In the Lane: March 6, 2008
HARMONIC CONVERGENCE
The Boston Celtics signed PJ Brown, the Detroit Pistons acquired Theo Ratliff, the San Antonio Spurs picked up Kurt Thomas, the LA Lakers landed the “Splendid Spaniard”, and the Phoenix Suns scored the “Big Cactus”.But the big man pickup that made the most sense in terms of its pairing with both team and city was the Hornets re-signing Chris Andersen.
I’ve thought long and hard about this harmonic convergence of player, city, and team and feel strongly that the mix was simply meant to be.
THE TEAM
The Hornets have bounced back from a franchise-worst 18-win season (2004-2005) to become one of the amazing stories in the league this season. They led the toughest conference in basketball at the all-star break, had two of its players and its coach named to the all-star team, and became one of the first five teams in the NBA to reach 40 victories with a win in New York at the start of March.
THE CITY
New Orleans, like its NBA team, has undergone resurgence since the worst natural disaster in the history of this country. Just like the pundits who counted the Hornets out before the current season even began there have been some who didn’t believe the city could host two major league sports teams anymore. Others didn’t think the Big Easy could handle the league’s major all-star events “incident free” in February, but it happened. I have had friends and relatives visit here since the season began and all have been impressed by the “magnitude of the attitude” as they put it. They are right. This city is made up of people with unlimited and unmatched optimism.
THE PLAYER
Chris Andersen is very much like the team and the city. He is attempting a basketball comeback. Not from 18 victories to western conference playoffs; not from hurricane disaster to recovering local economy; but, from basketball banishment to NBA reinstatement. Now he must follow through with proper deportment off the court as he works to aid Byron Scott’s playoff-bound team on it.
Remember, this is not Andersen’s first attempt to climb from anonymity to beloved athlete.
After playing one season at little-known Blinn Junior College in Brenham, Texas, Andersen began his pro career in China where he first met a much more recognizable center named Yao. From there he played briefly in the IBL, then the NBDL the following season before finishing the 2001-2002 campaign with the Denver Nuggets as the first-ever call up from the NBA’s new minor league. The 28-year-old center spent the next two seasons in the Mile High City before signing with the Hornets as a free agent prior to the 2004-2005 season. He posted career-best numbers (7.7 PPG/6.1 RPG) in New Orleans with the Bees during their otherwise forgettable 18-64 season. His stunning, high-flying dunks and outgoing personality made “Birdman” a fan favorite during Byron Scott’s first season as head coach.
It was during his second season with the franchise that his career came to a screeching halt. In January 2006 Andersen was banned from the NBA for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
While owner George Shinn has always been a huge fan of the high-flying forward he has also been concerned about the man behind the crowd-pleasing game. Shinn has always rooted for the underdog, in large part because he successfully played the same role himself while trying to bring the NBA to Charlotte in the late 1980s.
This is a marriage that appears to be, meant to be.
This city is recovering from the horrors of a disastrous hurricane. This team is recovering from the horrors of a disastrous season. This player is recovering from the horrors of a disastrous mistake.
Everyone who roots for the underdog hopes city, team, and player come out victorious.
