Last week the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics held its spring meeting in Washington, DC. The 3 main topics of the day were: a report on actions and plans to address remaining challenges in college basketball, an update on NBA changes that impact college basketball development pathways, and hot topics impacting college basketball (including college athlete disability insurance/NCAA player endorsement restriction/state and federal intervention). 1 of the many great panelists was former Kansas basketball star Eric Chenowith, who currently serves as owner of Leverage, a company that provides Disability and Life Insurance Services. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel was in attendance and got to chat with Mr. Chenowith about playing for Roy Williams and what he is now doing at Leverage.
You played for the West in the 1997 McDonald’s All-American Game: which of your fellow honorees impressed you the most (the Collins twins/Baron Davis/Larry Hughes/Tracy McGrady/other), and how on earth did you lose to the East by double-digits?! Coaching! If I had to pick 1 guy I would say Ron Artest. He stood out during our pick-up games because he was further developed physically than anyone else (and more skilled as well). The game itself is a blur to me now.
You played for Roy Williams at Kansas: what makes him such a great coach, and what was the most important thing that you ever learned from him? He is great due to his attention to detail/organization. Everything is planned out to the minute and there is no sloppiness. Everything is regimented/organized and has a purpose, which is a part of his success. He taught me to have a good work ethic: I saw him outwork people both in coaching/recruiting. I still carry that in my professional life to fight through fatigue and the ups and downs of a career.
In the 1999 NCAA tourney you had 11 PTS/10 REB in a 4-PT OT loss to Kentucky (Scott Padgett had 29 PTS/10 REB): how close did you come to pulling off the upset? We had them beat and were up by 3 PTS in the final seconds of regulation. Wayne Turner drove in for a layup so I just let him go by me because even if he made it we would still be in the lead. He missed it, Jamaal Magloire tapped it out to Padgett, who sidestepped our defender and made a 3 to send it into OT. We had it won but the chips just did not fall our way.
After starting all 33 games as a sophomore and being named an Honorable Mention All-American despite playing just 29 minutes/game, you only started 21 games as a junior while playing 22 minutes/game: was it frustrating to see your playing time decrease, or could you simply tell that incoming freshmen Nick Collison/Drew Gooden were going to turn into longtime future NBA players? It was hard but the pie just got split into thirds. I was the main option as a sophomore but my stats/minute remained pretty similar the following season.
Your 242 career BLK remains #3 in school history: what is the key to blocking shots? Blocking them with both hands. Most guys shoot the ball right-handed so I just tried to block them with my left hand. My high school coach taught me how to rotate off of my man and help from the weak side.
In the 2001 NBA draft you were picked 43rd overall by the Knicks (5 spots behind Mehmet Okur): did you see that as a validation of your college career, or the realization of a lifelong dream of reaching the NBA, or other? It was the accomplishment of a goal but a bit of a disappointment as well. Had I come out of college after my sophomore year I could have been a lottery pick but 2 years later I was a 2nd rounder. A lot of people are just thrilled to be drafted but I had little to no chance of making the Knicks so it was not the best situation for me to go to. It was still great to be drafted but by the time New York released me all of the other NBA rosters were full.
You played pro basketball for several years after college: what is the biggest difference between basketball in the US vs. basketball overseas? It depends where you are playing. In France it was more run-and-gun, while the NBA was more about half-court sets at the time. It has been interesting to see the NBA morph into the European style of not letting the ball get “sticky”. When I played in Asia it was more iso-ball so a big man like me would always get the ball down on the block.
Jayhawks coach Bill Self has made 16 straight NCAA tourneys in Lawrence but his streak of 14 straight Big 12 titles was broken last year: how proud are you of all that he has accomplished, and how do you describe the atmosphere at the Phog for someone who has never experienced it in person? I do not think that he could have done a better job of taking over the program. It is never easy to take over for a legend like Roy but he has added banners/titles and I hope he stays there forever: I cannot say enough good things about him. I think Dick Vitale said it best when he compared being in Allen Fieldhouse to hearing a jet take off from a runway! The intensity/excitement/passion is incredible: I think it is the best sporting venue not just in college basketball but in the entire world.
Last year you formed a company called Leverage, which helps with insurance planning for some of the best athletes/entertainers in the world: how did you get into the sports disability industry, and what are the biggest challenges you face? I had an insurance policy when I was at Kansas so I was a consumer in college. After I retired as a player I got into coaching for a couple of years but eventually got hired by a very prestigious firm in Beverly Hills. It was a pretty easy transition for me because I already knew everyone in sports. Insurance is not sexy but it eases the pain when you know the guy who is selling it to you. Guys do not dread my calls so I have helped add an element of ease to it. The challenges are other brokers who do not play by the same ethics that I do: a lot of people take shortcuts or take kickbacks but I do not. Those things eventually catch up to people so I will never change.
What insurance/workman’s comp considerations were going through your mind after seeing Zion Williamson get hurt earlier this year? I competed for his insurance but did not win it. I had peace of mind because I knew that he was covered but it was pretty scary for everyone. The next day his company leaked the intimate details to the media so I felt bad for both him and for Duke.