When Eddy Curry was drafted with the fourth pick of the 2001 NBA Draft as the future hope of the Chicago Bulls organization, it was clear that Chicago had given up on trying finding the Jordan-esque superstar player to bring the team out of Michael Jordan's shadow.
The kid selected two picks before him was a wiry string bean from Compton, California; Curry had grown up in the tough neighborhoods of Harvey, Illinois -- just south of downtown Chicago.
Then the Bulls orchestrated an immediate trade that would send beefy rebounder and scorer Elton Brand to L.A. for that string bean, Tyson Chandler.
The Bulls had the 2nd and 4th picks of the 2001 NBA Draft on their roster.
Two kids from two tough cities, two tough backgrounds, and two stories of survival and success.
The Ralph Sampson and Hakeem Olajuwon of the next generation … yet still trying to hold on to the past, as Curry wore No. 2 and Chandler wore No. 3 (when put together, it was '23').
However, both came directly to the NBA out of high school, their games far from polished. Both would have stretches where they met with success here and there, but neither was at the same time and it appeared as if this was a chemistry experiment gone awry.
How could the Bulls get these guys to work together cohesively, be on the same page?
The answer was never found and may have been part of the impetus (along with the draft busts that were Kwame Brown and Darius Miles) that led NBA Commissioner David Stern to impose the rule forbidding kids from jumping straight from high school to the NBA.
Curry was sent to New York along with Antonio Davis for Mike Sweetney, Tim Thomas and Jermaine Jackson after worries about a congenital heart condition and his perceived inability to play defense.
Chandler would flourish enough on his own to merit a long-term deal in the $63 million neighborhood later that same year, helping the Bulls run through the Celtics in the playoffs. However, when Ben Wallace became a free agent, Chandler was sent to New Orleans for J.R. Smith and P.J. Brown.
The Jerry Krause Era in Chicago was officially over.
In the two seasons since, Chandler and Curry have begun to establish their own unique identities on two very different teams. Not to the degree that separating Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki, where each of those player have garnered MVP status; but their careers are finally evolving past the point of their height being the only intimidation factor.
Chandler is playing at a faster pace in New Orleans; Curry is muddled in New York confusion and chaos, but is establishing his own identity.
I had a chance to sit down and talk with Eddy Curry after he had gone to war against one of the premier centers in the league, Amare Stoudemire:
You and Tyson (Chandler) came to Chicago at the same time. Are you guys close? Have you kept tabs with Ty at all?
"Yeah, I talk to Tyson a lot over e-mail. I try to watch his games every now and then. I'm very proud of what he's been able to do with the USA team and just with the way his career is headed. I'm extremely happy for him."
The USA Basketball thing aside, you guys have both progressed along at a similar pace, at least with regard to success rate, and it has not been the rapid boom everyone expected when you came in together as draft picks. How tough has that been? Do you ever look back and ask yourself if that was the right decision (to jump from high school to the pros)? Because, really, right now you would be at the pinnacle of a collegiate career.
"I'm really happy with my decision. I wouldn't have had it any other way. I'm happy and comfortable with the position that I'm in with this team. Without bypassing college, it's possible that I wouldn't even have been here. You never know what would have happened. I'm just glad that I'm here now."
Talk about your role on this team. Obviously, foul trouble tonight, but you have really come along in the last couple of years. Talk about how that evolution has gone.
"Really, it started in Chicago. I thought my last year in Chicago was a good year and it kind of catapulted me into the world I have right now. I'm just trying to be a dominant player on this team and be one of the pieces that help us start winning some games."
At this time last year, Isiah (Thomas) had a glut of guards on this team. He made some smart moves over the summer to balance this team, and one of those was acquiring Zach Randolph. How happy were you at the news that you would have a guy of his caliber to help you out in the paint?
"I was extremely happy! He called me this summer right before he did it and was like, 'You know there's a possibility we might be able to get Zach,' and I was like, 'Oh man, if we can do that it would be incredible!' I've known Zach since eighth grade and every time we'd play against each other, we'd talk about how cool it would be if we played on the same team. For it to really happen, it's incredible. I almost don't believe it. I definitely didn't believe it until later on in the summer. He came in and we worked out together and I was blown away. I'm just extremely excited about the team that we have. I know that once everybody comes back, we can continue to jell and we'll be a good team."
Obviously, before this personal tragedy with his grandmother's passing, you guys came out of the blocks rather well. The pre-season, the first couple of games, everybody was saying, 'Wow, don't discount the Knicks just yet.' But now a couple things have happened, the Stephon (Marbury) situation being one of them, and it's seeming like it's old times … back to the turmoil again, and that success just disintegrated. Does this all take away from the fact that this could turn into a potentially lethal lineup?
"We may have fizzled out to a couple people. But to each other, we really feel like we have something special here. As soon as he gets back, we're going to definitely try and pick up where we left off, try to string some wins together and try to get back on the right track."
Once the Marbury situation works its way through, no matter the outcome, is it time for you to step up and lead this team? Are you the person to do it?
"Oh, definitely. Definitely. I like the position that I'm in. Isiah wants me to be the leader of this team. I want to be the leader of this team. And I'm going to do whatever it takes in order to fill that void. Whatever it takes. By any means."
How tough was it going up against a guy like Amare Stoudemire? I mean, you are a bigger, more physical guy. He is a shade smaller, and maybe more wily and athletic. His play tonight kind of sucked you into six fouls and out of the game (Thomas kept Curry out the entire third quarter, to no avail; Curry would foul out just four minutes after being reinserted in the fourth quarter).
"It's a tough match-up. But I think I'm a tough match-up for him. Yeah, I got into some foul trouble early. But I think if you take away a couple of those fouls and this game is a little bit closer. It's a little bit more competitive. But we'll see him again. They come to the Garden and I'll definitely be ready for that game, Zach will be back, and hopefully Steph will be here if he gets that whole situation ironed out, and it will be a good time."
What is the one glaring thing you think you need to improve upon?
"I don't know. I'd like to think I'm always improving on everything. At first I might have maybe said rebounding. But I'm actively trying to pursue balls and trying to get better. Right now, I just don't know. We keep losing. Take away those losses and I definitely feel like I'm getting better and better as a player."
And better as a team.
The Knicks started out surprising a few people. Their inner demons surprise no one, and continue to haunt this team's progress. Many blame Isiah Thomas. Some go as far back as Scott Layden.
The fingers can be pointed all day and night at management, ownership, and past ghosts. However, the players are the ones who are on the floor 82 nights per year.
Whether that goes beyond 82 is solely up to them. They have to make it work. They have to dictate and author their own successes.
If they are able to do this as a group or not remains to be seen.
Nevertheless, Eddy Curry seems to be on the right track … not bad for a kid who didn't pick up a basketball until the 7th grade. According to his father, Eddy Curry Sr., "For a long time, Eddy hated basketball."
It's a pace he probably would have been on had he spent four years at a DePaul, but he's on track nonetheless.
Still working fervently on his degree at the University of the NBA.
