Conference tournaments are about basketball but also so much more: the fans, parents, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The CAA Tournament is taking place this weekend in Washington, DC, and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from DC with an interview of Hampton basketball father Lamont Strothers about playing in the NBA and his prediction for his son’s game tonight against UNCW.
At Forest Glen High School you were struck in the left eye during a fistfight involving a guy with brass knuckles: what impact did that incident have on you either on or off the court? It happened after my senior year. I was already enlisted at the time but he hit me 5 days before I was going to begin my military service. The doctors reexamined me and decided that it was such a serious injury that they honorably discharged me before I served a single day!
How close did you come to attending Georgia, and what made you choose Christopher Newport? I only had a partial scholarship to Georgia so I decided to make some money by working for 1 year. Most people know about the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (PIT) but I played in a tournament after that called the Suffolk Invitational Tournament. I played against a team that had a bunch of ex-pros and I ended up scoring 28 PTS in the 2nd half. I introduced myself to the opposing coach and he assumed that I was an older guy due to my performance. When I told him that I was just 18 he told that he would come back the next day with some papers to sign so that I could get enrolled at Christopher Newport.
In 1991 you were named 1st-team All-American and D-3 national POY: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? I went to school for an education, but 1 of my advisors suggested that since I was so good at basketball I might want to change majors. The honors were great, but I credit it all to my work ethic.
You scored 2709 career PTS in college and graduated as the #3 all-time scorer in D-3 history: what is the secret to being a great scorer? WORK! Those unseen hours will add up. I tell young players that if you play against guys in your age group then it will make you comfortable, but when you play against older guys you have to work harder and come up with new moves.
In the summer of 1991 you were drafted 43rd overall by Golden State (2 spots ahead of Bobby Phills and the highest-ever selection of a D-3 player at the time) and were subsequently traded to Portland: what did it mean to you to get drafted, and what did it mean to you to get traded? Getting drafted meant everything to me: it is something that every player dreams about. Portland did not think I would be around at #43. You hear a lot of teams tell you, “Oh yeah, we think you are a good player so we will trade up to get you if you are available”…but it actually happened!
You played 13 games with Portland/Dallas: what is your favorite memory from your time in the NBA? The 1st real time I spent on the floor was in a game vs. the Lakers: I scored 7 PTS in 6 minutes. There was also a preseason game vs. the Bulls when some guy named Michael Jordan ran past me and caught a lob for a dunk.
You also played in the CBA but spent most of your career in the Philippines: what is the biggest difference between basketball in the US vs. basketball overseas? I spent 6 years in the Philippines and 4 years in Turkey. Back then big men in the US would play in the post with their back to the basket, but in Turkey the “bigs” would play on the perimeter and were good passers. The pace overseas was a bit slower: they used 20-minutes halves. The rules in the Philippines were patterned after NBA rules (such as illegal defense) so the game was pretty similar. The other big difference was the physicality: it was a much more physical game in the US.
Since retiring as a player you have spent many years as a high school basketball coach: how do you like coaching? I enjoy all aspects of it: coaching/developing/strategizing. I have been running a spring break camp for more than 2 decades. 1 of the alumni from my camp is Kennedy Harris, who just won the A-10 women’s tourney title today with GMU after beating St. Joe’s.
Your brother Calvin Jr. played football/basketball at New Hampshire, your sister Janell Joyner played high school basketball, your son Allen plays at ETSU, your daughter Adria played at Hampton, and your son Etienne plays for Hampton: who is the best athlete in the family? Allen is the most athletic, but Adria is the best shooter.
Any predictions for your son’s game tonight vs. UNCW? It is hard to say. UNCW beat Hampton by 21 PTS in January but lost to Hampton by 13 PTS in Feburary. The Seahawks have 8 grad transfers so it is tough to play against all those grown men. I like Hampton coach Ivan Thomas: I actually coached against him when he was a high school coach.
