This weeks NBA Draft almost certainly marked the end of an era in professional basketball. The bling-and-bust days of the high-school lottery pick have come and gone. This is a bit of hot topic among sports writers and fans, but Ill leave the arguing of pros and cons to those who actually give a shit.
Let's talk about a player who truly benefited from the high school to pro leap. Everyone knows about Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant, but those guys are great players. They would have excelled in college and still made it to the League. LeBron James, Amare Stoudemire, T-Mac; same story. But what about a player who was counting down the days until he could be legally incarcerated as an adult? Would he have lasted a couple years in college? Probably not. He certainly wouldnt have excelled in college. More likely he would have ended up in prison, or dead. He almost ended up dead anyway.
This is the story of Chicago native Leon Smith- the luckiest teenager ever drafted by an NBA franchise.
Leon had it tough, to be sure. A ward of the state of Illinois at age 5, he lived in foster homes and state-run facilities for much of his childhood. But genetics were on his side- physically at least. He grew to nearly seven feet tall, and developed into a standout high school basketballer. And when the NBA came knocking in 1999, he jumped at the chance.
Drafted near the bottom of the first round by the Spurs, he was then traded to the Mavericks. Thats when the problems began. At his first formal NBA work out, Smith refused assistant coach Donnie Nelsons order to run an extra set of wind sprints, reportedly barking back at the coach: Why dont you run it! Not only that, but he threw his jersey to the floor and stormed out- a classic move on your first day. To be fair, he did apologize later, but qualified his contrition with, This is typical me. This is Leon every day. I'm not going to change."
True to his word, it was just a few months before Smith ran into more problems. In November of 99 police were called to the scene of an incident where Leon had thrown a large rock through the window of a houseguests SUV. When the officers arrived, they found Smith unconscious with green war paint on his face. After being revived he claimed he was "an Indian" and was "fighting Columbus. I swear to God, I am not making this up.
It turned out that Leon had attempted to commit suicide by ingesting over 200 aspirins. He had scribbled a suicide note (it isnt clear if this was before or after applying the war paint to his face) that cited his problems with the team and his 16-year-old girlfriend wanting to break up with him as the reasons for his dispair. He was committed to a psychiatric facility in Dallas over what I can only assume were Tom Cruises vehement protests.
Forget an education, I play for the ABCD's now.
Just a few days later, the Mavericks returned to Chicago to play the Bulls, and of course Leon made the most of his trip home. He showed up at Marshall High School and brandished a firearm when his former girlfriend, Cappie Pondexter, refused his money to help her family. It was back to jail for the spurned Smith. But love is a powerful force, and Leon was no mouse. The next day, upon his release from jail, he went directly to the Pondexter home and proceeded to purposely ram his truck into Cappies mothers car. Then he jumped out and began smashing the windows (this guy hates car windows). According to a report by the Chicago Sun-Times, Leon ranted about the NBA, the Mavericks, the hospital, and even his 1.45 million dollar contract while continuing to damage the vehicle.
Things were a whole lot better before Smith shouted, and I aint goin nowhere!
Despite his proclamation, he did, of course, go to jail.
The NBA and Mavericks were so fed up with Smith at this point that they didnt even send a lawyer to his hearing. He was released on $1,500 bond to his former high school coach, Landon Cox. Cox reportedly urged the young man to go back to the hospital, but Smith refused and drove off.
Later Smith would say about the incident, "I'm not afraid to admit I was in love, and that added on to a lot of things that were going on. It drove me crazy. It got the anger to start building up inside of me." Just as a general rule I have, people who talk about the anger that builds up inside of them are fucking insane. You hear someone say that and you should run.
The Mavericks suspended Leon indefinitely in December of 1999, and he entered psychiatric care soon after. After being arrested again for violating his probation for leaving Illinios without permission to get treatment in Dallas, the Mavericks made a deal with the players union to pay off Smiths contract over ten years, and waived him outright in February of 2000.
He spent some time in the CBA until he signed with the Hawks in January of 2001. He played in 14 games in Atlanta, averaging a little over seven minutes and two points per outing. In August of 2002, he was traded with Toni Kukoc to the Bucks for Glenn Robinson, but never played. He was signed to ten-day contracts twice by Seattle, but saw the court only once during his stay there for the end of the 03-04 season. He did score two points though.
Where is he now? Who knows. Hes got 140 grand a year coming to him for four more years, and that aint a bad deal no matter where youre from.
poor bastard/fucking asshole Posted: 6/30/2005by: M.Thomas L. Let it be said... money can't buy happiness. In some ways I feel sorry for this poor bastard, in other ways I think, fucking asshole, he's pulling down 140K to put a ball through a hoop, be tall, and act like a child. I don't know man. Well written piece Charlie... I enjoyed the humor of the story, but it makes a solid point too. Kudos to 'The Devil' for making 19 the baseline. Kids Posted: 6/30/2005by: MEH Amen, Gashdaddy. I really do feel awful for these kids. I mean, to be given so much at such a young age, viewed as a savior for your family, friends, everyone you know, to have all of this pressure thrown at you when you're 18. I mean, hell, when I was that age the decision whether to watch Whose Line or Roadhouse while skipping class was the biggest question I faced. So to be somewhat unstable, told you're the greatest thing since sliced shit from 4th grade on, then be given more than you could ever imagine while surrounded by a posse of yesmen...what's amazing is that this shit doesn't happen more often. On a side note Posted: 6/30/2005by: kyle d CNN's Top Paid U.S. Athletes List came out...depressing #8: $28.3 Million a year - Fucking Lebron James....$24 of that is from endorsements. #10: $27.2 Million a year - Dale fucking Earnhardt Jr...get the fastest car on the track and floor it, what's so hard about that. Good article.... I just can't believe how these two rank of ALL U.S. ATHLETES.
Reminds Me Of A Posted: 6/30/2005by: brett guy named Dimitrius Underwood who was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings despite everyone's warnings that he battled major depression. true to form the guy was completely off his rocker and ended up with Miami I believe and then Dallas and now I imagine under a freeway overpass. Charlie, I think there is a good top ten list out there that coud list the top mental cases in pro sports. kids and the money Posted: 6/30/2005by: gashdaddy i think that people are too fucking hard on these kids. Million dollar contracts don't suddenly make you wise beyond your years. I can't even imagine what ignorant things I would have done with 1.45 million bucks when i was 18 or 19... Aside from two chicks at the same time. I imagine that every night when i go to my special place and coach my mini swimteam.
Yep... Posted: 6/30/2005by: Charlie How did you know I ripped it off from your site? I spend all my time on cracksmoker.com. Oh wait, all your page does is quote other sources... ease up son Posted: 6/30/2005by: kayvon Thanks for the correction, my fault. Though I can't imagine how hard it is to type while cupping two enormous, ex-NFL-lineman's balls. FRIGGIN IDIOT Posted: 6/30/2005by: kayvon hata Don't you mean Carlton Dotson? SD is actually a decent guy, and a football player. The only thing they have in common is where they played at in college. Doofus. Leon Posted: 6/30/2005by: Jack This guy makes Roy Tarpley look like David Robinson Santana Godson Posted: 6/30/2005by: kayvon If the Santana Dotson case has taught us anything it should be, "College sure as shit don't cure crazy." Though anyone who ever attended college should have already known this.
