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I imagine Larry Sanders’ first day of class this fall will go something like this: It’s a full classroom today in junior English. Surely the coming weeks will yield Chaucer, Longfellow and Hemingway, but today is the dreaded essay, ‘How I Spent My Summer Vacation.’ One-by-one, students recite a steady drivel of family getaways to Virginia Beach, a trip to crazy Uncle Ralph’s barbecue, so-and-so’s killer pool party, etc. The snooze-o-meter reaches DEFCON 4. Sanders strolls to the front of the class, paper clenched in his gigantic right mitt, and the professor asks simply, ‘So Larry, how did you spend your summer vacation?’ Matter-of-factly, Sanders says that he hung with Amar’e Stoudemire in Phoenix, defended LeBron James in Akron and balled with Ben Wallace in Richmond. Oh, did he mention he has his own billboard? Yeah, there’s that too. The classroom falls silent until one student breaks the calm with “the slow clap.” The other students follow suit. A LAR-RY SAN-DERS chant breaks out before the crowd rushes to hoist the 6-10 Sanders on their shoulders and carry him out to the Student Commons, cheering all the way. Kenny Loggins plays as the credits roll. I’ll concede that it might not actually play out like this, although I’m optimistic. What is for sure, however, is that Larry Sanders is having the type of basketball summer enjoyed by a scant few ballers. Sanders was invited to Nike’s Summer Camp for post players in Phoenix June 28-July 1, for which Stoudemire served as host. For four days, Sanders endured intense drills with the likes of Kansas’ Cole Aldrich, Virginia Tech’s Jeff Allen and Georgetown’s Greg Monroe. Sanders’ performance caught the attention of Nike, who extended the VCU junior an opportunity to attend LeBron James’ Skills Academy in Akron, Ohio a few days later. James’ camp included not only drill work and coaching, but a chance to run with LeBron himself. Sanders’ team included Maryland’s Greivis Vasquez, Oklahoma’s Willie Warren and former North Carolina standout Danny Green.
“[James] was probably only going 30 or 40 percent, but what he was doing was really passing the ball,” Sanders said. “He’d pass the ball so fast that you’d probably jam your finger if you tried to steal the ball.” Still, Sanders said he did get to switch off on a screen and defend James on a game-winning shot attempt, a shot the NBA’s Most Valuable Player missed. “It was great, like a dream come true,” said Sanders of meeting James. “He’s one of my favorite players in the world.” Sanders went on to impress at the camp, especially on the defensive end, where his Boeing 747 wingspan is most effective. Recently, NBADraft.net and DraftExpress.com predicted Sanders as a first round draft pick next year, should he choose to make himself available. Jay Bilas of ESPN called Sanders one of the most impressive players at the camp. Larry Sanders, VCU: Just a rising junior, Sanders is a great kid who is getting better and better. He plays hard, wants to learn and has a lot of ability. Sanders affects the game -- he blocks shots, grabs rebounds and finishes plays. He can hit a face-up jumper and is working to improve that skill. He is a keeper. Given that Sanders has been playing organized basketball for all of five years, his rapid rise to stardom ranks right up there with the Jonas Brothers, Megan Fox and the McRib. Sanders was one of a handful of players from non-“BCS” schools at the camp, but that didn’t stop him from asserting himself. “Eric [Maynor] tells me all the time that, ‘you can play ball,’” Sanders said. “Eric performed the way he did in all those big games because he didn’t worry about what it said on the jersey, he knew he could play with those guys.” However, Sanders, who has also committed to playing in Ben Wallace’s summer league at John Marshall High School, says he isn’t going to let all the new attention go to his head. “I think the fact that I haven’t worried about it to this point is the reason all this attention has come,” Sanders said. “I try to be the best player for my team. To take my mindset off of that would be stupid. If I focus on what got me here and do what’s best for my team, the rest will follow.” In the meantime, Sanders, who averaged 11.3 points and 8.6 rebounds last season, will continue to hone his offensive game and passing, as well as hit the weight room. Earlier this summer, Sanders was weighed at 217 lbs, but says he would like to be 230 by the beginning of the season. Questions or comments? Contact Chris Kowalczyk at aroundthehorns@yahoo.com |
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HOW LARRY SANDERS SPENT HIS SUMMER VACATION
Sanders said his team went undefeated the first day, including a couple of wins over King James’ squad, although the intensity level might not have been on par with the NBA Eastern Conference Finals.All rights reserved.
