Sometimes, a basketball player’s fortunes are not entirely under their own control.
For David Andersen , the long, hard road to becoming a Houston Rocket ended with an ephemeral meeting of opportunity and timing at an unexpected juncture.
A seven-foot, 29-year-old NBA rookie this year, Andersen was drafted in the second round by the Atlanta Hawks way back in 2002.
Before being acquired by the Rockets in 2009, his NBA rights were essentially held hostage by the Atlanta Hawks for seven years. For several years, Andersen was indisputably regarded as one of the best big men in Europe and dreamed of playing in the NBA.
The Hawks never gave him that chance in Atlanta and, despite offers from several NBA teams, refused to trade his rights for fear of being embarrassed if he excelled elsewhere.
“I just wish they would give me a straight answer either way," Andersen told Jonathan Givony of Draftexpress.com before the Hawks eventually released him to the Rockets.
“Eve ...
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Article written by Brodie Stephens