Man-Man December 8, 2008

“I don’t wanna play basketball, yea baby, ’cause I’m too small to hoop,”
–Rapper-Imajin

If you’ve ever been told that basketball is for people 6’0” or taller, or you believe you are too small to play basketball, I invite you to go down to Inglewood High School (home of Paul Pierce) in Inglewood, California and watch 5’0”, “Man-Man”, real name Gerald Evans, who is in the 11th grade. I first saw Man-Man last year when he was a sophomore, when his team played Santa Monica High School.

Man-Man caught the attention of several people in the stands and some were even laughing about how small he was. One person commented that he must be the team mascot, manager or coach’s son. But, I have scouted talent for over 30 years, and I knew he was a contributing member of the Inglewood team. This 5’ 0” had a swagger about him. Sure enough, four-minutes into the first quarter, this little bullet shot up off the bench and was at the scorers’ table. Prior to Man-Man coming in the game, Inglewood was playing pretty flat and Santa Monica was having their way with them. Well, in comes Man-Man, and like the movie “Gone in 60 seconds”, all of Santa Monica’s Mojo shifted to Inglewood. Inglewood went on to win the game as a result of Man-Man’s energy and Dashawn Gomez’ outstanding play down the stretch that sent them into overtime. But it was Man-Man that shifted the tide and the game with his infectious energy.

I don’t even know if Man-Man even thinks of himself as a small player. He plays big, plays every possession and never quits. The minute he comes in the game, you can see how much he lifts the spirits of his teammates and the fans. I have never seen him not make an impact. If you are a player on the short side, or the large variety, you need to see Man-Man play. Not only is he quick and fast, but he also knows how to take advantage of everything he’s been given. Imagine being an opposing guard with average handles and then having to deal with this guy who is up in you, giving you no breathing room, and here you are trying to run the offense. It’s a daunting experience! A year after seeing Man-Man have an impact in a big game, I got to see him, once again, bring verve with a resolute spirit and acuity of ability to the floor that very few players have.

Man-Man has a huge heart, some above average athletic ability and an “I won’t quit” attitude. I don’t know if Man-Man will play at the proverbial “next level” that we all talk about, but who cares?

There is so much focus on the “next level”, that I think we often forget about the level the players are at right now. There is a risk as a player, coach or parent of getting too far ahead of the moment.

Play hard, work hard, and bring your heart in each moment and let that determine what the future holds. The biggest trend in basketball is to go for size, and yes, the game is getting bigger and stronger. But if you really have a passion for the game, why not go as far as you can, for as long as you can? Basketball is an activity that can be played for a long time if you take care of your body, stay in shape and don’t have too many injuries. Who knows, the “next level” for you might just be the White House!