SpursFanInAustin
07-23-2003, 02:34 AM
www.fayettevillenc.com/st...ry=5777185 (http://www.fayettevillenc.com/story.php?Template=sports&Story=5777185)
Spurs sign Brown
By Khary K. McGhee
Staff writer
Devin Brown was an underclassman at Texas-San Antonio when the San Antonio Spurs were building their new home, the SBC Center.
"When they finish that building over there I can see you and Tim Duncan leading the way (for the Spurs)," Brown's father told him one day.
The former Fayetteville Patriots guard dismissed his dad's comments. But it turns out that father knew best.
Brown will play for the world champion Spurs this season after signing a contract with the team Monday.
The Spurs haven't announced the deal yet, but Brown said he signed a guaranteed contract with the NBA champions Monday. The contract is a one-year deal with a team option for a second season, according to Brown.
"After the year in Fayetteville, and as well as we did, I thought that maybe something like this would happen," said Brown, who was named the NBDL Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year after leading the Patriots to the championship series this past season.
Brown, a native of San Antonio, played on the Spurs' entry in the Reebok Pro Summer League in Boston last week. He thought a good performance there would get him an invitation to San Antonio's veterans training camp again this season. He went to training camp with the Spurs last year and played in seven games with them before getting cut and joining the Patriots.
But Brown wanted more than an invitation to training camp. He wanted security, and he believed that playing well in Boston would compel the Spurs to sign him to a deal.
"I knew I would have to play well in Boston," Brown said. "In a situation like that, you'd like to get an invitation to training camp, but you know that if you go the extra mile you might be able to get a contract.
"I was playing well, and there were some teams that were talking about signing me. But I didn't want to get too comfortable. I just wanted to keep playing well."
Brown was among the leading scorers in Boston, averaging 15.2 points a game - Cavaliers star LeBron James averaged 15.8 points a game - and San Antonio went 6-0.
Then Brown got word that the team he'd grown up rooting for wanted him sign him.
"None of that has hit me yet," Brown said. "When you come from the (United States Basketball League) and the NBDL you just hope that you can make one of 29 rosters.
"Last year I was there and I was one of those guys who didn't know how long he was going to be there. Now things are a little different."
One of the first people Brown called after he signed was Fayetteville coach Jeff Capel, who made Brown the second pick in the NBDL draft last season.
"It makes me feel so good especially when you know guys are getting there because of their hard work," Capel said.
Brown is in Utah this week playing on the Spurs' team at the the Rocky Mountain Revue. After that it will be onto training camp with his new team. But unlike last season, Brown won't have to worry about getting cut.
He might have to worry about bringing the doughnuts to practice, however.
At San Antonio's training camp, rookies are responsible for bringing doughnuts for the veterans. Last year, Brown forgot to bring doughnuts to practice and paid the price. Duncan, the league MVP, lofted basketballs into the stands at the SBC Center and made Brown retrieve them.
This year, Brown might technically be a second-year player , but he's not taking any chances.
"If they want me to get the doughnuts, I will go get doughnuts," Brown said.
Patriots notes
Former Patriots point guard Omar Cook was to play for the Indiana Pacers' entry in the Rocky Mountain Revue. But the Pacers decided to merge its team with the Philadelphia 76ers entry.
Philadelphia, wanting to get a good look at guards John Salmons, the MVP of the Reebok Pro Summer League, and second-round draft choice Willie Green, will have its guards play on the combined team. The Pacers will have its frontcourt players play on the team.
That left Cook without a summer league team.
Capel said that his son, Patriots forward Jason Capel, will probably play in Europe next season.
Staff writer Khary K. McGhee can be reached at [email protected] or 486-3591.
Spurs sign Brown
By Khary K. McGhee
Staff writer
Devin Brown was an underclassman at Texas-San Antonio when the San Antonio Spurs were building their new home, the SBC Center.
"When they finish that building over there I can see you and Tim Duncan leading the way (for the Spurs)," Brown's father told him one day.
The former Fayetteville Patriots guard dismissed his dad's comments. But it turns out that father knew best.
Brown will play for the world champion Spurs this season after signing a contract with the team Monday.
The Spurs haven't announced the deal yet, but Brown said he signed a guaranteed contract with the NBA champions Monday. The contract is a one-year deal with a team option for a second season, according to Brown.
"After the year in Fayetteville, and as well as we did, I thought that maybe something like this would happen," said Brown, who was named the NBDL Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year after leading the Patriots to the championship series this past season.
Brown, a native of San Antonio, played on the Spurs' entry in the Reebok Pro Summer League in Boston last week. He thought a good performance there would get him an invitation to San Antonio's veterans training camp again this season. He went to training camp with the Spurs last year and played in seven games with them before getting cut and joining the Patriots.
But Brown wanted more than an invitation to training camp. He wanted security, and he believed that playing well in Boston would compel the Spurs to sign him to a deal.
"I knew I would have to play well in Boston," Brown said. "In a situation like that, you'd like to get an invitation to training camp, but you know that if you go the extra mile you might be able to get a contract.
"I was playing well, and there were some teams that were talking about signing me. But I didn't want to get too comfortable. I just wanted to keep playing well."
Brown was among the leading scorers in Boston, averaging 15.2 points a game - Cavaliers star LeBron James averaged 15.8 points a game - and San Antonio went 6-0.
Then Brown got word that the team he'd grown up rooting for wanted him sign him.
"None of that has hit me yet," Brown said. "When you come from the (United States Basketball League) and the NBDL you just hope that you can make one of 29 rosters.
"Last year I was there and I was one of those guys who didn't know how long he was going to be there. Now things are a little different."
One of the first people Brown called after he signed was Fayetteville coach Jeff Capel, who made Brown the second pick in the NBDL draft last season.
"It makes me feel so good especially when you know guys are getting there because of their hard work," Capel said.
Brown is in Utah this week playing on the Spurs' team at the the Rocky Mountain Revue. After that it will be onto training camp with his new team. But unlike last season, Brown won't have to worry about getting cut.
He might have to worry about bringing the doughnuts to practice, however.
At San Antonio's training camp, rookies are responsible for bringing doughnuts for the veterans. Last year, Brown forgot to bring doughnuts to practice and paid the price. Duncan, the league MVP, lofted basketballs into the stands at the SBC Center and made Brown retrieve them.
This year, Brown might technically be a second-year player , but he's not taking any chances.
"If they want me to get the doughnuts, I will go get doughnuts," Brown said.
Patriots notes
Former Patriots point guard Omar Cook was to play for the Indiana Pacers' entry in the Rocky Mountain Revue. But the Pacers decided to merge its team with the Philadelphia 76ers entry.
Philadelphia, wanting to get a good look at guards John Salmons, the MVP of the Reebok Pro Summer League, and second-round draft choice Willie Green, will have its guards play on the combined team. The Pacers will have its frontcourt players play on the team.
That left Cook without a summer league team.
Capel said that his son, Patriots forward Jason Capel, will probably play in Europe next season.
Staff writer Khary K. McGhee can be reached at [email protected] or 486-3591.