A New "H" Word For Jennings

Written by wendell maxey | 15 June 2009

Some of the guys that I’ve enjoyed working with the most in my almost six years covering the NBA, are the ones who are humble.

That goes for all-stars, veterans, journeyman, and rookies alike.

When I covered the New Jersey Nets, Mikki Moore told how when he played in Greece he had to sleep in front of his apartment’s kitchen oven to stay warm at night. The team had agreed to pay his heating bill. They didn’t, along with neglecting to pay his contract at all.

Moore said that taught him a lot about life.  

In New York, I remember a kid coming in on a 10-day contract at the end of the season when the Knicks were knee deep in offcourt drama as players, coaches and the front office exchanged jabs through the press at one another.

He was kind with his time. He went about his work. After bouncing around the minors and overseas, Ime Udoka was simply happy to be wearing a fresh laundered jersey – even if it was only for 10 days.

Today with the San Antonio Spurs, Udoka remains kind.

Brandon Roy has quickly risen to the top of the leagues “best quotes”. Why? Because Roy embodies the words on the yellow sticky note stuck to his locker at the Rose Garden: “Stay Humble”.

So when I listened Friday to Brandon Jennings call Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio “all hype” it was tantamount to nails on a chalkboard for me, especially since Jennings didn’t exactly blow-up playing overseas in Rome this season.

But here he is heading into the draft. 

Ironically enough, it was over a week ago that I’d spoken to an NBA scout who lives in Europe and asked him his thoughts about Jennings and Rubio (whose game I've broke down here before). Had planned on writing the story earlier, but once I heard Jennings comments about Ricky – well, the story pretty much wrote itself.

"He may have gained experience but his play does not justify the lottery spot he's been given," the scout told me about Jennings, for a featured piece running today at HOOPSWORLD (“More Hype: Rubio or Jennings?”)

Check out the comments below the story when you get the chance. It was something I feared as I posted the story Sunday night at midnight: Folks will miss the point. Some already have.

It’s not about the “all hype” quote. It’s not about race. It’s not me trying to “black ball” Jennings (as one person said to me in an email). It’s not even about how Jennings’ - probably as per his agent Bill Duffy's classic P.R. move - said later via Twitter that he was merely, “trying to hype up the draft” and summer league.

It’s not about any of that. Really.

It’s about a lesson in humility.

pic via: solecollector