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NASCAR's Point Leader Driving the Lane to the NBA?
By: Jeff Twiss
Kenseth took some time to speak with reporters Thursday afternoon at the Reebok Pro Summer League.
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But what happens when NASCAR's current points leader makes an appearance at the Reebok Pro Summer League? Can Matt Kenseth guard LeBron James? Can he go to his left (racecar drivers seem to have little difficulty with this) or can he get out a fill the lane on a fast break (here again, as a veteran race car driver, the term fast break may be very appropriate)?
Let's set the record straight, Matt Kenseth is not trying out for one of the ten competing teams in the 2003 Reebok Pro Summer League. The 31 year-old Cambridge, Wisconsin native made a brief pit stop at the UMASS-Boston Clark Athletic Center to conduct media interviews en route to Loudon, New Hampshire and the upcoming NASCAR Winston Cup race this weekend.
The winner of seven career Winston Cup victories, Kenseth is a fan of basketball and had a chance to catch some of the Reebok Pro Summer League action in between the interview demands.
"I like basketball but I haven't paid much attention to it lately because the racing business keeps us so busy and I don't get a lot of time to watch it," exclaimed Kenseth. "But, I did play a little bit in middle school and high school. It was the only sport that I played."
Like LeBron James, who is just 18, Kenseth began his racing career at the age of 16 and by the age of 19 had moved up to the top division of auto racing in the state of Wisconsin, the ultra-competitive Wisconsin Late Model ranks. Thus, not a lot of spare time to work on the three-point shooting or the crossover dribble.
The NBA features players of all heights, weights and abilities and there is a good deal of 'contact' during a game. Isn't a NASCAR race the same thing?
"All of our cars are the same size, so nobody has a height or weight advantage on us, so that's a cool thing," Kenseth explains. "Unlike ten guys on a court, we have a nice, little, small compartment (driver's seat) that we fit into pretty good. The car has a lot of horsepower, it is real heavy and they don't really handle as good as you think they would. But, it's fun for sure."
So, it's safe to say that Matt Kenseth will be busy driving his DeWalt Power Tools sponsored Ford, around New Hampshire International Speedway this weekend and not trying to impress the key management people and top NBA executives this weekend at the Reebok Pro Summer League. It leaves us to wonder if he could execute the pick and roll?
