Steve Blake has a special place in my heart. He was the point guard at my school, the University of Maryland, when they won the 2002 National Championship. It was expected that he would make much of an impact in the NBA, but low expectations is nothing new for Blake. Neither is exceeding them.
Blake recently signed a 3-year, $12 million contract with the Portland Trail Blazers. From the Baltimore Sun:
This is the story of how Blake did it - how he overcame initial jitters ("I was so nervous my legs got weak"), how his family helped him keep faith despite playing for four teams the past three seasons (this will be his second stint with the Blazers), and how he waited for the right situation with a team that appreciates him.
Blake created his NBA niche largely on character. The Blazers, trying to reconnect with fans after a spate of player misconduct in recent years, said they wanted Blake because he's grounded. Although Blake's career scoring average is only 6.4 points, the team's front office saw him as a prototype for the unselfish, blue-collar culture it is trying to create. He's proof that today's NBA teams - out of necessity - evaluate players on more than just statistics.
Click here to read how Blake, with the strong support of his family, has made it this far.
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