Tonight Baylor will try to make some history if they can knock off unbeaten Gonzaga and win the 1st basketball title in school history. The Bears are certainly experiencing a renaissance under Coach Scott Drew but they have had some great players in the past including 1992 SWC POY David Wesley. After averaging 17 PPG during his time in Waco he did not get drafted but was good enough to have a nice long NBA career including a trip to the 2007 NBA Finals. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with David about having LeBron James as a teammate and becoming 1 of the greatest undrafted players in NBA history.
What are your memories of the 1990 NIT at Baylor (you scored 17 PTS in a 9-PT loss to Mississippi State)? I know that we did not play well. We never made it to the NCAA tourney during my 3 years at Baylor.
In 1992 you scored 20.6 PPG and were named conference POY: what did it mean to you to win such an outstanding honor? It was a really big deal to get that honor: I did not expect it because we were only a .500 team.
In 2000 you and your friend/teammate Bobby Phills were speeding at more than 100 MPH when he lost control/collided with another car/was killed: how did Phills’ death change your life? For a long time I did not talk to the media and kind of shied away from people due to the stigma of being in that situation with Bobby. People said that we were racing but I can tell you that it was not a race. We were driving in separate cars and talking to each other on cell phones but were not passing each other at all. To this day I do not know what happened in that turn. It makes me thankful to be alive because I was not doing anything different than he was.
Take me through the 2004 Western Conference 1st round with New Orleans:
Rookie Dwyane Wade scored 21 PTS including a running jumper with 1.3 seconds left to give the Heat a 2-PT win in Game 1: could you tell at the time that Wade was going to become a superstar? Sometimes rookies do not even understand how good they are but Wade seemed to have a confidence about him to take big shots in big games. The key to a great career is how healthy you can stay for a long period of time: he had phenomenal quickness/athleticism.
You scored 2 PTS/1-10 FG in an 8-PT loss to Miami in Game 7: where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career? It ranks up there pretty high. When we lost to Dallas in Game 7 the following year we seemed to not even show up so that 1 was the most disappointing. We had Game 6 on our floor to close out that series and could not get it done, which is another reason why that series sticks out in mind.
Take me through the 2005 Western Conference 1st round with the Rockets:
Referee Tim Donaghy later alleged that the NBA singled out Yao Ming for setting illegal screens so that this series would last longer/sell more tickets/have more games on TV: did you get the sense that the referees called everything fair in this series? Very few players feel like they foul on defense. I heard some talk about it in the media and from our coach but Yao was called for a lot of legitimate fouls: when you have a big body you get in collisions. I remember playing against Allen Iverson and it seemed like I would get called for a foul if I even breathed on him!
You had a 40-PT loss to Dallas in Game 7 (the most lopsided Game 7 victory in NBA playoff history): how did your team play so poorly against your in-state rival in the biggest game of the season? I have been on the other end of blowouts: it is a combination of 1 team not showing up and the other team having it all seem to click. When you are on the losing side it just seems like you cannot do anything right. They got it going early and their confidence was high.
Take me through the 2007 NBA playoffs with Cleveland:
In Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals in Detroit LeBron James set a playoff-career-high with 48 PTS by scoring each of the Cavaliers’ final 25 PTS of the game (which included a dunk at the end of the 1st OT to extend the game and a driving layup with 2 seconds left in the 2nd OT to win the game): what makes LeBron so great, and where does that rank among the greatest performances that you have ever seen? I would say that it was in the top-3 of games that I have actually been in. The thing that makes him great is his size and the fact that he can do so many things well despite being so big. I am surprised to see so many questions about his confidence after he went to Miami because he is the ultimate team player who finds the open man. Some people say that Kobe Bryant/Michael Jordan were the greatest ever because they could take/make some unbelievable shots: if LeBron does not make the game-winning shot then he becomes the scapegoat. I have always liked the way he that plays: sometimes he takes over and sometimes he does not.
You were swept by the Spurs in the Finals: did you consider your run a success (by getting to the Finals), or a failure (due to getting swept), or other? Unfortunately I did not play so I was just along for the ride and felt like a fan in the front row. I was so happy to watch our success because I had never been that far. I did not suit up for the last 20-30 games of the regular season. I have never been to a Finals game before or since because I always said that I would never go unless I was playing in 1. I felt bad that we got swept but it was still fun to see what goes on at the Finals.
You retired with 11,842 career PTS, which remains #2 all-time in NBA history among undrafted players (behind Moses Malone): did not getting drafted give you extra motivation to prove other teams wrong during your career? The motivation to get better and succeed came from when I was younger. I was all-everything in high school but did not get any scholarship offers. Baylor had a person come to 1 of my games to watch someone else play: I happened to have a good game and they eventually needed someone to replace 1 of their guards. After college I did not have a single NBA team even bring me in for a workout so the draft came and went without my name being called. I never felt like I was anyone’s #1 choice until I finally signed with Charlotte. People always thought I was too small to be a SG and did not handle the ball well enough to be a PG.
You still rank in the NBA’s top-100 all-time in 3PM (1123) and STL (1280): how were you able to balance your offense with your defense? I always enjoyed shooting the ball but defense is the 1 thing that got me in the league and kept me around as long as I did. I took personal pride in trying to get stops and make things difficult for my opponent. 1 of my favorite memories was playing for the Celtics in a 2-PT 3-OT win over Toronto in December 1996. I played 57 minutes and held Damon Stoudamire to 11-37 FG so even though he scored 31 PTS I felt like I did my job. I was a scorer in college but it took awhile until I felt comfortable shooting the ball in the NBA because my job was to get the ball to the scorers.
In 2008 you returned to Baylor to get your degree: how much importance do you place on education? It is a personal thing with me. Both of my brothers had degrees, as did my parents: the joke was that I was making the most money despite being the only 1 in the family without a degree! I have 4 kids and to encourage them to get their own degrees I tell them that an education will give them a better chance to get a job. I had a basketball camp every June and shared that same message with the campers.
After retiring you worked as an assistant coach for the Texas Legends in the D-League: how did you like the job, and what do you hope to do in the future? It was a tough league but I loved the challenge of it. I got to work with head coach Del Harris, which gave me the chance to learn from a guy who has been around forever and was oozing with knowledge/ideas. I would love to be an NBA head coach 1 day. In the D-League you have to do EVERYTHING so I got a lot of experience that other people do not. I know what the film guy does, how to create a scouting report, how to develop a practice plan: you name it. In the NBA you have 12-14 guys who are on your team all year, while in the D-League you might have 20-25 different guys on your roster throughout the year so you have to keep your system simple. It taught me how to adjust and figure out things on the fly. Jeff Van Gundy was my favorite coach to play for because he held everyone accountable.