Jamel Thomas | Brooklyn Born Basketball Star Finds Life After The NBA Overseas

Jamel Thomas / 1999 Upper Deck SP

After being shuffled many NBA teams, Jamel Thomas ended up with his cousin, Stephon Marbury on the New Jersey Nets.

Thomas played for the Nets during the 2000-2001 season alongside Marbury. While he didn't grow up dreaming to play in the NBA with his cousin, it was still an experience he enjoyed.

“Playing [with] my Steph was just like playing in high school together,” Thomas said via e-mail. “We never dreamt about playing together in the NBA, but we both believed that we were going to get there through hard work and respect.”

He felt he had to represent New York City, and his home borough of Brooklyn wherever he played.

“Where ever you go you always have to put on for your city and mine is ‘The Mecca’,” he said. “Playing for your hometown makes you feel like a hero and it inspires the ones that wants to play the game. “

The hard work and respect Thomas had was due to his excellent high school and college experience. His days at Brooklyn's Lincoln High School set him up to achieve bigger things during college.

“During my Lincoln days I had a very good coach who instilled hard work in all of his players,” he said. “I was a good player on the team so I got a little extra attention. While I played for the NYC Gauchos I was able to play small forward my true position. So playing both positions before going to Providence made me a valuable player because I was able to do it all.”

His success in high school and college eventually led him to the NBA where he played against some of the best in the world. The rough basketball scene during the 80s and 90s shaped his mental toughness to play the game.

“During the 80’s and 90’s basketball was very tough,” he said. “You needed heart and skill to play. If you weren’t good other players and older players will let you know and that forces you to work on your game.”

Unfortunately, his career in the NBA only lasted for two years, signing contracts with five different teams. He ultimately found success playing overseas until 2009 in countries like Turkey and Italy.

Darrell Einertson | A Short and Forgotten 2000s MLB Career

Darrell Einertson

Darrell Einertson, born September 4, 1972, is a former Major League Baseball player who played with the New York Yankees during the 2000 season. He grew up in the town of Rhinelander, Wisconsin, and joined the Yankees as a minor league baseball player in 1995 after graduating from Iowa Wesleyan College.

He later got called up for the major leagues during the spring 2000 season. He played for the World Series champs that season, but only pitched in 11 games. It was his only season in the pros, finishing with a 3.55 ERA.

Einertson explained on the Moonlight Graham Podcast how he got called up to the Yankees and debuted against the Kansas City Royals.

“They flew me straight to New York City,” he said. “I landed, got picked up, and they took me to Yankee Stadium. I had my suitcase with me, and that day I got in the ball game. We were playing the Kansas City Royals at home, on a Saturday day-game, with about 58,000 fans.”

During his debut, Einertson was surprised to pitch the same day he arrived in the major leagues.

“I almost swallowed my Copenhagen,” he said. “I don’t know, I was so shocked to get that call on the first day ... and I went in there [and] got four outs.”

While playing alongside his Yankees teammates, they made him carry out certain duties as a rookie.

“They treated me just a little different because I was a rookie, they made me carry the seed bag, I got the bubble gum bag, I had to carry the balls, the bands, and all the other stuff, but I didn’t really care because it was so cool to be down in that bullpen.”

Einerston was not on their World Series roster, but he made the team coming out of spring training in 2001. Unfortunately, injuries derailed his career.

“I made the big league team coming out of spring training in 2001,” he said. “I had a small, partial tear underneath my armpit area, and so that kinda shut me down for the 2001 season.”

Despite Darrell Einertson’s brief time in the majors, he still had the chance to serve alongside some of the most well-known baseball legends, including Hall of Famers Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter.

“Oh Jete was cool,” he said. “He was cool as a fan. He’d treat you just as you were in the big leagues, … guys would always look down on you just because you were a rookie, but no, he was a genuine good dude.”

Glen Rice: The NBA Star's Fall From Grace In New York

Glen Rice / Wikimedia Commons

The New York Knicks brought in Glen Rice during the 2000-2001 season as he looked like a very promising player, however he was not able to perform well for the team. Rice was not able to fit in well with the Knicks and was traded to the Houston Rockets in 2001.

Rice was an NBA All-Star from 1996-1998 and was able to win the NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000. The Knicks expected a lot from Rice; however while with the Knicks he was benched a lot, only averaging 12 points per game. He was not able to perform well, as he had a foot injury (plantar fasciitis), and did not find his place alongside Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell. 

“The best players will play,” Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy said in July 2001 to the New York Post.

In the beginning of the 2000-2001 season, the Knicks were able to start off with a successful pre-season; however, for Rice it was a different story. Rice was a very good player, but he was not able to find his rhythm throughout his time with the Knicks. He never embraced the role of sixth man, as he felt he deserved more playing time.

''I said this many times; it did work, all the way to the fifth game, like everything else on our team,'' Van Gundy said to the New York Times. ''The unfortunate part is you make a trade and somebody goes to the bench and you expect them to get starter's numbers playing bench minutes. Glen Rice was a very, very good player -- he was when he came here, he leaves a very good player and he'll go somewhere that's more to his liking, where he'll be a starter. Obviously, if that was such a big problem, getting all three guys minutes, we wouldn't have traded for another guy on the perimeter.''

Things got worse for Rice as during the last three months of the season Rice was not able to practice because of his foot injury. Rice was not able to perform during the 2000-2001 NBA season. He was not able to fit in with the team and ended up averaging a career low of 12 points with the Knicks. The New York Knicks traded Rice in a three-way trade along with the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets. This ended his disappointing career in New York.

Being Tiny in A Land of Giants Did Not Stop Earl Boykins From Pursuing a Lengthy NBA Career

Earl Boykins / Wikimedia Commons

For Earl Boykins, 1998 marked the beginning of a long journey in the NBA. Although going undrafted, Earl Boykins went on to average 8.9 points, 3.2 assists and 1.3 rebounds per game in his 13 season career. This was not easy for him as he only stood 5’5’ in the land of seven-foot giants. Despite his size disadvantage, Boykins had quite the career.

Boykins attended Eastern Michigan University, where he dominated. He made All Mid-Conference first team in his junior and senior year. He also was second in NCAA scoring in his senior year, averaging 26.8 points per game. Eastern Michigan retired his jersey in 2011.

Earl Boykins signed with the New Jersey Nets for a short time during the 1999 NBA season. He had been an unrestricted free agent since going undrafted. Boykins made his NBA debut with New Jersey, playing only five games (averaging 4.2 points), before the Nets released him. He signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers to finish the 1999 season.

He went through quite a few teams, but Boykins began to play more when he reached the Los Angeles Clippers. But it wasn't until 2003 with the Denver Nuggets where Boykins had full playing time and was able to display his value. He credited his father for developing his confidence.

“Because of my height, I became very skilled and I always had confidence,” Boykins said to Charles Post of The Eastern Echo. “My dad taught me the game. Growing up, he used to take me to the gym and I played basketball a lot. At an early age he instilled it in me to never be afraid. Never let anyone intimidate me.”

Boykins made a 13- year career going undrafted and getting cut by the Nets after only five games. He learned to work hard to overcome the height difference throughout his career.

”If I was taller, I probably wouldn’t have worked as hard or gotten as far.” Boykins said to Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times.

Boykins showed that with hard work and talent, nothing will stop you from succeeding. His story continues to be an inspiration to many who believe they aren’t good enough for their career interests.

Curtis Pride: The Yankees One Hit Wonder

Curtis Pride signed a contract with the New York Yankees in May of 2003 after spending the first part of the season with the Nashua Pride in the independent Atlantic League. Pride spent over a month in the minors in Columbus before getting called up and put in the starting lineup in early July.

Curtis Pride / Gallaudet Athletics

Pride only had 12 at-bats during his four game Yankees career including just one hit which was a home run. The Yankees acquired Pride to be used as an emergency outfielder who could also pinch-run. He also had a decent amount of experience in the majors and a likable personality which were attractive traits for the Yankees and made him a good fit for the team.

His time with the Yankees was brief but memorable. Despite not being well-known prior to joining the team, Curtis Pride made a lasting impression with the often critical fanbase. He endeared himself to the supporters with his homer against the rival Red Sox resulting in a standing ovation and curtain call.

Over 50,000 people were cheering for him, but he did not hear a thing. Curtis Pride is one of the few deaf players in the history of Major League Baseball. He does not let this stop him or hold him back despite it being a clear disadvantage compared to most players. Instead, Pride relies on his teammates and coaches as well as his other senses to even the playing field.

His journey to get to this point was not easy as Pride faced many obstacles throughout his career. The year before his Yankees tenure, Curtis Pride had excelled at Triple-A for the Pirates organization. In 2003, not a single team was willing to add him to their roster.

Pride was 34 years old and was struggling to stick in the major leagues for almost a decade. Many other players would have given up and switched occupations; however, Curtis Pride had persevered his whole life to prove his doubters wrong. He was, and still is, an inspiration to thousands of people, especially hearing-impaired kids. This was just a bump in the road for Pride.

The stinging rejection motivated him to play better and show every team they made a mistake by not signing him. He refused to be forgotten and showcased his talent by putting up gaudy numbers in the Atlantic League. MLB couldn’t ignore Pride’s skill set any longer and his efforts paid off when he became a New York Yankee.

The Yankees added Pride to their team in the middle of a tight battle for the division with the Red Sox. They believed he would be a valuable bench piece and help them claim the AL East. His success was limited to just that one game against the Red Sox but he contributed to the win. The Yankees never relinquished their hold on the division after this victory and Curtis Pride was a part of it.

The Yankees were pleased with Pride’s impact, but it was nothing compared to how he felt about his experience with the best sports team in history.

“It was like a dream,” Pride said to the New York Times.“To be in Yankee Stadium in a Yankee uniform, I'm just glad I got the opportunity.”

From College Prodigy To NBA Bust: The Story Of Bo Kimble

Bo Kimble Knicks Basketball Card / Hoops

The toughest sight in sports is when a player doesn’t live up to his potential. Derrick Rose and Andrew Wiggins may come to mind, but one that perhaps doesn’t is Bo Kimble.

Kimble’s journey from college star to NBA bust is one of the most remarkable in basketball history, and the Loyola Marymount grad’s career could go down in history as the greatest that never was. 

The 54-year-old had a compelling, illustrious college career. After leaving the University of Southern California due to a falling out with new head coach George Raveling, he and his longtime friend and teammate Hank Gathers both transferred to Loyola Marymount. 

Teaming up with Gathers and NBA Champion coach Paul Westhead, Kimble led Loyola Marymount to be arguably the most exciting team in college basketball history. Westhead installed a very fast-paced, run-and-gun style of play, featuring a constant full-court press on defense. His college run’s pinnacle was during his senior year, where he led the entire nation in scoring and was named a second team All-American.

However, when it all seemed to be going well, tragedy struck. Gathers collapsed on the court during the semifinals of the West Coast Conference Basketball Tournament, and he devastatingly passed away. 

The tournament was canceled, and Loyola was awarded a spot in the NCAA Division I Tournament due to their first place spot in the regular-season standings. Kimble, along with having to cope with the death of his close friend, now had to lead his team in the toughest college basketball competition in the country.

Pushing through the adversity, Kimble and his team made one of the most memorable, touching runs in college history, losing only in the Elite Eight to the eventual champions University of Nevada. Along the way, Kimble bested eventual 7-time NBA Champion Robert “Big-Shot Bob” Horry, as well as the defending NCAA champions in the University of Michigan.

Perhaps the most memorable moment of all was Kimble’s lefty free-throws, which he took in honor of his fallen teammate. Gathers was actually right-handed, but he was so bad at free throws that he decided to switch to shooting left-handed, and he ultimately ended up with a better free-throw percentage. For every game, Kimble took his first free throw left-handed, converting every single one he attempted.

After the tournament, the Los Angeles Clippers selected Kimble as the eighth pick in the 1990 NBA Draft. Despite a promising start, his time became limited as the months passed, and he spent most of his two years in Los Angeles on the bench for a Clippers team that was considered one of the worst of all time for many years now.

He was traded to the New York Knicks along with Doc Rivers and Charles Smith before the 1992-1993 season. Kimble rarely saw the court, playing only nine games the entire season. He was stuck in a crowded Knicks backcourt that included Doc Rivers and John Starks.

The only game in which he was given significant game time was against the Phoenix Suns, where a massive brawl caused the ejection of four Knicks players. Kimble played 21 minutes and scored 11 points, in what would be his most notable game with the Knicks.

After the season ended, where Jordan and the Bulls bested the Knicks yet again in the Conference Finals, Kimble was cut from the team. In a move that many viewed as inevitable, the Knicks felt that it was the best decision for all parties:

“It was in the best interest of Bo and the Knicks to allow him to seek other opportunities to play at this time,” Knicks General Manager Ernie Grunfeld said.

Just three years ago, he had led America in college scoring, but he now found himself without a team in the NBA. Kimble decided to go overseas to play for CRO Lyon in France’s top division, the Jeep Elite. 

The shooting guard averaged about 20 points and five rebounds per game, good for the top ten in scoring. However, Kimble was cut yet again, ending his career in Europe and forcing him to move back to America. At that point, he still felt he was good enough to make it back to the NBA.

“The players know I belong out there,” Kimble told the Los Angeles Times. “The people who watch the game, they don’t understand. All they see is Bo Kimble, great shooter, great scorer, not playing. I’m not going to give up. For a long time.”

Kimble kept trying, but he never did get back into the NBA. He played several years for the Continental Basketball Association, but he was moved around constantly.

His most notable moment was during a game with his first team, the Rapid City Thrillers. After a poor performance, GM/head coach and future NBA coach Eric Musselman asked Kimble and another two former NBA players on the team to name one other team in their CBA division. None of the players could, and they were all scrapped the next day.

“I liked Bo and Rumeal [Robinson, Kimble’s teammate], they were nice guys, but I’ve never traded two guys who were less valuable,” Musselman told Sports Illustrated.

Kimble’s attitude towards the CBA never allowed him to be successful there because he knew he was too good for it, and he acted like it. Looking back on his career, Kimble blames the Clippers organization for stunting his progress and setting him on a path to failure.

“I’m used to unity, and there was no unity on the Clippers. I’m used to playing as a team and being together. But NBA basketball is quite different than anything I’ve experienced,” Kimble said. “I didn’t have the support of the coach [Mike Schuler]. If you’re drafted to be the scorer and the shooter, and your coach is telling you, ‘You’re not at Loyola. Don’t shoot this shot, don’t shoot this shot.’ Well, then you start to wonder. I kind of lost my identity of who I really was. If I can’t shoot and score, do what I do best, well, then what do you want me to do?”

Kimble had always been associated with the unconventional system he thrived under at Loyola, and therefore most scouts believed he couldn’t make it in the NBA. But Kimble always had the talent to succeed, he just became a victim of unfortunate circumstances.

“It becomes easy to track,” his college coach Westhead told the Los Angeles Times. “Once your minutes go down, if you’re a shooter you start playing tight. If you’re not making shots, your minutes keep going down, and unfortunately what happens to a player is he begins to second-guess his shot and he goes spinning downward.”

Kimble’s impact during his only season in New York, and his career as a whole, was not what he expected. He very likely had more to offer than he was given credit for, especially considering everything he did to get to the NBA. He was dealt an awful hand and overcame it to will his team through with a natural-born leadership reminiscent of Michael Jordan.

Kimble’s determination, mentality, and sheer will to win made him one of the most talented players to fall through the cracks in the NBA.

From Role Player to Manager: Kevin Cash's Amazing Story

Kevin Cash with the Boston Red Sox in 2008 / Wikimedia Commons

For a player who hit a mere twelve home runs and had a .183 batting average across his nine-year career, you would never expect someone like Kevin Cash to be the key ingredient to a playoff team. As it turns out, he was exactly that, although not as a player, but as a Tampa Bay Rays’ manager in their recent playoff success.

As a player, Cash started as an infielder in the Florida State University program for four years in the late 1990s. After going undrafted after his senior year, he was invited to play in the Cape Cod Baseball League, where he took over as a catcher when the team suffered from injuries. After proving to be successful at his new position, the Toronto Blue Jays franchise signed him as a free agent in 2002.

After two years and over 100 games played for Toronto, the Blue Jays traded him to the Tampa Bay Rays. He spent only a season there until ending up in Boston, where he played for a few seasons. After winning the world series in 2007 with Boston, albeit not as a starting catcher, Cash ended up on the Yankees roster during their historic 2009 season.

Being on a team stacked with superstars like Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Mariano Rivera and catcher Jorge Posada, Cash served as a role player for the Yankees. At the start of the season, the Yankees put him in the minor leagues, with the triple-A affiliate in Scranton. The Yankees called Cash to their roster due to injuries among both Jorge Posada and his replacement, Jose Molina. He played ten games on the team, with only six hits to his name before Posada returned to the lineup.

The Yankees released Cash in September, a few months before they would win their 27th World Series. He announced his retirement from the league soon after, only to change his mind and return with the Houston Astros in the 2010 season. After a final stint in Boston and one more season in the minors, Cash retired for good in 2011.

However, Cash remained active as ever in the major leagues from that point forward. In 2012, Cash was hired as a scout for the Toronto Blue Jays. Later on, the Cleveland Indians selected Cash to serve as a bullpen coach for a couple of seasons.

Cash’s most significant contribution to baseball came when he was hired as manager of the Tampa Bay Rays. According to Joe Girardi, this job was fitting for Cash, as he had a positive impact on his teammates and a solid understanding of what makes a baseball team tick.

“(He) really understood the game," Girardi said to the New York Daily News. "Easy to get along with, in a sense, as a player. Easy to work with. He struck me as that type of guy."

Cash played with some of baseball’s all-time greats and was a part of two World Series winners. As a manager, Cash has used his profound knowledge of the game to propel the Rays from a losing team to a playoff contender. Now, Cash is focused on his team’s future and is far from the end of his long career in major league baseball.

From Ball to Faith: Andrew Lang’s Road to Chaplaincy

Andrew Lang’s unique transformation from a seasoned professional NBA player to a chaplain was an unexpected one. He was known as a skilled shotblocker, averaging 1.5 blocks per game during his 12 year NBA career. Lang played center for several teams, including the Phoenix Suns and Atlanta Hawks, before finishing his career with the New York Knicks. Lang’s end in the NBA brought him closer to his faith, leading him to pursue a new career as a chaplain.

Andrew Lang Basketball card for the Atlanta Hawks (Topps)

The Knicks acquired free agent Lang in an attempt to strengthen the team’s frontlines in the 1999-2000 season without injured center Patrick Ewing. This came as a shocking revelation to Knicks fans, as Lang previously collided with Ewing in 1997, causing Ewing to suffer a dislocated bone as well as several torn ligaments in the right wrist. By 1999, the Knicks looked to Lang to fill the gap Ewing left, who had sustained an achilles injury.

“We have added another legitimate low-post player to our roster with the signing of Andrew Lang,'' General Manager Scott Layden said to the New York Times in 1999. ''His presence solidifies our frontcourt for the start of the season.”

Nonetheless, after playing only 19 games, Lang retired after the season. He chose to completely change professions and play a deeper part in Christianity as an evangelist. It was following a service that took place before a basketball game in which Lang found his true passion for chaplaincy.

“As a player, I always attended chapel services. Then, after I obtained my ministerial license, I was invited to speak at a chapel before a game. I began to really enjoy doing it because it kept me close to the game, which I really love,” Lang said in an interview with the Atlanta Hawks in 2005.

The Hawks offered Lang a position as team chaplain in 2003. Through his work, he was able to maintain a strong connection to basketball, but in a different form. Lang related to the players’ struggles by helping them feel more comfortable with sharing their own experiences. Lang’s own encounters also allowed him to better guide and encourage current players.

As a chaplain, Lang now holds chapel service before every home game. Players are given the opportunity to pray and talk about problems. Since the NBA is such a serious business, players can put their trust in people like Lang for guidance. Through his job, Lang is able to provide counsel for those struggling to cope with being in such public positions, helping many to stay positive both mentally and physically.

Kevin Kobel: Promise and Results

From 1973-1980, Kevin Kobel held tremendous promise as a pitcher for both the Milwaukee Brewers and the New York Mets. He was also the only pitcher for the Brewers to make his MLB debut as a teenager; unfortunately, he never lived up to his promising debut.

Kevin Kobel / 1991 Mets WIZ Card

The Brewers drafted Kobel in the 11th round of the 1971 MLB draft out of Saint Francis High School, New York in the 1971 MLB Draft. After three seasons in their farm system, the Brewers made Kobel a major leaguer at 19.

Eventually Kobel left the Brewers after he got arm troubles in 1975. He returned in 1976, but he did poorly in a few appearances; however, that didn’t end his career. He returned in 1978 to the majors when the New York Mets purchased his contract. He pitched well his first two seasons, becoming a full-time starter in 1979.

Kobel found himself one of few decent players in two particularly dark seasons for the New York team; however, when the 1980 season played out, he fell behind with an ERA of 7.00 and was subsequently removed from the pitching rotation.

One of the main oddities with Kevin Kobel’s career is his downfall with the Mets. Despite playing well in the 1978 and 1979 season and being one of the few good players in an otherwise disastrous season, he still lost his position as a starting pitcher in 1980.

Greg Prince, author of Faith and Fear in Flusing, says the reason can be found in Joe Torre’s search for more reliable players in his quest to improve the Mets’ pitching staff.

“Joe Torre judged others as more reliable starters and Kobel seems to have gotten lost in the bullpen shuffle,” Prince said via e-mail.

This significantly impacted Kevin Kobel’s career as he was no longer regularly used as a pitcher:

“He didn’t get the regular work in 1980 that he got in 1979, especially as a starter, and pitchers tend to thrive on consistent use,” he said.

After this ordeal, Kobel pitched briefly for the Kansas City Royals, Omaha Royals and the Portland Beavers. He retired shortly thereafter.