Battling Bull: Pargo Keeps Fighting

"We like guys that are confident shooters," Coach Scott Skiles says. "When you get a confident shooter, you give him more of a free hand because you know that he's not going to abuse it."

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Posted September 28, 2004

What doesn't kill us only makes us stronger.

That's the kind of mindset Jannero Pargo adopted throughout his tumultuous 2003-04 season. Considering he played for four different teams—three in the NBA—in two different countries, Pargo certainly has some frequent flier miles built up.

And it looks like he has himself a new—or old—home in Chicago.

Pargo, a 6’1”, 175-pound guard, signed a 10-day contract with the Bulls March 15 and immediately made his mark on the organization. Pargo didn't just earn a second 10-day contract or a deal for the rest of the season; he parlayed his play into a deal that includes next season too, meaning the Bulls are banking on him continuing to be a part of the team for a while.

"We knew he could shoot it," says Bulls coach Scott Skiles. "We knew he was a confident shooter and that he wasn't afraid to put it up. It's what he's done. He's made big shots; he's guarded the ball well. He's played hard, so we like him."

Pargo averaged 13.5 points in his 13 games with Chicago, including a 34-point outing in just his third game with the team. The scoring numbers were certainly helped by Pargo's court time. He logged 26.5 minutes a night with Chicago, compared to just 4.8 in 13 games with the Los Angeles Lakers and 14.2 in five contests with the Toronto Raptors, but he was also given a different role with Chicago—that of a scorer off the bench as opposed to a pure point guard.

"We like guys that are confident shooters," Skiles says. "When you get a confident shooter, you give him more of a free hand because you know that he's not going to abuse it. And you have a lot of confidence in him. It's the guys that lack confidence that just default to shooting that can really hurt you. He's a really confident player.

"Guys who can come in off the bench and score in bunches are incredibly valuable. And when you take him out and later put him back in, and he still plays the same way — those types of players are difference makers, and Jannero proved to be a difference maker for us."

For his part, Pargo always believed he could do the kind of scoring he did with the Bulls if he was only given a chance.

"I'm a little surprised that after bouncing around the league the past couple of years, I fell into a great opportunity here in Chicago. But I'm not surprised at all that I was able to knock down shots and play well because I've worked very hard. Whenever you put in hard work, it pays off. That clearly showed in my time with the Bulls this season."

Pargo has been battling for a chance for a long time, from his days at Chicago Robeson High School to two seasons at Neosho County Community College in Kansas to a two-year stint at Arkansas, where he averaged 14.4 points for the Razorbacks.

Jannero Pargo and Scottie Pippen mix it up during a recent workout at the Berto Center.

He had to continue to battle coming out of college, going undrafted in the 2002 NBA Draft. But Pargo has always let his game do his talking, and his hard-nosed play earned the respect of former Bulls coach Phil Jackson, and a back-up role on the three-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers.

The long shot to make the squad ended up being an LA fan favorite off the bench, and that story likely inspired the makers of Pargo's website (http://www.naiditch.net/pargo.htm) to have an Eminem tune as the theme to the site. Lyrics like "if you had one shot, one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted, in one moment, would you capture it, or just let it slip?" greet those who come to read about Pargo.

And for a player who had grown up loving the Chicago Bulls and watching Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson lead the team to glory, getting a chance to play under Jackson with the Lakers was certainly a dream come true for Pargo.

"It was a big thrill," Pargo says with a smile. "I've been blessed throughout my life to be able to play for some great coaches. Playing for Phil added to that resume. It was an incredible experience—being a member of that team and being a teammate of Kobe [Bryant] and Shaq [O’Neal] and the other guys. All the players on that team—the winning attitude—it was a great experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life."

You might think that a first-year player on the Lakers wouldn't get much respect, but Pargo says it was the exact opposite. Los Angeles was a veteran team, but the players weren't above taking the time to teach Pargo how to go about life in the NBA—both on and off the court.

"Oh yeah, I learned a lot," Pargo says. "I learned a lot about basketball but more about life. Shaq and Kobe and just about every guy on that team always looked out for me, gave me words of encouragement, talked to me about life as well as basketball. I’ll always be appreciative of that."

Pargo's biggest teacher was fellow point guard Derek Fisher, who also played college ball in Arkansas (at Arkansas-Little Rock). Like any big brother, Fisher never gave Pargo a break when the two battled one-on-one in practice, forcing the rookie to learn fast.

"We went hard in practice," Pargo says with a smile. "D-Fish is T-O-U-G-H! In practice, I did everything I could to make him work, to make him a better player, and he ALWAYS came at me as if I was the starting point guard. It was great for the team and for both of us as well."

Pargo played well as the backup point guard, averaging a little more than 10 minutes a contest in 34 appearances during the regular season. He tallied 2.5 points and 1.1 assists a game, and it seemed as though Pargo had a future with the Lakers. He even appeared in 11 of the Lakers' 12 playoff contests, averaging 2.1 points and 1.3 assists in 11.7 minutes a game.

But when Los Angeles’ string of three straight NBA titles ended with a playoff to the San Antonio Spurs, team officials decided they needed to go for more veterans — namely, Karl Malone and Gary Payton. The signing of Payton, a sure Hall of Famer at point guard, meant Pargo's minutes were certainly going to be cut. But he had no problem playing third-string behind Payton and Fisher.

"I thought that I was going to be there, but I also knew that it was going to be a tough situation," Pargo says. "I knew that I wasn't going to have as much opportunity to play as much as I did the year before, but whenever you're in the league, you want to stay in the league, so you just do what you have to do to stay. I'm the type of person that doesn’t worry that much about the business side of it. I just play basketball.

"But I learned from that situation that maybe I should have explored other options when the team got Gary, but I was young and I didn’t realize that pro basketball is really a business. That’s not a knock against the Lakers—they have a winning tradition, and they want to continue to win. So what better way to win than to go out and get a player like Gary Payton?"

Pargo initially stuck with the team early this past season, playing in 13 of the Lakers' first 24 contests. But the numbers just didn't add up, and Los Angeles waived Pargo January 7. It wasn't easy to accept that his NBA dream seemed to be over, and he had a hard time picking up the pieces immediately.

"I was off for two months (after being waived), and I was really down," Pargo admits. "I wasn't feeling good at all. Then when I went to the ABA (the minor league American Basketball Association). I got a chance to play again, and I realized how much fun I was missing. I said to myself, as long as I'm playing this game, then I'll be all right."

Pargo recorded a 34-point outing in just his third game with the Bulls last season.

Pargo only played three games with the ABA's Long Beach Jam, starting off slow, playing just seven minutes and scoring only two points in his ABA debut. But in the next two contests, Pargo showed what he could really do as a scorer, tallying 23 and 17 points while hitting nine three-pointers. Although it was brief, Pargo's stint with the Jam got his mind back on the game and his name into the minds of a few NBA general managers.

The first to call was Toronto Raptors general manager Glen Grunwald, offering a 10-day contract. Pargo was more than happy to accept it, though he knew there were plenty of players at his position in Toronto.

"I definitely had a different outlook [on the game] going to Toronto," Pargo says. "My mindset was to be aggressive. I think I did that, and I think I played well. I also think the Raptors’ coaching staff was happy about my play, but they already had a lot of guards on the team. With Jalen Rose playing mostly point guard, and Alvin Williams, Roger Mason Jr. and Milt Palacio at the position too, I knew going in I had to quickly make a good impression.

"I got to Toronto because all at once their backcourt was hit with a lot of injuries, and they were fighting to stay in the playoff race. But when some of those guys came back, I got caught up in a numbers game again and was let go.

“Because of the playoff push, they went out and signed a great veteran player in Rod Strickland, who's been in the league for more than 10 years, so what could I do? Those guys — Rose, Williams and Strickland — are proven NBA players and I was a second-year guy trying to prove that I was worthy of being in the league. Going in I understood that I was in a tough spot, so, when they let me go, there were no hard feelings. They gave me an opportunity, and I tried to make the most of it. The fact is, playing with Toronto opened the door for me to get a look here with the Bulls."

After five games with the Raptors, Pargo quickly caught on with Chicago. After a forgettable Bulls debut of four points in 17 minutes in a loss at Cleveland, Pargo caught fire, scoring in double figures in his next nine contests. Pargo evolved into the Bulls' version of former Detroit Piston Vinnie Johnson, nicknamed the Microwave for how quickly he could heat up off the bench. It's a role he enjoyed playing and hopes to continue.

"It's definitely a different role than what I played in Los Angeles and Toronto," Pargo says. "But I think it's a role that I'm comfortable with after playing it in college. In college, I was supposed to come in and knock down shots, and play aggressive defense. It's a little different playing that role in the NBA simply because of the level of talent in the league, but it’s not something I don’t think I can handle, so this summer I’m going to continue to work hard on my game. Hopefully, if that's what my team needs, I'm going to be able to provide it."

For a kid who grew up dreaming of playing for the Bulls, Pargo's looking to continue his stint with Chicago as long as he can. He played well during summer league action, averaging 11.3 points and 4.0 assists while connecting on better than 54% from behind the arc. Now he’s looking to keep his place in the rotation for the upcoming season.

"We'll see how things work out," Skiles said. "We'll just have to see where our roster stands when training camp opens in October."

Pargo has been through a rough last few months, but he rediscovered his love of the game of basketball, and that's something he hopes to never forget.

"That love has driven me throughout my life," Pargo says. "Ever since I can remember, it's been there. When you’re playing ball, you can get away from every problem you have going on in your life. The ability I have to make it is because of the love I have for this game.

"Hopefully I'm here [this season]. This is where I want to be. Hopefully, I don't have to go anywhere else for the rest of my career."

By Mark Rich