A 'silo-sized man' focuses on his kids
Posted: Thursday, July 09, 2009 3:17 PM
Filed Under:
Recruiting
Chris Washburn was just before my time. N.C. State’s game weren’t broadcast much in our area, and his NBA career never amounted to much. Most of what I know relates to him being on assorted lists of the NBA draft’s biggest busts.
Still, it was a small shock to grasp the details in Rick Bozich’s Louisville Courier-Journal story. Trying to decide which nugget sticks out the most.
· He, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Patrick Ewing and Earl Jones are the only three-time Parade All-Americans. That’s the talent people talked about with Washburn, and one of the reasons he was the No. 3 overall pick in 1986, right after Len Bias.
· His SAT score (470) helped trigger stiffer entrance requirements for college sports.
· He played in Argentina and Greece due to a lifetime NBA ban.
· He told Bozich to list his height and weight at 6-11, 395 pounds.
The last one is unreal. Washburn, 44, is described as a “silo-sized man,” which is probably an understatement. If he says 395, he could easily be 50, 60 pounds heavier. I worry for his heart and health.
But it sounds as though people have always worried about Washburn. Check out this fabulous 1987 story from Ralph Wiley in SI. An exasperated George Karl (then Golden State’s coach) sounds bewildered and sad at the same time.
At 6-11 with a handle, Washburn wowed people with what he could be, but “never was as good as his reputation,” according to recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons. His off-court issues also piled up. He was caught stealing a stereo at N.C. State. He failed NBA three drug tests and eventually hit bottom.
"I smoked cigarette butts I picked off the sidewalk and got my dinner from trash cans," Washburn said. "I didn't have anywhere to go."
About 10 years ago, Washburn says he checked himself into a Houston rehab clinic and got clean. Now, he focused on his kids – Julian and Chris, both Top 100 prospects for their respective grade levels – and wants them to succeed where he failed. I wish him luck.
