Michael Dickerson attemps comeback with Cavs

There’s a Chinese proverb that says the journey is the reward. And for Michael Dickerson, his long, unlikely journey has taken him through the highs and lows of the basketball world and on a spiritual journey halfway around the world – all before dropping him off in Independence, Ohio.

In most NBA Training Camps, there is annually one invitee who is the answer to this question: “What ever happened to him?”

Here’s what happened to Michael Dickerson.

After reaching the Final Four twice and coming up empty both times, Lute Olson’s Arizona Wildcats finally won the National Championship in 1998, due in large part to Michael Dickerson’s clutch play at small forward. He finished his four-year career in Tucson with a 13.8 ppg average.

The 6-5, 210-pounder netted 18.0 ppg as a senior, was named All-American Honorable Mention, and selected with the No. 14 overall pick by the Rockets that June.

In his first year in Houston, the Seattle native was named to the All-Rookie Second Team after leading all rookies in three-point percentage (.433, 5th in the NBA), ranking 3rd in three-pointer made (71, 20th) and field-goal percentage (.465).

Dickerson was dealt to Vancouver in the Steve Francis trade, but the durable guard continued to improve. After playing all 50 games in the strike-shortened season as a rookie, he appeared in all 82 games the next year, again putting up stellar numbers. He averaged 18.2 ppg in 1999-2000, 16.9 ppg in 2000-01.

That’s when Michael Dickerson’s journey took a sudden turn for the worse. The Grizzlies moved from British Columbia the following season and Dickerson suffered a severe sports hernia just five games into their inaugural season in Memphis. He was limited to just 10 games over the next two years.

Unable to heal over the next two-and-a-half years, Dickerson retired before the 2003 season. He finished his abbreviated career with averages of 15.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game in just 212 games. Then-Grizzlies coach, Hubie Brown, called Dickerson “a pro’s pro,” adding, “He was mentally and physically tough everyday. Michael had to overcome operations, incredible pain and rehabilitation work on a daily basis.”



SOURCE: http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/features/d ... 81001.html


He's the Ricky Williams of basketball!. I can see Bryant Reeves in the Clippers Camp... just wait...

He's the Ricky Williams of basketball!.

How so? I never recalled Dickerson being a pothead...

I can see Bryant Reeves in the Clippers Camp... just wait.

Fuck Bryant Reeves. That fat fuck robbed the Grizzlies. Not cool

Dickerson on the other hand, bless him, he was a very entertaining player to watch on a rather crap-ass Grizzlies squad.

Wow, it's been so damn long since hearing this guy's name. He was pretty fun to watch back when playing with the Grizzlies. Hopefully his camp with the Cavs go well.

If there's any player whose career ended far too early who I'd like to see back in the NBA, apart from Jay Williams, then it's Michael Dickerson. Best of luck to him.

It's good to be a cavs fan when you have a guy like him potentially comming back.

He's the Ricky Williams of basketball!.

That may be the worst comparison in the history of comparisons.

Very proud of it


If you read the notice it says that he went to India to recover his mental and phisical health... Ricky Williams studied ayurveda, and holistic kind of Indian medicine... I did the comparision from that way.

Both had a troubled career (Dickerson with injury, Williams with drugs) and both searched for help in alternative ways

ricky williams is a guys who loves getting stoned more then football. that's what he's known for so plz don't compare him to dickerson. i know you think you have your reasons but they're not sufficient

dickerson didn't choose to get injured and spend time away from the league, ricky did.

dickerson at 100% was fun to watch. but now that he's been gone so long with almost career ending injury, i don't think he'll be playing much if not at all even if he comes back.

those vancouver grizzlies were one heck of a team to watch back then. it was like a free win for the opponent during entire stay in vancouver. big country, lee mayberry, greg antho, otis thorpe, roy rogers, pete chilcutt, george lynch... i don't get why they couldn't pwn with such great rosters.

i don't get why they couldn't pwn with such great rosters.

What?

Surprising to see his name re-emerge, but best of luck to him.

i don't get why they couldn't pwn with such great rosters.

What?

Indeed. If anything zanshadow should be compared to Ricky Williams on the weed aspect.

Given zanshadow's comment immediately preceding that, I'm guessing he was being sarcastic by calling them great rosters.

Given zanshadow's comment immediately preceding that, I'm guessing he was being sarcastic by calling them great rosters.

I could hardly tell.

Yeah, isn't first time I've had trouble understanding zanshadow, although I clearly do now.

Still. I blame BZ.

Yeah, isn't first time I've had trouble understanding zanshadow, although I clearly do now.

Still. I blame BZ.

And in turn, I blame Andrew for clarifying zanshadow's post. Andrew should contribute overtime by translating zanshadow's posts.

"I blame the Internet. And the return of swing music."

Getting back to Michael Dickerson, I have a vivid recollection of a moment I'm sure he'd rather forget: a rather emphatic dunk on a breakaway that looked great at first but he seemed to lose his grip on the rim and fell hard on his side in what looked like a pretty painful spill.

I'm sure the Grizzlies would like to forget the moment they gave him that stupid contract for an average shooting guard.

I'm sure the Grizzlies would like to forget the moment they gave him that stupid contract for an average shooting guard.

The Grizzlies had a lot of moments of stupidity they'd like to forget. Like having Stu Jackson as GM, who drafted Francis when Francis even stated before hand he didn't want to play for a Canadian team.

Or when they traded that 1st round pick for Otis Thorpe, which turned out to be Darko Milicic. ( Okay, I guess it's not that bad then)

And didn't the Grizzlies sign Bryant Reeves to a fat contract that paid him more than Duncan at that time? That was another blunder. Actually, even as a former Vancouver Grizzlies fan, the whole Vancouver era was a forgettable moment.

On a Dickerson related sidenote, anyone have any highlight clips of Dickerson? I can't find any on Youtube... I need the highlights because I want to create Dickerson in 2k9 for my Houston Rockets

Or when they traded that 1st round pick for Otis Thorpe, which turned out to be Darko Milicic. ( Okay, I guess it's not that bad then)

Well, it needn't have been Darko had the Grizzlies kept the pick, it could've been Melo, Bosh or Wade. Still, they traded a pick five years down the road in what turned out to be a particularly strong draft; that's just bad luck.

The comeback is over...


http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/dicke ... 81008.html

Well, that's not to say he's unable to make a comeback but whatever personal issues he's dealing with are obviously more important to him at this time.