While watching Duke outlast Butler last night in one of the classic NCAA Championships, I was delighted for Blue Devils guard Nolan Smith, whose late father, Derek, played for the the Kings (1986-89) - albeit, after a devastating knee injury had basically destroyed his career. Kings fans never saw the best of Derek. Or knew the real Derek.
I was covering the (San Diego) Clippers in 1983 when then-coach Jimmy Lynam offered a tryout to a muscular, explosive 6-foot-6 forward who had been drafted out of Louisville a year earlier and then cut by the Golden State Warriors. I sat in the gym at the University of San Diego with Clips personnel director Pete Babcock while Lynam ran Smth through a bunch of drills. Lynam was so impressed that he convinced the club to sign Smith - a great move, as it turned out. Though Derek struggled during preseason, he soon emerged as a consistent, often spectacular scorer. He was that rare combination of wing player who could hit the mid-range jump shot and attack the rim with a variety of agile, athletic moves. Yet while his role became increasingly prominent - he was a future All-Star, no doubt about it - he remained in awe of his good fortune and immensely grateful to Lynam for giving him the opportunity. Derek and his wife, Monica, often would meet the writers and coaches at our favorite post-game restaurant hangout in Pacific Beach, and dominate a room. A native of tiny Hogansville, Ga., he was smart, funny, humble, intense and emotional. Great, great guy.
The night he tumbled out of bounds - and right into the lap of owner Donald Sterling - he seemed to sense his career was doomed. Though he underwent surgery to remove about 60 percent of the lateral cartilage in his left knee, he was never the same. The Clips bilked the Kings into acquiring him for the popular Mike Woodson and Larry Drew, and sadly, Derek was burdened by failed expectations throughout his three years in Sac. Every time we bumped into each other subsequently on the NBA circuit, he expressed concern about his career and future.
Lynam never forgot him, though. He acquired Smith when he joined the Philadelphia 76ers, and in 1994, when he was head coach of the Washington Wizards (then Bullets), hired his former star as an assistant. The plan was to groom Smith as his eventual successor. Then, of course, in a weird, tragic twist, Chris Webber pulled out of an organization-sponsored cruise at the last minute in 1996, Smith agreed to take his place, and died of cardiac arrest after applying an anti-motion sickness device behind his ear. Monica, Nolan and daughter, Sydney, were all nearby. He was 34.
Watching Nolan earlier tonight, with his wide, prominent features, so similar to those of his late father, I couldn't help but smile.
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