Later this week, a select group of young basketball players will have their dreams realized when they are selected in the NBA draft. That won’t include any Notre Dame players this time around, but that doesn’t mean we can’t look back on those who have been picked. Among those is [autotag]LaPhonso Ellis[/autotag], who was picked fifth overall by the Denver Nuggets in 1992:
June 24, 1992: With the fifth pick in the NBA Draft, the Denver Nuggets select LaPhonso Ellis from the University of Notre Dame. pic.twitter.com/PuW0dRpELt
You’ll notice a clip a lot of credit for Ellis’ growth in his final season for the Irish is given to [autotag]John MacLeod[/autotag], who had just taken over for [autotag]Digger Phelps[/autotag]. You’ll also notice the graphic indicated that Ellis joined [autotag]Tom Hawkins[/autotag], [autotag]Walter Sahn[/autotag] and [autotag]Robert Whitmore[/autotag] in the program’s 1,000-point/1,000 rebound club. Only [autotag]Luke Harangody[/autotag] has joined in the years since.
Ellis flourished in his first of 11 NBA seasons, making the All-Rookie First Team alongside Shaquille O’Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Christian Laettner and Tom Gugliotta. He started every game for the Nuggets, averaging 14.7 points a game and career highs of 9.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks a game.
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And when those peers honored him with a lifetime achievement award, he couldn’t resist making a joke.
In 2017, during the first annual NBA awards show, the league honored Hall of Fame Boston Celtics big man Bill Russell with a lifetime achievement award. It was presented by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O’Neal, David Robinson and Dikembe Mutombo — all big man legends in their own right. His friend and mentee Abdul-Jabbar spoke on Russell’s legacy.
“Combining a point guard’s quickness with a big man’s size, Bill’s talents refined this sport,” said the Los Angeles Laker legend via NBA on TNT (h/t Sportscasting’s Tim van Straten). “He showed how basketball could be won on the defensive end of the court; using his mind, as well as his body, to outthink and outsmart opponents.”
“Whether it’s his lifetime commitment to civil rights, or his role as founder of MENTOR, a national youth mentoring organization, Bill’s legacy is as profound as it is thrilling,” he added.
Just ahead of Collin Sexton, and just before Gary Trent, Jr., this number might seem a bit low given what Timelord can do when healthy. https://t.co/gcaJlUO8Dk
Russell’s response revolving around an obscene hand gesture followed by an assurance he would kick their (expletive) was legendary.
“Thank you, you have no idea how much respect I have for you guys,” Russell continued. “Because you did it in your own time, in your own way, and I appreciate that. And it made me proud to have played this same game as you guys.”
Dell Curry and Mychal Thompson paved the way for their sons Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, respectively.
As two of the best shooters ever, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson have molded Hall of Fame worthy careers.
But as top-level hoopers, Curry and Thompson had to learn how to ball somewhere.
They both had two NBA fathers to look up to in Dell Curry and Mychal Thompson, respectively. The two dads made solid careers for themselves, with the elder Curry playing most of his career with the Charlotte Hornets. The elder Thompson, whose prime was in the 1980s, played most of his career with the Portland Trail Blazers.
In celebrating Father’s Day, here is a look back at the careers of Dell Curry and Mychal Thompson.
Dell Curry
The elite jumper is a basketball gene prevalent in the Curry family.
The elder Curry made his career on consistently making jumpers from deep, and his start came with the Utah Jazz. The Jazz drafted Curry at No. 15 overall in the 1986 NBA draft. During his sophomore season, he played with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and by the time his fourth season rolled around, his impact started to be felt.
Curry’s fourth season was the 1989-90 campaign. The season was his second with the Hornets, and he scored 16.0 points per game and shot 35.4% from the 3-point line.
One of Curry’s top performances came during the Hornets’ first game of the 1996-97 season. Charlotte was playing the Toronto Raptors, and Curry led them to a win with a career-high 38 points and six 3-pointers.
As one of the Hornets’ best players ever, Curry had one of his best seasons during the 1993-94 season.
He scored a career-best 16.3 points per game, grabbed 3.2 rebounds a game and shot 40.2% from the 3-point line. Curry was third in scoring on the Hornets that season, right behind Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson.
Curry ended his career playing for the Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors, retiring in 2002. He shot 40.2% from the 3-point line for his career.
Before Kemba Walker came along and surpassed him, Curry was the Hornets’ all-time leading scorer. He currently ranks second on the franchise’s all-time leading scorers list. He also ranks second in the franchise for 3-point field goals, according to Basketball Reference.
Mychal Thompson
The elder Thompson knew how to work his way around the low and high post.
Thompson was drafted No. 1 overall by the Trail Blazers in the 1978 NBA draft. A big man out of Minnesota, Thompson had a stellar rookie season during the 1978-79 campaign.
According to NBA.com stats, Thompson ranked fourth among rookies in points per game (14.7) and first in rebounds per game (8.3).
Thompson excelled at finding open spaces in the paint for buckets, and he was a solid passer as well. He averaged 2.3 assists per game for his career, and he tallied a career-high 4.8 assists a game during the 1982-83 season. During his career, he scored 13.7 points per game and grabbed 7.4 rebounds a game.
One of the best games of his career came when he showcased his versatile game.
He scored 24 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and dished 11 assists as he led the Trail Blazers to a win over the Denver Nuggets in January 1984. The performance marked one of Thompson’s two career triple-doubles, per Stat Muse.
During the 1986-87 season, Thompson was traded from the San Antonio Spurs to the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the league’s titans in the 1980s.
Thompson helped the Lakers win back-to-back titles in 1987 and 1988. He was a key part of the team’s rebounding in the 1988 title season.
That season, Thompson ranked third on the team in rebounds per game behind A.C. Green and Magic Johnson, and he ranked fifth in scoring. After winning those two titles, Thompson played three more seasons with Los Angeles and retired in 1991.
He is still high in the Trail Blazers’ record books, as he is No. 9 on the franchise’s all-time leading scorers list and No. 4 in total rebounds, per Basketball Reference.
Retired NBA player Theo Ratliff was recently a guest on The HoopsHype Podcast. Ratliff recorded the 22nd-most blocks in NBA history and he averaged 7.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.4 blocks over the course of his 16-year career. HoopsHype talked to Ratliff about his NBA career, today’s centers, playing with Allen Iverson, life after basketball and more. Listen to the interview above or read the transcribed Q&A below.
In today’s NBA, big men are being forced to evolve and the Houston Rockets are even going away from centers entirely. What are your thoughts on how the NBA is changing?
Theo Ratliff: I think the game has definitely changed. Back in my day, everything was kind of based on the big man being dominant in the post. With the evolution of analytics and their calculations that have people shooting more three-pointers and more layups and not really focusing on their mid-range game or post-ups, it has really changed the game. Plus, you have so much more open space now and you can’t armbar guys, you can’t check guys who are coming down the middle and different things of that nature. It opens up the lanes so much because they’re taking so much away as far as what the defense can do.
It makes the offense look great and you can have really small guys like Trae Young and Kemba Walker and some of the other guards you see. But back in the day, they would’ve struggled going up against Gary Payton or Michael Jordan, you know what I mean? Those guys were guarding point guards back in the day and you could hit guys a lot more. I tell these guys all the time: It was against the law if you didn’t throw an elbow before you went to get a rebound. (laughs) Now, if you throw an elbow, you get kicked out immediately. It’s so different, just the physicality of the game. But it has opened it up and it’s made it a lot easier for a lot of the common people to understand and see the game a lot better, even if it doesn’t get as physical.
What do you make of the offensive changes to the center position?
TR: It’s changed a lot. Even when I was playing, they started moving toward that. I was more of a 16-to-17-foot shooter, but now they’re pushing those guys out to the three-point line. You see that with [Brook] Lopez and some of these people you don’t even know out there shooting threes as centers and their coaches don’t even care if they miss it! If we shot outside of that 15-to-17-feet-range, we was sitting on the bench! (laughs) “That isn’t what you do!” We were supposed to battle in the post, get rebounds, set picks, roll, dunk on people and be aggressive. But it’s definitely moved more toward the outside shooting, and all of the kids – even the big kids, like my kids – all they want to do is shoot three-pointers all of the time. That’s what they want to do. With the evolution of the game and then with Golden State becoming who they are and winning championships how they play, it just kind of elevated the game into that.
You have the 22nd-most blocks in NBA history. You need to have great timing and instincts to be an elite shot-blocker. Can you teach those things or is it one of those things where you either have it or you don’t?
TR: Oh, you can definitely develop it. It’s all about muscle memory and timing and visualization. I was just talking to a guy today about how to master whatever it is that you do and it’s all about visualization – seeing things before they happen. Also, doing a lot of studying of other players and their tendencies, where the ball will be in certain offenses, who likes to drive versus who likes to post and different things in the game that help you visualize how you’re going to play against that specific opponent and where you need to be to help.
We talked about how much the game has changed, but are there any active players who sort of remind you of yourself?
TR: Yeah, I think the guy we, the Hawks, just acquired: Clint Capela. He definitely mirrors my mentality and approach to the game. He’s not a guy who really worries about being a major part of the offense, but he’s always looking to help his teammates by blocking shots and rebounding the ball.
Robert Skeoch /Allsport
Looking back on your career, which season was the most fun for you? Is there a single season that stands out?
TR: Yeah, the 2000-01 season. It was kind of bittersweet because that was the year I got traded as well, but we were at the top of the league at the beginning of the season. We had the best record in the NBA at the time. I made All-Star for the first time, but I ended up breaking my hand. You know, leading in all these categories with my man Allen Iverson. Then, I ended up getting traded to the Hawks, so it was bittersweet. But it was fun all the way up until that point. (laughs)
Speaking of Allen Iverson, what was it like playing with him? And can you speak to the basketball and cultural impact that he had?
TR: You’re talking about a tremendous competitor. To this day, I still don’t know how he did the things that he did and how he was able to push through certain injuries. When he sprained his ankle, it looked like he broke his ankle, but then he’d be right back out here. His will and determination and pain tolerance was right up there with Kobe. He was just able to will himself to do certain things. When we were down, we knew where to go. We’d find him, he’d find the ball, and he would just take over games. Just from his leadership on the floor, that helped us be at our best. We had a lot of guys who were just kind of journeyman guys who hadn’t really stepped out and came into their own when we came over to the Sixers to play alongside him – guys like Aaron McKie, Eric Snow, George Lynch. He helped push us and elevated our game and our status as NBA players. He’s a tremendous guy, a tremendous person as well. Very giving, very family-oriented. He takes his time, even to this day, to speak to your kids and give his story and talk about what he did and the ups and downs of his life. He’s just a tremendous individual.
You defended so many star players. Who was the toughest player for you to guard?
TR: Oh man, without a doubt it was big Shaq! (laughs) He outweighed me by 100 pounds and when I had to guard that guy, I woke up a lot more sore the next day. Then, there’s a guy like Alonzo Mourning, who was just so aggressive. He really taught me how to play in the league and helped me build myself up – build my body and my strength up – to be able to go match-up against those kind of guys. They really pushed me. The style of the game then kind of pushed me to be in the weight room and pound dumbbells. Now, it’s more linear and resistance and people aren’t really trying to get big. I had to try to get big and strong to be able to hold my own against those 280-pound centers and that was a feat. (laughs)
What was it like for you to transition to retirement?
TR: After playing 16 years and moving around while having a family – I have four girls and had two 1-year-old sons (at the time) – it was a matter of me wanting to be home more and be around my teenage girls and be “Daddy” 100 percent of the time rather than moving all around the country and flying all over the place. I was comfortable with retirement.
How nice was it to spend that additional time with your family?
TR: It was awesome because you can’t get those years back. When you’re moving around, you don’t realize until you stop. You’re like, “Okay, I’m still here. I’m still taking them to school… “ But your mind is so inundated with the game and your schedule and what you have to do, so it takes over. You don’t even recognize it until you stop. It’s just natural because you’ve done that for so long.
Right after you retired, did you ever get the itch to play again?
TR: Nah, nah. It wasn’t tough for me at all. I had moved on from it and after playing 16 years, I felt I had served myself enough. And with how the game was changing in different ways, it was time for me to make that transition.
Dwight Howard, Theo Ratliff at charity event (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images for Laureus)
You put out an anti-bullying children’s book called “Theo the Hero” and your foundation has done a lot of work to try to prevent bullying. When did you realize that you wanted to use your platform to spread this anti-bullying message?
TR: It’s something that’s always been close to my heart. In the book, I talk about myself and being bullied as a young kid. It’s such a big, big problem throughout the world – especially with the advent of social media. We used to say, “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” But that’s really not true. When people say something and it’s constantly said by 10-to-15 people, or you go to social media and it’s said by thousands of people, that can be a real detriment to that particular person – especially with kids, who can be so influenced by what people say about them. That’s just a message that I try to give to the kids and the community because it turns into a lot of suicides and things of that nature, which was alarming to me as well. I just try to stay on top of that with all of the kids that I speak with.
Was being the tallest kid in the class part of why you were bullied?
TR: Yeah, I was a long and skinny guy and I was getting hand-me-downs from my older brother, who I was taller than. Now, the high-water jeans are in, but back then they weren’t! (laughs) There were just different things, growing up in a less fortunate situation. We were in the projects, so we didn’t really have the money to get the latest and the greatest stuff.
Now, seeing kids taking pictures of other kids and posting it on social media and talking about their clothes and things like that, there’s really nothing they can do about it. But they keep sitting there and checking that ridicule. It’s something that touched me. Being around kids and seeing different things, I wanted to share my story -– where I came from and making it to the NBA – because it’s invigorating to me.
That’s very cool. How much basketball do you watch these days?
TR: I’ve always been a fan of the game since I was 12 years old and that never stops. Especially once I had kids and now have twin sons who are playing, it’s something that I enjoy. I like watching every season to see how guys are growing and who’s getting better and which teams are getting better. I really enjoy watching Milwaukee and how they’re maturing. You saw it from the Pistons, the Lakers, the Celtics; everybody has to get over their hump. It takes you losing and feeling that grit to come back next year and be better, and you see that maturity from Milwaukee. And I love to see which pieces different teams are picking up and that whole aspect of the game.
What are some of your other off-court endeavors right now?
TR: One of the major projects I’m working on now is in the commodities industry, I’m trying to do some distribution of some jet fuel, oil and gas. That’s taking up a lot of my time right now. It’s a very interesting, very interesting, industry.
