Truman Reed

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Look for  character, selflessness and substance over style.

Maximize each of  your draft picks, whether it is the first or the 60th.

Find employees  who possess versatility, but assign them roles and don’t hire too many of them  to do the same job.

Make teamwork a  priority and require it of your personnel.

Now that the  rest of the National Basketball Association has seen the San Antonio Spurs follow  these directives to the 2014 NBA championship, maybe the road less traveled  will soon become more populated. For now, though, the Spurs are the kings of  that road.

San Antonio  captured its fifth NBA championship by defeating the Miami Heat 104-87 in Game  5 on June 15 to win the 2014 NBA Finals 4-1. And the Spurs followed a map  dramatically different from those used by their predecessors as NBA champions.

Of the 15  players who helped San Antonio dethrone the two-time defending champion Heat,  only one entered the league as a lottery pick, let alone the No. 1 overall  pick. And that solitary man wasn’t tearing up the AAU circuit during his  elementary and middle school years.

Fortunately for  the purity of the game and the threatened future of fundamentals, Duncan’s  reluctance to swim with sharks, his growing frame and his rapid discovery of  success at a different game detoured him. That detour led him from his native  Virgin Islands to Wake Forest University. His four-year stay there earned him a  degree that fulfilled a promise he made as a 14-year-old to his dying mother  and launched a career that has taken him beyond both of their wildest dreams.

The Spurs have  done a lot of things right to earn their place in NBA history, but they needed  some luck to get there, too – both bad and good.

Early-season  injuries that ended the seasons of David Robinson and Sean Elliott sent San  Antonio sprawling to a franchise-worst 20-62 record in 1996-97. But two other  teams – the 14-68 Vancouver Grizzlies and the 15-67 Boston Celtics – entered the  1997 NBA Draft Lottery with better odds of landing Duncan, everyone’s choice as  the No. 1 pick.

The Spurs spun  their way onto the top of the draft board, snared Duncan, and he is still  rewarding them 17 years and five championships later.

Duncan, aptly nicknamed  “The Big Fundamental,” has gone about his business with little flair and a  blank expression, much to the delight of those of us who respect the  old-fashioned way and don’t get to see it much anymore.

Duncan has never  put himself above the game or his teammates or his coach – or above their  collective objective. And he has never deserted San Antonio for a bigger,  flashier or more lucrative place to spread his prolific wings.

Duncan will  quickly admit, too, that he hasn’t become a five-time champion alone.

The manner in  which Spurs management has complemented him has been unprecedented in the NBA’s  65-year history. At the same time, though, it gives other franchises –  particularly those in small markets – more hope than arguably any other  championship model in league annals.

Duncan, as noted  earlier, is the only lottery pick on the Spurs’ 2013-14 roster. By contrast,  the 2012-13 champion Miami Heat had seven, and the 2011-12 Heat had six. The  Los Angeles Lakers title teams in 2008-09 and 2009-10 both had five, while the 2005-06  Heat had a whopping nine.

Furthermore, the  current Spurs cast includes five second-round draft choices – Jeff Ayres (known  when he was drafted as Jeff Pendergraft), Matt Bonner, Manu Ginobili, Danny  Green and Patty Mills – along with Aron Baynes, an undrafted free agent.

Gregg Popovich  arrived in San Antonio’s head-coaching seat under the radar, too. His only  previous head coaching experience prior to taking the Spurs job came at  Pomona-Pitzer, an NCAA Division III school in California.

Popovich, over  the last 17 years, has made himself a cinch to be enshrined in the Naismith  Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

At one point  between the Spurs’' five title conquests, one admirer referred to them as the  United Nations of the NBA. Team management, Popovich and his coaching staff  have done a masterful job of finding and blending players from all over the  globe.

Argentina  (Ginobili), France (Tony Parker and Boris Diaw), Brazil (Tiago Splitter), Italy  (Marco Belinelli), Australia (Mills), New Zealand (Baynes) and Canada (Ayres  and Cory Joseph) are represented on the current roster of the Spurs, who also  have the only New Hampshire native (Bonner) in league history.

The Spurs have  been there and done this before.

Their two most  recent NBA title conquests prior to this season came with just three lottery  picks on their roster – Duncan, Melvin Ely and Robert Horry in 2007 and Duncan,  Horry and Glenn Robinson (drafted No. 1 overall by the Bucks in 1994) in 2005. No  other NBA champion since 2003 has gone the distance with fewer lottery picks  than the Spurs did in 2005, 2007 and 2014.

Here’s hoping  the Bucks hit it big with their much-anticipated 2014 lottery pick. Look no  farther than the latest NBA Finals, though, to realize how vital it will be for  them to surround him with the right teammates, wherever and however they find  them.

construction-of-a-champion

Construction of a champion

The Milwaukee Bucks’ 2013-14  National Basketball Association season has been in our rear-view mirror for  more than a month.
  Some major changes have transpired within the organization since  then.

Former Senator Herb Kohl, who had owned the team since 1985,  announced April 16 that he had sold it to Wesley Edens and Marc Lasry.

The NBA Board of Governors approved the sale May 15.

On May 20, the 2014 NBA Draft Lottery was conducted in Brooklyn.  Coming off a 15-67 campaign – the worst in their history and the worst in the  league this season – the Bucks had the best odds of landing the No. 1 pick in  the draft.

Milwaukee wound up with the No. 2 pick as the ping-pong balls  bounced in favor of the Cleveland Cavaliers for the third time in four years.

The Bucks and their new ownership team emerged from the  proceedings understandably excited over the prospect of adding one of the  premier players in a talent-rich draft to their roster.

At the same time, three individuals who, as of this writing,  figure to loom large in the organization’s quest to return to NBA prominence  have acknowledged what needs to be done to make that happen.

One of the silver linings in an overcast 2013-14 Bucks season was  the performance of Brandon Knight, whom the Bucks acquired from the Detroit  Pistons on July 31, 2013, along with forwards Khris Middleton and Viacheslav  Kravtsov in exchange for guard Brandon Jennings.

Knight enjoyed the most productive season in his three years as a pro,  becoming only the second player in the franchise’s 46-year history to lead the  team in scoring (1,291 points) and assists (352) during his first season with  the team.

Following the Bucks’ 2013-14 season finale, Knight looked both  backward and forward.

“I know I’ve gotten better,” Knight  said. “My main goal last summer was to improve as a player. I know I did that.  Now it’s just a matter of making our team better.

“I plan on working hard this  summer to continue to improve. There’s not much I can do about the new  ownership except sit and wait and see what their plans are. I don’t worry about  any of that. The only thing I’m worried about is continuing to get better no  matter what situation I’m in.”

Knight’s first season with  Milwaukee hit an early detour when he sustained a hamstring injury in the Oct.  30 opener, limiting him to two minutes that night and forcing him to miss eight  of the next 10 games.

But the 6-3 guard stayed the  course and eventually set single-game career highs with 37 points Dec. 31 against  the Los Angeles Lakers, 14 assists Dec. 23 against Charlotte and 14 rebounds  against Cleveland on Dec. 20.

“I would say that initially, coming back from the hamstring, it  took me about a month-and-a-half to get where I wanted to be,” Knight said. “It  was never really 100 percent for that first month-and-a-half. I still felt it.  I didn’t have my explosiveness, and not only that, but your mind isn’t there  because you don’t want to take off and re-pull the hamstring. For that first  month-and-a-half, I was kind of timid. I wasn’t 100 percent healed. Once I was,  I felt pretty good.

“I know that when I am healthy, I  can affect the game in a big way. Based on my play this year, I’ve taken steps  forward, but I’m never satisfied. I’m going to continue to do whatever it takes  to improve myself as a leader and as a player, in every aspect of my game. I’ll  be working on everything.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo, whom  Milwaukee selected with the 15th choice in the 2013 NBA Draft, surpassed the  expectations of virtually everyone as the youngest player in the league.

Antetokounmpo, just 18 years old  when the season began, saw his playing time escalate about a month into the  campaign and responded by displaying impressive court savvy and aggressiveness.

He achieved his first NBA  double-double before the calendar flipped to 2014, totaling 16 points and 10  rebounds at Brooklyn on Dec. 27.

Antetokounmpo, who grew 1 1/2  inches to 6-10 1/2 during his first few months in the United States, was  selected to play in the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend in  New Orleans. He totaled nine points, two rebounds and two assists in the game.

Antetokounmpo finished his NBA rookie campaign with averages of  6.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. He was named to the NBA  All-Rookie Second Team.

Antetokounmpo played 77 games as an NBA rookie – 51 more than he  played for Filathlitikos in Greece’s A2 second division the previous year.

His was an eye-opening experience, but he didn't flinch.

“I learned a lot,” Antetokounmpo said. “I learned what it means to  play hard and give 100 percent. I played a lot more games than I ever had  before. I’m really tired. But I still gave it everything I had on the court.

“I’m encouraged about next year.  We struggled this year. We have a lot of young guys. We have to work hard  during the summer and come back better to make sure a year like this year  doesn’t happen again.”

Antetokounmpo said Bucks fans can expect him to be a better player  in all areas of the game next season.

“I want to improve on everything – my  shot, my dribbling, my body, learning the game,” he said. “I want to do  everything I can to be the best I can be.”

John Henson, selected by Milwaukee  with the 14th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, averaged career bests of 11.1  points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game during his second year as a pro in  2013-14.

Henson, 23, had a 25-point,  14-rebound, 6-block performance against the Chicago Bulls on Dec. 10. He posted  11 double-doubles, shot 53.8 percent from the field and became the only Buck in  the last 25 years to record multiple games of 6-plus blocks (4) prior to his 23rd  birthday.

Henson, like Antetokounmpo, said  the 2013-14 season was an educational experience for him.

“I learned a lot,” Henson said. “I got a lot more experience. I  played a lot more. It was a good year for me personally.

“It was humbling with the losses.  I had a new coach. It was a rough year in a lot of ways, but at the same time,  it was positive as well. You have to remember what’s gone on this year. There  are things that have to change.”

Henson is excited about being part  of the franchise as it enters a new era.

“I don’t know how much will change player personnel-wise, at least  for the immediate future,” Henson said. “We do know there’s going to be new blood  running the Bucks franchise. Maybe new life will be one of the things we need  to really take off.

“It’s exciting, being here at a time like this. Hopefully I’ll be  able to look back and say, ‘I remember the season when we only won 14 games.  Now we’re winning 40, 50 games and fighting for playoff position. That ought to  be a great feeling.”

review-preview

Review, Preview

It  is doubtful that the Milwaukee Bucks will ever make a more impactful draft  choice than they did in 1969, when they snared Lew Alcindor – later to be known  as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – with the first overall selection.

Few  draftees in the National Basketball Association’s history have changed the  fortunes of a franchise to the degree that the three-time UCLA All-American did  for the Bucks, leading them from worst to first faster than any team in  American professional sports history to that point in time.

Beginning  in 1985, the NBA introduced a lottery system in response to accusations that  teams were deliberately losing regular-season games in order to secure the  worst season record and subsequently the chance to obtain the No. 1 overall  draft pick.

The  lottery involved a random drawing of an envelope from a hopper. Inside each of  the envelopes were the names of the non-playoff teams. The team whose envelope  was drawn first received the first pick, and the process was repeated until the  remainder of the lottery picks were determined.

In  this system, each non-playoff team had an equal chance of getting the first  pick. The rest of the first-round picks were determined in reverse order of the  win-loss records.

Beginning  in 1987, the NBA altered the lottery system so that only the first three picks  were determined by the lottery. After the three envelopes were drawn, the  remaining non-playoff teams selected in reverse order of their win-loss records.  The team with the worst record could receive no worse than the fourth  selection, the second-worst team could pick no lower than fifth, etc.

In  1990, the NBA again changed the lottery format to give the team with the worst  record the best chance of landing the first pick. Like the previous system,  this weighted lottery was also used only to determine the first three picks,  while the rest of the teams selected in reverse order of their win-loss  records.

In  1993, the NBA modified the lottery system again to give the team with the worst  record a higher chance to win the lottery and to decrease the better teams'  chances to win. The new system increased the chances of the worst team  obtaining the first pick in the draft from 16.7 percent to 25 percent, while  decreasing the chances of the best non-playoff team from 1.5 percent to 0.5  percent.

Since  the inception of the lottery in 1985, the Milwaukee Bucks have drafted15  lottery picks.

Four  of them now rank among the top 20 scorers in the franchise’s history.

Four  of them combined for a total of 20 NBA All-Star Game selections.

Several  of them never played a single game for the Bucks after their draft rights were  traded to other NBA teams.

Two  of them have played fewer than 100 career NBA games.

The  Bucks, who finished the 2013-14 NBA season with a 15-67 record, hold a 25.0 percent  chance of landing the No. 1 selection in the 2014 NBA Draft, which will be held  on Thursday, June 26. The 2014 NBA Draft Lottery will be held Tuesday, May 20,  in New York.

The  following is a compendium of the Milwaukee Bucks’ past NBA Lottery picks:

A  roster of No. 1 overall NBA Draft selections since the inception of the  lottery:

1985  - Patrick Ewing, New York Knicks
1986  - Brad Daugherty, Los Angeles Clippers (conveyed to Cleveland Cavaliers via  Philadelphia 76ers)
  1987  – David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs
  1988  – Danny Manning, Los Angeles Clippers
  1989  – Pervis Ellison, Sacramento Kings
  1990  – Derrick Coleman, New Jersey Nets
  1991  – Larry Johnson, Charlotte Hornets
  1992  – Shaquille O’Neal, Orlando Magic
  1993  – Chris Webber, Orlando Magic
  1994  – Glenn Robinson, Milwaukee Bucks
  1995  – Joe Smith, Golden State Warriors
  1996  – Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers
  1997  – Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
  1998  – Michael Olowokandi, Los Angeles Clippers
  1999  – Elton Brand, Chicago Bulls
  2000  – Kenyon Martin, New Jersey Nets
  2001  – Kwame Brown, Washington Wizards
  2002  – Yao Ming, Houston Rockets
  2003  – LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
  2004  – Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
  2005  – Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee Bucks
  2006  – Andrea Bargnani, Toronto Raptors
  2007  – Greg Oden, Portland Trail Blazers
  2008  – Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
  2009  – Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers
  2010  – John Wall, Washington Wizards
  2011  – Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers (via the Los Angeles Clippers)
  2012  – Anthony Davis, New Orleans Hornets
  2013  – Anthony Bennett, Cleveland Cavaliers

bucks-nba-draft-lottery-history-spans-wide-spectrum

Bucks NBA Draft Lottery history spans wide spectrum

bucks-lottery-picks-since-1992

Bucks Lottery Picks Since 1992

The  National Basketball Association will crown its 48th champion  sometime next month.

No  matter what team claims the 2014 Larry O’Brien Trophy, none of its players or  coaches will match the distinction held by Jim Cleamons, whose NBA championship  rings outnumber his fingers and toes.

NBA  fans of the past 25 years will associate Cleamons with the 10 rings he earned  as an assistant coach with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers spanning  the years 1991 through 2011.

Cleamons,  though, won his very first NBA championship ring 17 seasons before making his  coaching debut on Phil Jackson’s Bulls staff in 1989. And that experience,  which came during Cleamons’ rookie season as an NBA player, has several  connections to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Cleamons,  who completed his first season as a Milwaukee assistant coach last month, shared  his story from a seat on the Bucks bench while observing a late-season pregame  warmup session.

“The  only championship ring I carry with me now is the one I won as a player,  because I lost Flynn Robinson last year and I lost Coach (Bill) Sharman at the  beginning of this season,” Cleamons said. “I carry their memories with me.”

Robinson,  who died last May 23 at the age of 72, averaged 21.1 points per game during 146  games with the Bucks spanning 1968 through 1970 and joined Lew Alcindor (who  changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971) as Milwaukee representatives  in the 1970 NBA All-Star Game.

Sharman,  a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, passed away Oct. 25,  2013. The former Boston Celtics great coached Cleamons and Robinson when they  were teammates on the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers team of 1971-72, which  won a professional sports record 33 consecutive games.

That  winning streak was snapped Jan. 9, 1972, when the Bucks defeated the Lakers  120-104 at the Milwaukee Arena.

Cleamons’  path into the NBA history books began on Sept. 13, 1949, when he was born in  Lincolnton, N.C., then took him to Columbus, Ohio, when he developed into a  college basketball prospect while starring at Linden McKinley High School.

Cleamons  earned a scholarship to The Ohio State University, where he averaged 19.6  points per game over three seasons. He became an All-Big Ten Conference  selection in 1971 and was chosen with the 13th overall pick in the  1971 NBA Draft by the Lakers.

No  one could have blamed Cleamons for being awestruck when he reported to the  Lakers for his first professional camp. Their roster and coaching staff  included no less than seven individuals who would be inducted into the Hall of  Fame.

When  Cleamons arrived in Los Angeles, he was a long way from home for the first time  in his life, but he considers himself fortunate that someone helped show him  the ropes of pro basketball.

“When  I got to L.A., my mom told me I'd be on my own because I was single and most of  the Lakers veterans had families,” Cleamons recalled. “Flynn Robinson was single.  He'd sometimes say, 'I've got a date who has a friend. Do you want to join us?'

“Just  the thought that they cared about me enough that they asked me to go made the  relationships at practice so much better. There was a synergy there and you  felt as if you belonged. They opened up their inner sanctum and showed me what  NBA life was like.”

Cleamons  wasn’t intimidated, despite the fact that he was surrounded by the likes of  Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor.

“I  had a good preseason,” Cleamons said. “My stats were pretty good. That's why I  was surprised when Coach Sharman told me I wasn't going to play. But that was  OK, because I also think as an athlete that I was very coachable. I wanted to  do the right things.

“When  he said I wasn't going to play much, I asked, 'OK, well what do I have to do to  play?' He was focusing on the next year, because Jerry West had said that my  rookie season was probably going to be his last year. Anything I did in my  rookie year was laying the foundation for years to come.”

The  Lakers welcomed the 6-foot-3-inch, 185-pound rookie guard.

“I'm  not going to paint the picture that we were buddy-tight off the floor, but I  was like the little brother,” Cleamons said. “We'd go into towns and the  veterans would tell me what restaurants to go to, or where I could go to buy  clothes wholesale. I always appreciated them asking me if I wanted to go with  them.”

The  Lakers posted a 6-3 record during October before Baylor, beset by nagging knee  problems, announced his retirement. L.A. began its record tear with a 110-106  victory over the Baltimore Bullets on Nov. 5, 1971, then proceeded to go 14-0  during November, 16-0 in December and won its first three games of January.

“Jerry  West got hurt about a month into the season,” Cleamons said. “He only missed a  couple of games that year. My number got called, and I stepped up and got 10  points. So I got some ink along the way.”

Cleamons  has vivid memories of the weekend on which the streak was snapped.

“On  a Friday night (Jan. 7), we won in Atlanta,” Cleamons remembered. “Then we flew  into Milwaukee for a Sunday game and the Bucks were waiting on us. I've told  people they beat us like we stole something from them. It was like they were  waiting with baseball bats behind their backs and saying, 'Y'all think you got  somethin'? You ain’t seen nothin' yet.'”

Abdul-Jabbar  scored 39 points, Lucius Allen had 18 and Oscar Robertson and John Block added  17 apiece in the Bucks’ 120-104 victory.

The Lakers recovered quickly and went on to  post a 69-13 regular-season record, which stood as the league’s best for 24  years. Cleamons  averaged 2.6 points and 5.3 minutes per game in 38 regular-season appearances.

The  Lakers opened the playoffs with a four-game sweep of the Chicago Bulls, then  ousted the Bucks four games to two in the Western Conference Finals.

“We  had very few team meetings,” Cleamons said. “I can only remember one. Wilt  Chamberlain called that one the night before we clinched the Western Conference  title. He said, 'We have a better team than Milwaukee, but Kareem, at this  stage of his career, is a little better player than I am.'

“I  thought that was interesting. Wilt used the analogy of himself playing against  (Bill) Russell, with the idea that he was a better offensive player than  Russell, but Russell had better all-around players around him. The media had  always built it up like it was him against Russell, when it was his  Philadelphia team against Russell's Celtics team. But Boston had better players  around Russell than the Sixers had around Wilt, and that's why he came up short  all the time. It wasn't about his matchup with Russell.

“Wilt said,'At this point in time, Kareem is a better player than I am  individually, but we have a better supporting cast, so let's knock these guys  off and get a little bit of rest before we go to the Finals and win the world  championship.’”

The  Lakers lost 114-92 to the New York Knicks in the first game of the 1972 NBA  Finals, but showed great resilience, winning the next four games – three by  double digits – to claim the franchise’s first championship since moving from  Minneapolis to Los Angeles.

Cleamons  and his fellow Lakers reserves contributed to the quick turnaround after Knicks  forward Jerry Lucas had scorched L.A. for 26 points in the series opener.

“Our  second unit used to beat our starters all the time using the same formula the  Knicks used,”Cleamons said. “Wilt would run down into the paint on defense, and  in our second unit, we had LeRoy Ellis, who would stop in transition at the  free-throw line because he wasn't going to work down low against Wilt.

“I  think that helped our team make an adjustment for the rest of the series,  because the Knicks had Jerry Lucas, who was setting up outside and playing like  he was allergic to the paint. That set us up. They beat us in that first game,  but we won the next four. That was quite a learning experience.”

Cleamons’  appearance in the Lakers’ championship-clinching victory was his last as a Los  Angeles player. He was traded the following August to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“Playing  for Cleveland also gave me a foundation,” Cleamons said. “I was the third guard  behind Lenny Wilkens and Austin Carr. I wasn't a quintessential point guard. I  went from playing behind Jerry as a rookie to playing behind Lenny Wilkens for  the next three years, and he taught me how to deal the cards to be a point  guard.

“So  there is a silver lining in every cloud. And if you don't go around feeling  sorry for yourself, you'll find a greater plan and reach that higher ground  where things have a way of working themselves out.”

Cleamons  has enjoyed the many years he has spent on that higher ground.

“It's  been a great ride for me,” he said. “I just hope I have a few more years of  coaching left in me. I hope there are still things I can pass on from sports in  general and this sport in particular to the players of today.

“If  you understand the spirit of competition and camaraderie, what we bring to the  workplace and the community, it's a source of pride and validation. We're so  blessed to have the spotlight and a platform to talk about social issues, to  show people the human side of what we do, and it is emotionally-based.

“That's  the spirit of competition. I know I get paid to perform and win, but also, in  the spirit of competition, if you do your best, the winning and losing take  care of themselves. It's not so much wanting to win; it's wanting to do the  very best that you can. If you do that, winning is a byproduct of the standard  you set for yourself.”

the-rides-of-march-and-beyond-7

The Rides of March. … And Beyond

Given the popularity of "American Idol," maybe  Hollywood ought to devise a basketball version of the program, giving aspiring  prospects the chance to earn a National Basketball Association contract and  perform alongside the best players in the world.

The concept, without worldwide television exposure and  the accompanying fascination, has actually been implemented throughout the  NBA’s 67-year history. The Eastern League, the Continental Basketball  Association and the National Basketball Development League have taken turns  launching little-known players into the big time and creating dozens of  rags-to-riches success stories.

Maybe Chris Wright's chapter is about to unfold.

The 25-year-old Wright averaged 6 points, 2.5 rebounds  and 15.7 minutes over eight games with the Milwaukee Bucks spanning the last 17  outings of their 2013-14 NBA season, highlighted by a 14-point, four-rebound  performance in 17 minutes during an April 11 victory over the Cleveland  Cavaliers.

Wright made his impression amid little fanfare, largely  because the Bucks were bound for the worst season in their franchise's history.

Wright, though, didn't allow his team's dubious course  diminish the heart and thanksgiving with which he embraced his opportunities  and did his job on a daily basis.

The 6-foot-8-inch, 225-pound forward, undrafted out of  the University of Dayton in 2011, played in 24 games with the Golden State  Warriors in 2011-12. He spent parts of three seasons with the Maine Red Claws  and Dakota Wizards of the NBADL before signing the first of two 10-day contracts  with the Bucks on March 14, 2004.

On April 15, the day before the Bucks' 2013-14 season  finale, Wright signed a multi-year deal with Milwaukee.

The contract was an answer to his prayers, a reward for  his hard work and a membership earned by paying years of dues.

“This year has worked out for me,” Wright said the day  after signing his first multiyear contract. “It’s been a blessing. I thank God  for allowing me to be able to have this moment.

“To have some security here, and know that I’ll be  working out here during the summer to get ready for next season, it’s really a  blessing.”

Wright, a native of Trotwood, Ohio, starred at  Trotwood-Madison High School and went on to play for four seasons at the nearby  University of Dayton. During that time, he became one of the most prolific  above-the-rim players in the Atlantic 10 Conference, making the All-Freshman  Team in 2008 and earning all-conference recognition in each of the ensuing  three seasons.

He left the program as the Flyers’ all-time leader in  dunks and blocked shots.

Wright was not  selected in the 2011 NBA Draft, but he was chosen with the third overall pick  by the Maine Red Claws in the 2011 NBADL Draft.He was quick make his mark in  four games with the Red Claws, averaging 17 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.5  blocks in 31.3 minutes.

Wright signed  with the Golden State Warriors on Dec. 10, 2011. During the course of his first  professional season, he was assigned to the NBADL’s Dakota Wizards three times.  He made his first and only NBA start of the season in the Warriors’ last game,  collecting 25 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and a steal in 46 minutes  during a 107-101 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

In July of  2012, Wright joined the Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors for the  2012 Las Vegas Summer League. On September 21, 2012, he signed with  the Raptors, but the team waived him on October 22, 2012.

On November 1,  2012, Wright was re-acquired by the Maine Red Claws on Nov. 2, 2012, and he was  named to the Futures All-Star roster for the 2013 NBA D-League All-Star Game.

“Once I got out of college and wasn’t drafted, making the  team at Golden State in my first year out of school made me think, ‘All right,  I can do this,’” Wright said. “Once you’re released twice, even when you feel  like you gave it your all and did everything you could do, you realize things  aren’t in your control. You just have to stay on that path.”

Wright considers himself blessed that the NBADL provided  that path for him.

“Going to the D League made me realize that I’ve got to  be humble,” Wright said. “I’ve had a goal since my rookie year to play in the  NBA. I was released from Toronto twice and went back into the D League, with  the possibility of getting called up by Indiana last year. But I had a  concussion.”

Wright’s D League experience taught him a lesson in  perseverance, and he stands by his decision to play there rather than seeking  more money with a team overseas.

“It’s been so important for me to stay the course,”  Wright said. “Sometimes people feel like because it’s not happening for them  right now. They quit or they go where they feel like it’s easy money. In some  places, you feel like you’re right on the cusp of being in the NBA.

“To go overseas, you have to change your whole life and  learn a new culture when there’s still basketball here. I love the game of  basketball, so for me, it wasn’t about needing this amount of money or that  amount of money. I just wanted to be on a team and play basketball at the  highest level possible.”

Wright discovered that life in the NBA D-League is dramatically  different from life in the NBA.

“Last year when I had a concussion and couldn’t play, we  traveled to Idaho on Christmas Day because we had to play on the 26th,” he said. “People don’t really  understand the struggles of someone who has go to through things like that. You  get used to the travel, but you really
  have to experience it first.

“Playing in the D League really teaches you to be humble, because you’re not  taking
  first-class flights. You’re not staying at The Ritz or the Four Seasons. But  you still have to thank God for everything. You learn to appreciate the things  you go through and realize you’re blessed to
  be able to play a game you love. You just have to realize that slow progress is  still progress. I do that and try to keep faith in what I’m doing.”

Wright is grateful for those who have encouraged him to  stay the course.

“My mother (Ernestine Grigsby) has been there for me  always,” Wright said. “I know I’ always have the support of Keira, my best  friend; my brothers, my cousins and my uncles. They’ve all helped me get  through this. You’ve got to have that support system. Going through the things  we do can be
  emotionally draining, but your support system keeps you strong.”

Wright has gained an appreciation for others who have  traveled the D League route to the NBA for for those who are still trying.

“Jeff Adrien was telling me when I was here on my first  10-day contract that he had to go through the D League,” Wright said. “He told  me to keep pushing and everything would work out. It did for him.

“Ramon Sessions had some D League experience. I played  against Khris Middleton in the D League when he was with Fort Wayne. It’s something you have to experience. If  you can make it here without having to do that, I commend you. But if you  don’t, it teaches you the things you need to learn to stick around in the NBA.”

Wright wants to make the most of the NBA opportunity the  Bucks have extended him.

“Just to have the security, it’s hard work paying off,”  he said. “I’m not the only person who had to work hard to get where I am, but  when you consider the road I had to take to get here, it’s a true example of  having a dream and always leaning on your folks and what God’s plan is for  you.”

wright-embraces-opportunity-with-bucks

Wright Embraces Opportunity with Bucks

Ramon Sessions, who got his foot in the door to the National Basketball Association as a Milwaukee Buck in 2008, has been scoring at a career-best clip since returning to square one Feb. 20, 2014.

The 6-foot-3-inch, 190-pound guard, acquired by Milwaukee along with forward Jeff Adrien from the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for Gary Neal and Luke Ridnour, was averaging 16.2 points, 4.7 assists and 3.10 rebounds in 32.6 minutes per game through 27 games – 11 starts – with the Bucks this season. He was shooting .463 from the field, .377 from 3-point range and .839 from the free-throw line.

Though the 2013-14 Bucks will finish with the worst record in their 46-year history, Sessions has welcomed the opportunity to come back to the place where the roots of his pro career are planted.

“This is where it started,” Sessions said. “The Bucks gave me a chance. Pretty much every team did pass on me. Being the 56th pick in the draft, most guys don’t survive in this league for as long as I have.

“But the Bucks did their homework. They gave me a chance. So this will always be home. It feels great to be back.”

Sessions entered the NBA ranks with little fanfare despite a highly successful three-year run at the University of Nevada. An early entry into the 2007 NBA Draft, his name wasn’t called until Milwaukee made him selection No. 56 -- out of the 60 total players chosen.

Bucks management liked his upside enough to sign him to a multi-year contract on Sept. 11, 2007, but he was assigned to the Tulsa 66ers of the National Basketball Development League less than two months later.

Though Sessions went to Tulsa, he didn't let his game nor his will to succeed go south. On the contrary, he took the NBDL by storm immediately after hitting its low roads. Over a 24-game span, he averaged 21.1 points, 7.6 assists and 6.5 rebounds, had three outings of 33 points or more, achieved one triple-double and seven double-doubles and was twice named the league's Performer of the Week.

Before Sessions could enjoy one of the small rewards of NBDL life -- he was a lock to play in the D-League All-Star Game -- he was summoned back to the NBA and rejoined the Bucks on Feb. 1.

Shortly after he touched back down in Milwaukee, though, life threw him a curve. No, make that a beanball.

In his first practice back with the Bucks, he sustained a fractured left hand, which sidelined him through Feb. 23.

Sessions did not make his long-awaited NBA debut until March 9 in Philadelphia. He earned more opportunities as the season entered its stretch drive. And he embraced them.

Those who witnessed the beginning of Sessions’ NBA career never saw him flinch. He always conducted himself and played like he belonged.

“That all started when I was a little kid, just always playing with the older guys and trying to compete with them,” Sessions said. “After getting that chance to play in the NBA, I had to prove myself and make the most of that chance.

“Mo Williams was here then, and he told me to always make the most of my opportunities. I really sat back and thought about what he said. I just tried to cherish every moment, whether it was in the D League or back here for those last games of the season. I tried to make the most of every minute.”

Sessions averaged 8.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 7.5 assists and a steal over his next 16 games.

The pinnacle of his rookie campaign came April 14 at the Bradley Center, when he broke Guy Rodgers’ 40-year-old franchise record of 21 assists in a game, dealing out 24 against the Chicago Bulls. He also scored 20 points in the contest, becoming the first player in the team’s 40-year history to collect 20 points and drop 20 dimes in the same game.

Nothing that Sessions achieved during his rookie season came easily, but he followed a simple regimen – one he still follows -- to get the job done.

“I just always try to bring it every day,” he said. “First of all, this is my job. And I love to play this game.”

Sessions continued to emerge during his second season with Milwaukee. He played in 79 games, started 39, and averaged 12.4 points, a team-high 5.7 assists and 3.4 rebounds in 27.5 minutes.

Sessions had a team-high 23 points and six assists in a 34-minute stint against Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns on Nov. 8, 2008.

On the night of Feb. 7 during a home game against the Detroit Pistons, Sessions and teammate Charlie Villanueva etched their names into the Bucks record books alongside some of the franchise's all-time best players.

Sessions bettered his previous career high of 25 points with a 44-point outburst against the Pistons, connecting on 13 of 18 field-goal attempts and sinking 18 of 21 free throws. He also handed out 12 assists -- a team high to that juncture of the season -- and snagged five rebounds.

Villanueva continued a January/February scoring tear with 33 points, making 11 of 20 shots from the floor (two of five from 3-point territory) and nine of 11 foul shots and came up with seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and a blocked shot.

Their combined 77 points were the fifth-most ever scored by two Bucks teammates in a single game.

Sessions was surprised to learn how many points he had scored. He was caught up in the moment of trying to help the Bucks win an intense game.

“I knew I went to the line a good many times,” he said. “But we don't come out thinking we’re going to try to get 30 or 40 points. I was getting shots, and they were going in. I didn’t know how many I had until after the game, they had it on the Jumbotron. I was like, ‘44? Wow!’ I just wish we had gotten the win.

“That was the most points I’d had in a game since my high school days. I believe I had 56, or 54. But that doesn’t compare to 44 in an NBA game. I’ll take the 44 in the NBA game.”

Sessions and Villanueva never duplicated their 77-point barrage, but it wasn’t just a flash in the pan.

Sessions followed it up with a 26-point outing in his next game, a 15-point, 17-assist performance in the one after that and posted the team’s lone triple-double of the season with 16 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds against the Los Angeles Lakers on April 1.

All told, Sessions topped 20 points on 12 occasions, averaged a career-high 12.4 points per game and a team-leading 5.7 assists per contest. His 2.97:1 assists-to-turnovers ratio ranked ninth in the NBA.

Sessions remains grateful for the teammates he had to usher him into pro basketball.

“Mo Williams was definitely one,” he said. “Michael Redd was another guy who was there for me. I spent a lot of time watching him, how he worked and how he was always a professional. Charlie (Villanueva) and I were real good friends. He tried to show me the ropes of the NBA on and off the court. Friendships like those will never be broken.”

On Sept. 4, 2009, Sessions signed an offer sheet with Minnesota. The Bucks had seven days to match the offer, but declined.

Since then, Sessions has played for the Timberwolves, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Bobcats. He logged a career-best 6.2 assists per game with the Lakers in 2011-12, then averaged a career-high 14.4 points per game for Charlotte in 2012-13.

Sessions, 28, has not only averaged 18.1 points and 6.2 assists for the Bucks during April, but become a mentor to the team’s younger guards.

“I’m not an older guy, but I’m a veteran and I feel like can help these guys,” Sessions said. “We’ve got a younger team, but we’ve got a lot of talent. From what I’ve seen since I’ve been here, they’re playing. better than what I saw before. Once we get to know each other more, I think we’ll continue to get better.