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 2008-03-13 15:01  #1
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NBA Star, alumnus, making Drexel proud


Media Credit: MCT Campus
Malik Rose, a 1996 Drexel graduate, was a part of the 1999 and 2003 championship Spurs teams and currently plays for the New York Knicks.


NBA Star, alumnus, making Drexel proud
By: Shawn Gauby
Posted: 2/29/08

http://media.www.thetriangle.org/media/storage/paper689/news/2008/02/29/News/Nba-Star.Alumnus.Speaks.To.Drexel-3244647.shtml

In the star-driven NBA, Malik Rose has made a career with his physical play and toughness. The 11-year veteran is still playing, but he is now a few years removed from being an essential cog in the Spurs' championship rotation. In his college days, Rose made history while playing as a Dragon. The memories created here at 33rd and Market streets have touched so many people that he will never become just another star athlete of yester-year with his name hanging in the rafters.

Rose, a 1996 graduate of the University, has had great success in the NBA. He turned an incredible work ethic into a productive NBA career as he was a part of the 1999 and 2003 championship Spurs teams. Despite all his success, he was not always destined for a career in basketball.

"When he came out of high school, he was an All-State performer in the band," former Drexel head Coach Bill Herrion said. "He played the tuba in high school, and he was a very good baseball player at Overbrook."

Herrion, currently the head coach at University of New Hampshire, coached at Drexel from 1991-99. He first heard of Rose through his assistant, Walt Fuller. In no way was Rose the basketball star in high school that many Drexel students imagined.

According to Herrion, "Walt said, 'Why don't you go watch Malik play for a half over at his high school game?' I drove over to watch the afternoon public league game, and I stayed for one half because I had to catch the team bus because we were playing Saint Joe's that night. Malik touched the ball twice in the first half of the game and scored one basket. He had two points at the half. When I get back to Drexel, Walt Fuller asked, 'What do you think?' I said, 'I don't know to be honest with you, Walt. I don't know if he can play. He didn't do much.'"

Rose may not have been all that impressive at the time, but Herrion knew Drexel was not exactly in a place to be picky.

"When Malik Rose made his official visit to Drexel, he watched a weekend series with Northeastern and Boston University at home. There were about 500 people in the stands for the games."

Jan Giel, the Drexel Sports Information Director at the time, remembered that Rose did not have many options, either.

"When he came out of high school, Malik was only recruited by three programs: Drexel, Lafayette and Rider," Giel said. "He couldn't dunk a basketball when he was in high school."

Herrion was convinced to offer Rose a scholarship, and thus begun a match made in heaven.

"The hardest thing to judge when you go to recruit players is their heart, their desire, and their work ethic," Herrion said. "After the first day of practice his freshman year, I said to my coaches, 'You know what, we've got something really special here.' Not because of how good of a player he was at that time, but he was just an unbelievable worker and a great leader and a great character guy."

Even as an unpolished freshman, Rose shined. He averaged a double-double in his first year, and it only got better from there. His rebounding statistics are even more remarkable when his size is taken into account. Rose was shorter than most big men in the North Atlantic Conference, let alone the NBA.

"We used to list him at 6-foot-7 and 250 [pounds]," Giel said. "To be honest with you, he was about 6-foot-5, but he played so much bigger than he was."

Rose dominated the North Atlantic Conference by scoring 2,024 points and grabbing 1,514 rebounds in his four years as a Dragon. When he graduated, he was the second-best rebounder in NCAA Division-I history behind Derrick Coleman of Syracuse.

Rose helped the Dragons win three NAC Championships from 1994-96 to earn automatic bids into the NCAA Tournament. In the 1996 Tourney, Rose scored 21 points and pulled down 15 boards in a 75-63 first-round victory over Memphis. To date, that is the only postseason victory in Drexel history. However, that game is not what sticks out in Rose's mind the most.

"In my senior year, we came back and beat Boston University in the finals of the conference championship," Rose said. "Walking off the court with a third championship, that was my greatest memory there."

After graduation, Rose was drafted in the second round by the Charlotte Hornets. The transition from big man on campus to barely holding down a spot on a roster was a tough one, but he managed to persevere.

"You've got to fight every day to keep your job," Rose said. "I really had to rely on my work ethic and remembering things that I was taught. It has helped me stick around in the league until I improved, and I was able to make a career for myself."

Using a lot of what he learned in college, Rose has managed to make it as an undersized forward snatching rebounds from bigger, more athletic players.

"A lot of my fundamentals and principles I learned from Coach Herrion during my time at Drexel," Rose said. "He really knew his X's and O's as far as helping with man-to-man defense and where I'm supposed to be on the court."

Rose translated his winning experiences at Drexel to help San Antonio win those two NBA Championships. He was the Spurs' sixth man, spelling David Robinson or Tim Duncan whenever they needed it, and the team did not miss a beat with Rose in the lineup.

Drexel not only propelled Rose to the big time, he brought Drexel hoops to new heights.

"You can't even put a price tag on the impact Malik Rose had on Drexel University basketball and the school," Herrion said. "He really put us on the map. You know how Philadelphia is with the Big 5 and the tradition of college basketball. I think we were always kind of an afterthought. Because of Malik and the success we had, it made people pay attention to us."

His accomplishments on the court are what get noticed, but to the people that know him best, his personality is what they remember.

"Not only was he a great player with his numbers as his statistics speak for themselves, he was a better person," Herrion said. "I've never had a player since that was your best player statistically but was your hardest worker every single day at practice."

Giel added, "He's a great person, a great ambassador for the University."

Rose is a dying breed in a league consumed by stars and egos. He will probably never get a chance to start regularly in the NBA, but when he is finished, he can leave without regrets. Rose worked in the trenches of the paint, scrapping for rebounds against bigger, more gifted players, and he not only helped teams win, he led by example both on and off the court.

Malik Rose -- his name has resounding power at Drexel University. His mark can be felt not only the basketball team but in the entire athletic department. Rose is arguably Drexel's most famous alumnus, and he is a shining example of what every Drexel graduate can accomplish.

Editors Note: This story has been corrected. The headline was changed from "NBA star, alumnus, visits Drexel" to "NBA Star, alumnus, making Drexel proud" © Copyright 2008 The Triangle
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 2008-03-21 17:59  #2
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Robert Horry recalls his 2002 shot against the Kings as his biggest

Robert Horry recalls his 2002 shot against the Kings as his biggest

http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/802375.html

By Scott Howard-Cooper
Last Updated 12:14 am PDT Friday, March 21, 2008
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C4


"Yeah, I've got a ranking," Robert Horry said.

Five biggest dagger shots of your career. Go.

"I have to start at the top. Number one is the shot I hit against Sacramento."

Naturally.

"Number two is the shot I hit against Detroit," Horry said. "And then I have to throw that dunk in there because I never dunk, so that's now two shots in one game – that dunk and the three."

Just getting started.

"The other one that was so funny was when I was in Houston. I was like 0 for 9 or whatever it was. We were playing San Antonio in the playoffs. Pump fake. Avery (Johnson) went for the pump fake. I took one dribble and hit the shot. That's No. 4.

"And then I'm tied for fifth. The shot in Portland that I hit with the Lakers in the corner, and the shot with the Lakers I hit against Philly in the corner. Those two are kind of tied."

Six spots to rate the five greatest moments.

How very Horry.

He can go top 10 with more time to sift through all the memories – playoffs only, of course, and the closer to 0:00 on the clock while stepping on someone's throat the better. On thing is certain, however: There never has been a career like his 17 seasons of coronary-inducing, bet-altering, dream-crushing moments, which could end with his retirement after 2007-08 and a final game against the Kings tonight in San Antonio.

Horry has won seven championships in what has been a Forrest Gump-like existence. He's the most accidental, unassuming hero – certainly in the NBA and maybe in the timeline of any sport. He'll be remembered as a role player who never made an All-Star team, never had an individual honor greater than second-team All-Rookie in 1993, never averaged more than 12 points or 7.5 rebounds as a 6-foot-10 forward … and yet he has consistently altered the course of history.

One of Horry's most memorable shots is a dunk just because it's a dunk. That unassuming.

Horry was the Laker hanging out near the top of the three-point arc in the closing seconds of Game 4 of the 2002 Western Conference finals against the Kings when a rebound was batted all the way out to him. Might as well shoot it. Lives changed.

A 3-1 Lakers deficit instantly flipped into a 2-2 tie with the reaction jumper that delivered the 100-99 victory. Los Angeles won two of the next three, won the series and won the championship with the same 4-0 rout of the Nets that probably awaited the Kings.

No. 1.

He was a Spur at the time of the second-shiniest bullet, the jumper against the Pistons in Game 5 of the 2005 Finals, plus the dunk. He was a Rocket in the '95 playoffs for No. 4 and a Laker for the final field entry, the corner shot in the 2000 playoffs against the Trail Blazers and the corner shot in the 2001 Finals against the 76ers. As if the victims need reminding.

"There's a lot of guys you can throw the ball to and they'll hit a shot here or there," said Rick Adelman, the Kings' coach at the time of The Shot and now facing another potential playoff meeting as coach of the Rockets. "But he did it continuously. And he was in the unique position that he played that power forward, and that was a spot that you couldn't cover sometimes when he was playing with two superstars."

Horry walked with Hakeem Olajuwon and, for a brief time, Clyde Drexler in Houston. He got to stand behind Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant in L.A. He rode sidecar to Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili in San Antonio.

But no one ever forgets him when talking about the titles. Again: 7.2 points a game, 4.9 rebounds, 42.6 percent from the field the first 16 seasons – and he has a superstar's playoff rep.

"I know how I'll be remembered in a couple places," Horry said. "In L.A., I'll be remembered pretty good. In San Antonio, I'll be remembered pretty good. In Phoenix, I'll be hated. In Sacramento, I'll be kind of somewhat hated. But that's just how it goes in the game of basketball. You can't be loved by everybody."

Sacramento for the obvious reason (he was the Laker who reached into the Kings' chests and yanked out a still-beating heart), and Phoenix for two reasons. While playing part of 1996-97 for the Suns, between better-remembered stays with the Rockets and Lakers, he threw a towel in the face of coach Danny Ainge on the bench in an uncommon fit of frustration. Then, last season with the Spurs in the conference semifinals, he hip-checked Steve Nash out of bounds, sparking the scuffle that led to two Suns suspensions and a possible turning point of the entire playoffs.

"I think what I've done has been pretty good," Horry said. "It hasn't been great, but it's been pretty good. And I've been a great teammate. I've always respected my teammates. I think if you asked every teammate I every played with, I think they loved me as a teammate. And if you ask any coach I've played for, they've loved me as a player, except for maybe Danny Ainge. But other than that, I think I was respected by my teammates and my peers and by my coaches and by the fans that I played for.

"I'm just going to say I was a great role player. I told everybody, 'If you had a Hall of Fame A, where it was just playoffs, I think I could make that.' People always ask me if I could make the Hall of Fame, I say no because my numbers aren't good enough. My best year was 12 points (per game). That was my fourth year in Houston, when I just started coming into my own and then I got traded. I've never been a big rebounder – four or five rebounds a game. I don't think I'll make it."

The Hall of Fame debate gained momentum about a year ago, somewhere around the seventh title and the 700th clutch shot and turning into, at least, an interesting debate ever since. Horry hears both sides.

Underwhelming stats. Never close to a star in a season, let alone an extended period of time. Strictly a complementary piece.

But if winning is the greatest testament to a player, he's in a championship stratosphere with just seven others, all former Celtics pulled along by the 11 titles of the Bill Russell era. He played big in the playoffs, the most important time of any season. He hit clutch shots over and over and over, and changed league history like few others.

"The numbers won't do it for him," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "But the aura of what he was and the reality of what he accomplished might be pretty impressive to a good number of people."

The aura. He was averaging 2.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and shooting 31.4 percent in 13.2 minutes entering Thursday night's game in Chicago, but one meaningful basket in the next few months and everyone starts putting him in with the greats again.

How very Horry.
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Blessing in Disguise

Heaven in Hell
tinysands离线中   引用
 2008-03-21 18:00  #3
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回复: NBA Star, alumnus, making Drexel proud

Robert Horry recalls his 2002 shot against the Kings as his biggest

http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/802375.html

By Scott Howard-Cooper
Last Updated 12:14 am PDT Friday, March 21, 2008
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C4


"Yeah, I've got a ranking," Robert Horry said.

Five biggest dagger shots of your career. Go.

"I have to start at the top. Number one is the shot I hit against Sacramento."

Naturally.

"Number two is the shot I hit against Detroit," Horry said. "And then I have to throw that dunk in there because I never dunk, so that's now two shots in one game – that dunk and the three."

Just getting started.

"The other one that was so funny was when I was in Houston. I was like 0 for 9 or whatever it was. We were playing San Antonio in the playoffs. Pump fake. Avery (Johnson) went for the pump fake. I took one dribble and hit the shot. That's No. 4.

"And then I'm tied for fifth. The shot in Portland that I hit with the Lakers in the corner, and the shot with the Lakers I hit against Philly in the corner. Those two are kind of tied."

Six spots to rate the five greatest moments.

How very Horry.

He can go top 10 with more time to sift through all the memories – playoffs only, of course, and the closer to 0:00 on the clock while stepping on someone's throat the better. On thing is certain, however: There never has been a career like his 17 seasons of coronary-inducing, bet-altering, dream-crushing moments, which could end with his retirement after 2007-08 and a final game against the Kings tonight in San Antonio.

Horry has won seven championships in what has been a Forrest Gump-like existence. He's the most accidental, unassuming hero – certainly in the NBA and maybe in the timeline of any sport. He'll be remembered as a role player who never made an All-Star team, never had an individual honor greater than second-team All-Rookie in 1993, never averaged more than 12 points or 7.5 rebounds as a 6-foot-10 forward … and yet he has consistently altered the course of history.

One of Horry's most memorable shots is a dunk just because it's a dunk. That unassuming.

Horry was the Laker hanging out near the top of the three-point arc in the closing seconds of Game 4 of the 2002 Western Conference finals against the Kings when a rebound was batted all the way out to him. Might as well shoot it. Lives changed.

A 3-1 Lakers deficit instantly flipped into a 2-2 tie with the reaction jumper that delivered the 100-99 victory. Los Angeles won two of the next three, won the series and won the championship with the same 4-0 rout of the Nets that probably awaited the Kings.

No. 1.

He was a Spur at the time of the second-shiniest bullet, the jumper against the Pistons in Game 5 of the 2005 Finals, plus the dunk. He was a Rocket in the '95 playoffs for No. 4 and a Laker for the final field entry, the corner shot in the 2000 playoffs against the Trail Blazers and the corner shot in the 2001 Finals against the 76ers. As if the victims need reminding.

"There's a lot of guys you can throw the ball to and they'll hit a shot here or there," said Rick Adelman, the Kings' coach at the time of The Shot and now facing another potential playoff meeting as coach of the Rockets. "But he did it continuously. And he was in the unique position that he played that power forward, and that was a spot that you couldn't cover sometimes when he was playing with two superstars."

Horry walked with Hakeem Olajuwon and, for a brief time, Clyde Drexler in Houston. He got to stand behind Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant in L.A. He rode sidecar to Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili in San Antonio.

But no one ever forgets him when talking about the titles. Again: 7.2 points a game, 4.9 rebounds, 42.6 percent from the field the first 16 seasons – and he has a superstar's playoff rep.

"I know how I'll be remembered in a couple places," Horry said. "In L.A., I'll be remembered pretty good. In San Antonio, I'll be remembered pretty good. In Phoenix, I'll be hated. In Sacramento, I'll be kind of somewhat hated. But that's just how it goes in the game of basketball. You can't be loved by everybody."

Sacramento for the obvious reason (he was the Laker who reached into the Kings' chests and yanked out a still-beating heart), and Phoenix for two reasons. While playing part of 1996-97 for the Suns, between better-remembered stays with the Rockets and Lakers, he threw a towel in the face of coach Danny Ainge on the bench in an uncommon fit of frustration. Then, last season with the Spurs in the conference semifinals, he hip-checked Steve Nash out of bounds, sparking the scuffle that led to two Suns suspensions and a possible turning point of the entire playoffs.

"I think what I've done has been pretty good," Horry said. "It hasn't been great, but it's been pretty good. And I've been a great teammate. I've always respected my teammates. I think if you asked every teammate I every played with, I think they loved me as a teammate. And if you ask any coach I've played for, they've loved me as a player, except for maybe Danny Ainge. But other than that, I think I was respected by my teammates and my peers and by my coaches and by the fans that I played for.

"I'm just going to say I was a great role player. I told everybody, 'If you had a Hall of Fame A, where it was just playoffs, I think I could make that.' People always ask me if I could make the Hall of Fame, I say no because my numbers aren't good enough. My best year was 12 points (per game). That was my fourth year in Houston, when I just started coming into my own and then I got traded. I've never been a big rebounder – four or five rebounds a game. I don't think I'll make it."

The Hall of Fame debate gained momentum about a year ago, somewhere around the seventh title and the 700th clutch shot and turning into, at least, an interesting debate ever since. Horry hears both sides.

Underwhelming stats. Never close to a star in a season, let alone an extended period of time. Strictly a complementary piece.

But if winning is the greatest testament to a player, he's in a championship stratosphere with just seven others, all former Celtics pulled along by the 11 titles of the Bill Russell era. He played big in the playoffs, the most important time of any season. He hit clutch shots over and over and over, and changed league history like few others.

"The numbers won't do it for him," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "But the aura of what he was and the reality of what he accomplished might be pretty impressive to a good number of people."

The aura. He was averaging 2.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and shooting 31.4 percent in 13.2 minutes entering Thursday night's game in Chicago, but one meaningful basket in the next few months and everyone starts putting him in with the greats again.

How very Horry.
__________________
Blessing in Disguise

Heaven in Hell
tinysands离线中   引用
 


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