Hassan Whiteside: A throwback and a success story

Jan 3, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside (21) dunks the ball during the fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

Watching Hassan Whiteside at his best evokes memories of great big men from decades ago.

I’m nowhere near the NBA fan I used to be. Family, work and life in general simply don’t allow me to tune into much more than one game a week during the regular season. College football and basketball end up consuming most of my free time. I do, however, do my best to keep one eye on whats going on in the NBA. I’ve got a pretty good grasp on who the best teams and players are, and that gets me through the season into the playoffs.

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On a recent business trip, I found myself pretty much married to the NBA during the week. I’m not into dragons or zombies, so my television options are relatively limited this time of the year.

On one lonely night in my hotel room, I was flipping through the channels and found a Lakers-Heat game. I really only stopped to get a look at how bad the Lakers were, as I hadn’t seen much of them this season.

Instead, I was mesmerized by a monster.

Heat center Hassan Whiteside was putting on an all out “big man” clinic. If a ball bounced off the rim, it was his and nobody else had anything to say about it. On offense, I saw a big man play like a big man — and it was refreshing.

Full disclosure — I was never a Michael Jordan fan growing up. I wouldn’t call myself a hater, I just didn’t “get it.” I saw a guy who was revolutionizing a game, yet at the same time ruining a generation of players who all thought they needed to play like him to be successful. I thought he was a ball hog and his style of play resonated all the way down to the asphalt courts of my New York town.

I can remember many instances when the tallest kid on the court would always gravitate to the top of the key and try to show off his “handles.” I wanted no part of it and would immediately tell the guy to get under the basket so I could feed it to him and we could win.

Needless to say, it caused quite a few arguments. Again, I blame Michael Jordan.

Seeing Whiteside — a big man — out there playing like a big man made me happy. I’ve always appreciated the technique and artistry that happens in some of the most thankless positions in sports. I’ve always had a soft spot for big men who mastered the skills it took to be an effective true center. I know I’m in the minority in that respect, as evident in the pop-culture view of Tim Duncan as a “boring player.”

Last I checked, winning championships and dominating your position wasn’t boring, but I’m just some guy in my mid-30s — what do I know?

After watching Whiteside destroy the Lakers that night, I immediately wanted to know more about him, so I plugged his named into Google. It was then I found out I was a little late to the party. Basketball die-hards were giving him love, but in my mind, for the wrong reasons. I saw more than one comment beneath articles comparing him to Shaquille O’Neal.

Mar 4, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside (21) blocks the shot from Los Angeles Lakers center Robert Sacre (50) during the second half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

Shaq was great, but I never thought of him as a technician. He was all size and power.

Watching Whiteside, I see the potential for him to be more like Hakeem Olajuwon or Patrick Ewing — true masters of their craft. I see a guy who — with a little polish — could dominate the league, basically because his style of play is so rare nowadays. So many players are used to guarding off the dribble and on the wing. I’m not sure there are a whole lot of guys playing NBA ball who truly know how to defend a dominant big man who plays like a big man.

Something else I liked about Whiteside was the road he took to get where he is.

For whatever reason — and I can’t seem to find one — the guy decided to play his college ball at Marshall despite offers from the likes of Kentucky and St. John’s. It made me think of something my high school football coach once said: “If you are good enough, they’ll find you.”

Whiteside must have known he was good enough.

I was impressed when I read over how after he was drafted by the Kings, he bounced around the D-League and made a few stops overseas. Since being drafted in 2010, Whiteside has worn nine different jerseys. That takes confidence in one’s self to not give up.

That takes resiliency.

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows with Hassan Whiteside. I can read stats. I can see the inconsistencies, night in and night out. There are holes in his game, but with his natural skills and an obvious desire to succeed, I can’t help but to think he can be one of the great ones.

It is my sincere hope that someone — anyone — who sees the same things takes the time to mentor him, both on and off the court. Too often, we see guys like Whiteside whose potential goes unrealized. We’ve seen how those stories end.

I don’t want to see another end the same way.

For now, I’ll be watching the Hassan Whiteside story very closely. He has renewed my interest in the NBA and I honestly can’t wait to see what he does next.

And the second I finished typing that, he got ejected for a cheap shot. Maybe he has some Bill Laimbeer in him as well.

Whatever happens, I just hope he stays under the basket.

Next: Chris Bosh to return to basketball activities in September

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