<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Samuel Dalembert undoubtedly was the tallest soccer player in his neighborhood in Haiti as a young teenager. Then he saw a film clip from an old NBA game that turned him on to basketball. "When I saw Dr. J dunk for the first time, I got excited," Dalembert said, referring to Julius Erving, the former 76ers great. "I started falling in love with basketball. That's when I started to try to play. But I wasn't good at it. The guys wouldn't pick me because I didn't know how to play." Basketball wasn't played a lot in Haiti when Dalembert was growing up. A basket support and rim were too expensive. Youngsters in his area of Port-au-Prince would take a wire coat hanger, bend it into a crooked circle, and attach it to a board. Soccer was a lot cheaper. However, Dalembert, who first picked up a basketball at age 13, determined that his new sport would be his ticket to a college scholarship in the United States. He set out to learn all he could about the game. As Dalembert grew to his current height of 6-foot-11, his basketball skills gradually developed on a road that took him from Haiti to Montreal to St. Patrick's High School in Elizabeth, N.J., to Seton Hall and, eventually, to the Sixers.</div> Joe Juliano Philadelphia Inquirer Full Article That's quite a story, I didn't even know he was from Haiti. Soccer though is the most dominant sport in the world, however I'm glad that he found his way to basketball instead of soccer. I guess he is just another example of starting late and finishing strong, as is Amare Stoudamire of the Suns. The little group thing he is running is quite nice as well, I love to see celebrities and athletes helping other people, from passing out burritos at Taco Bell (AI) to teaching youngsters about the game. Seems as if the whole Sixer squad is involved with some kind of charitable project.
Definantly was meant for the sport of basketball. Dr. J influenced a lot of the present stars in the NBA. I was aware of him being from Haiti, but never pictured it to be a poor environment. Unique way of making a rim but must have helped him learn to play the game. Great article Sasha, really inspiring story.
