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.

High hopes for fallen Knicks

Carmelo Anthony has one of the highest scoring averages this season of all NBA players. When Anthony was with the Denver Nuggets, he made numerous game-winning shots and rallied his team to victory. It is another story now that he is with the New York Knicks, as they continue to lose games. After acquiring Anthony, the Knicks fell to 7-10 and are now the seventh place team in the Eastern Conference. Logically the Knicks should not be below the .500 mark because of the talent they have on their team. Both Amar’e Stoudemire and Anthony are great offensive players that demand double teams from the opposition. The problem is that when the Knicks start to play well, they give up in the fourth quarter.

Anthony is explosive on offense and takes and makes tough shots but his defense is subpar. The Knicks are a high offense team that likes to attack the basket and drain 3-pointers, but that does not mean that Anthony is automatically compatible with the Knicks. The team must be adjusted so that they can find the rhythm to win games. Mike D’Antoni wants his players to play fast and aggressive which is substantially different from the way Anthony had to play with the Nuggets. In order to match the intensity of their offense, they must now work on their defense. They must work harder to get back after the fast break to prevent the other team from scoring.

In terms of team chemistry, the Knicks are still trying to adjust to each other. Since the trade came mid-season, they have not found the time to understand how they play individually and how to make it work as a team. It is very understandable that this would happen and only the optimistic fans would expect the Knicks to win every game after acquiring Anthony. There is no argument against the fact that the Knicks can get into the playoffs this year. If they can finish the season strong and focus on their chemistry, the Knicks can be a tough contender for the championship.

Trading for Carmelo ... bad decision?

The New York Knicks are not doing as well as they believed they would this current season. Trades, for the most part, are supposed to help both sides of the deal. But, after the mid-season trade for Carmelo Anthony, the New York Knicks and the Denver Nuggets went in completely opposite directions. The Knicks lost to Orlando Magic, dropping them below .500. On the other side, the Nuggets were able to rise to 43-29 after the trade. This brings up an important question. Were the Knicks smart in trading for Carmelo?

The Knicks believe themselves to be a dominant force, since the Anthony and Amare Stoudemire are together. They are the leading shooters on the Knicks. However, the team needs to get adjusted to playing with Anthony. Many people believe that the Knicks took a huge risk in trading for Anthony. Trading players mid-season is a risky, but Donnie Walsh was thinking about the Knicks future. Walsh was quoted, in an NBC Sports article, as saying, “I take more responsibility than the players or the coaches because I made a monumental trade in the middle of the season, and it appears to me they’re having a hard time getting together, which is understandable,” Walsh said "That's why I don’t like to do it in the middle of the season,” Walsh added. “We gave up a lot. We got back a lot. But I do think this trade is going to make us better in the future. In the long run, this trade will make us a better franchise.” The Nuggets are prospering now, but will that continue next season? 
Walsh is ensuring the Knicks prosperity farther in the future. Next season, when the Knicks' players improve their chemistry, they will be the dominant force they believe themselves to be. Trading for Carmelo Anthony was a great investment for the Knicks.