazers.

"Coming out of Kansas, I was afraid that the NBA would be an overwhelming challenge," Valentine said. "But the Blazers — the Stu Inmans the Harry Glickmans — they embraced and cared about us, and I think that eventually was reflected in the community. And it's amazing how that regenerates itself. Portland is a special place. I could feel that right from the start.”

Valentine boasts career averages of 8.7 points (5,400), 5.0 assists, 2.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 23.2 minutes per game. He started 345 of 620 contests, while shooting 43.7 percent from the field, 26.1 percent from beyond the arc, and 78.7 percent at the free throw line.

I asked my childhood hero when he returned to Allen Fieldhouse for his jersey retirement in 2005 how he felt about his pro career.

“I think it could have possibly been better, and it could have possibly been a lot worse,” he 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.”

Lafayette Norwood, Valentine’s close friend, mentor and coach at Wichita Heights and assistant at Kansas, believed he caught a tough break by never catching on with the Chicago Bulls and superstar Michael Jordan. The Bulls were close to trading for Valentine after the 1984-85 season (his fourth year with Portland), 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, he could have made that happen and become a critical (part to their success).”

Norwood thought Valentine could have elevated Jordan and his Bulls’ teammates’ games with his tenacious defense and become one of the best NBA point guards. Despite not getting with the Bulls, Norwood was proud of what D.V. accomplished during his nine NBA seasons.

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

Like many others, Norwood was deeply impressed with Valentine’s competitive fire.

“I've never been around a young man so obsessed to be a professional athlete,” Norwood told the Lawrence Journal-World on Jan. 17, 1986.

David Magley, Valentine’s teammate at KU, also greatly admired his work ethic. Magley saw Valentine compete in the NBA when he played briefly for the Cleveland Cavaliers as a rookie in 1982-83.

“I gained even greater respect for Darnell,” Magley told the Journal-World after the Cavs released him. “I respected Darnell at KU because he worked so hard. He’s kept it up in the NBA. Darnell is so devoted. A lot of NBA players just don’t show the intensity he does.”

“He was a warrior,” former Missouri guard and NBA rival Larry Drew told me several years ago.

Valentine credits his mother, Rose, for his superior drive.

“My mother instilled in me was the fact I had a real strong work ethic,” he said. “I was dedicated to the game and I respected the game.” 

And Valentine, of course, loved the game.

Recalling Jayhawk legend Darnell Valentine's jersey retirement ceremony in Allen Fieldhouse

"Without heroes, we are all plain people and don't know how far we can go." --Bernard Malamud in "The Natural"

Darnell Valentine was my childhood hero; I idolized everything about the former Jayhawk star. I shot free throws using his distinctive style and wore my socks high like him. When Darnell played for Portland in the NBA, I bought my beloved dog Snoopy Trailblazer dog food. I used to work out at home gaining motivation by looking at a framed picture of Darnell leading a fast break with Portland. Just when I thought I couldn’t run in place anymore, I focused even more on the picture and kept on running, kept on sweating, kept on persevering. I ran even faster, lifted my legs even higher, doing this all for Darnell. I admired his unwavering work ethic so much, and wanted to be just like him.

In this blog entry, I look back at a historic moment with his jersey retirement ceremony in Allen Fieldouse 12 years ago, when Valentine took his rightful place among the Jayhawk greats to have his No. 14 jersey unfurled from the hallowed rafters in the Phog.

...

It was halftime of the thrilling Kansas-Georgia Tech game in Allen Fieldhouse on Jan. 1, 2005, as the resounding cheers and memories all came racing back for Darnell Valentine.

Dressed stylishly in a maroon suit, white shirt and glasses and still looking extremely physically fit — “I’m still playing weight, baby,” he  told a small group of reporters earlier that day — Valentine stood at midcourt flanked by his former KU head coach Ted Owens and assistant Lafayette Norwood.

And then it happened. At 2:34 p.m., Valentine’s No. 14 jersey was retired and unfurled from the rafters. The crowd roared in approval while Valentine got chills and flashed a broad smile. After composing himself, he took the microphone and addressed the crimson and blue faithful while speaking from the heart.

“This is such an overwhelming ceremony and opportunity for me,” said Valentine, who starred at KU from 1977-1981. “I'm so proud; I'm so honored. My wife, Cindy, my daughter, Tierra, we are so proud. This has just been a 24-year fulfillment of my desire to be up there among some of the greats of Kansas basketball. First, I'd like to acknowledge our heavenly Father for giving me the gift of basketball. Also, for surrounding me with love and support to allow me to accomplish the things I was able to accomplish. My mother, she instilled in me to always try to leave a place better then I found it. She would be pleased today. Lafayette Norwood and Mrs. Betty Norwood, my adopted parents — I don’t know if they adopted me, or if I just tried to grab a leg and hold on. He’s certainly given me a life full of lessons and guidance, and I’m just honored to have him here with me as well. 

“Coach Ted Owens' 19-year career here at the University of Kansas, and he allowed me to be part of this program and to give me a platform to play and surround me with players that complemented me. Thank you coach. My teammates, oh man, I had some great teammates. I’m so proud that I've been able to go forward and represent them, because without them — team, the acronym 'Together, Everyone Accomplishes More" — I think that epitomizes the unity that we had. 

“Also, I'd like to acknowledge a gentleman that certainly has touched this community in a way that no person ever has, Mr. Bob Billings. He exemplified kindness, generosity, and character — what a great man. Also, I’d like to acknowledge Jamie Coulter, who played a big role in me coming here to the University of Kansas, and without the tireless efforts of Mr. Bemie Morgan, we might not be having this ceremony today. Thank you, Bernie.

“I hope that as you come to Allen Fieldhouse, and you young people, I’m going to give a shout out to you guys as well. As you come into Allen Fieldhouse, I hope that these jerseys up here will inspire you to in the tradition of Kansas, to pursue excellence, because it’s so short lived. It’s an opportunity for you to really define yourself. I had the opportunity here at the University of Kansas to have the springboard to allow me to have a lifestyle and life that I have. You guys take advantage of this. I challenge you to leave this place better than you found it.  

“Rock Chalk, Jayhawks!

The packed crowd of 16,300 cheered again — even louder this time. It was a wonderful and heartfelt ovation for a man and player who accomplished so much during his collegiate career. KU’s first McDonald’s All-American from powerhouse Wichita Heights, Valentine is the lone Jayhawk to be named first-team All-Conference four times and the only KU player to be selected as a three-time Academic All-American (1979, ‘80 and ‘81).

Valentine, who was named an All-American on the hardwood after his senior season in 1981, is one of just three Kansas players to earn All-American honors both on the floor and academically.

“He was a complete person,” Owens said. “He did it all.”

Blessed with great instincts and extremely quick hands and feet, Valentine was arguably the greatest defensive guard to wear a KU uniform. He still holds the school record for career steals with 336, while ranking first in free throws made with 541. A deadly penetrator who could blow by opponents at will, Valentine is also fifth in career scoring with 1,821 points. In addition, D.V. was a four-time team MVP and ranks fifth on the career assist list with 609. 

Valentine started from day one, leading the 1977-78 team his freshman year to a 24-5 season and Big Eight championship. After Kansas went 18-11 his sophomore year before stumbling with a 15-14 record as a junior, Valentine guided the Jayhawks to a 24-8 record his senior season, a Big 8 Tournament championship, and a Sweet 16 finish.

It was, quite simply, a career he will never forget. He remains grateful for his decision to attend Kansas over North Carolina and legendary coach Dean Smith. Valentine’s decision was clinched when Owens named Norwood — his high school coach — an assistant at Kansas.

“It’s something that I’ve never looked back on,” Valentine said before the Georgia Tech game. “I’m 300 percent sure that it was the right decision for me.”

Owens remarked that day it was a joy to coach Valentine. He considers Valentine as perhaps the hardest worker he’s ever coached.

 “He wasn’t good by accident,” Owens said. “He was good because he worked at it every single day. Just the opportunity to work with someone with that kind of attitude really was a highlight.”

And No. 14 honored his mother’s wish by leaving Kansas “better than I found it.” The Jayhawks went two seasons without an NCAA berth before Valentine arrived in 1977 and lifted KU back to national prominence. Of course, KU has continued its basketball excellence with reaching phenomenal heights ever since.

“They went on to win the championship since I (was there); they’re still highly touted as a program, and the leadership that they brought in with Larry Brown, Roy Williams, Bill Self, it’s just spectacular,” Valentine said. “I think I did my role.” 

Did he ever.

Whatever more he accomplishes, Valentine will always cherish New Year’s Day, 2005 when he realized a longtime dream with his jersey retired alongside the other KU legends in the hallowed rafters of Allen Fieldhouse.

“This is the crowning of my adult life right now,” he said with a big smile that afternoon before his jersey retirement. 

Then moments after he spoke to the crowd at halftime, Valentine stood near the north goal and continued to soak in the moment.

“I’m looking at 13, that’s Wilt Chamberlain (jersey number in the rafters). I’m looking at 14, that’s me, and I’m looking at 15, that’s Jo Jo White,” Valentine said. “That is just a crowning moment, amongst the great players of all at Kansas, that No. 14 is there. My family and I, we’re very proud.”

Owens certainly was that magical and memorable day.

“Darnell Valentine is one of the greatest players we’ve ever had here,” he said. “To see him honored is a blessing for all of us.”