<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">If next season is Kevin Ollie's last in the NBA, he will walk away extremely proud of his legacy. Ollie, 34, won't be known as a big-time scorer or a high-assist man, but the former UConn guard and current Philadelphia 76er, in his 10th NBA season, will be remembered off the court for his positive outlook. If he didn't have it, he probably would have never made it to the league and lasted as long as he has. Ollie's limitations as a player never stopped him from being one of the league's better defenders, leaders and hardest workers. "He is an amazing ... I can't say enough about Kevin," Sixers coach Mo Cheeks said. "He steps out on the floor and gives what he has. There's a reason why he's been around as long as he has and fortunately for him, his hard work has paid off and that's the kind of work he puts in night in and night out. I don't care if you ask him to guard a Ray Allen or a Michael Redd, he goes out and performs." Ollie is averaging 41. points and 2.5 assists in 529 regular season games with 10 NBA teams, including his third tour in Philly. "His work ethic is going to be his legacy," said Andre Miller, the Sixers replacement for Ollie's good friend, Allen Iverson, who was traded to Denver last month. "Those are the type of guys, type of players you need in this league, not just the stars that keep it going but also the hard-working guys. There are lot of those guys that don't get the recognition they deserve but that's one of the reasons why this league is the way it is because of guys like Kevin who have been around just getting it done where you need it. He gets a lot of respect for who he is and what he does." If Ollie, in the fourth of a five-year, $15 million deal (the biggest of his career that originated when Cleveland signed him as a free agent then sent him to the Sixers in 2004), doesn't get another contract offer after the season, it might be all the incentive he needs to walk away from a career that's been rewarding and fulfilling. And that's OK because he's been thinking about the end anyway. "It's just a point where you want to do something else and I'll cross that bridge when it comes but it's definitely in the back of my mind," Ollie said before Sixers-Knicks game at Madison Square Garden Wednesday night. "It's something that I weigh in my mind a lot, just being away from my family a lot throughout my career. ... it's tough." Ollie said after next season, the conversation will become a little more extensive with his wife of eight years, Stephanie, their son Jalen, 10, and daughter Cheyanne, 5. For now, he's just trying to do what he's been known to do: Turn negatives into positives. The Sixers have been through a tumultuous season, from the Iverson trade, to the buyout of Chris Webber's contract. It further depletes a team that began Wednesday with league's second-worst record (9-25). "It's been tough, but just losing has been tough," Ollie said. "This is all just adding on top of it, but we're professionals and we get paid to play. We can't get caught up in what the organization is doing in the front office. .. I try to stay positive through all the negative stuff and stay positive for the team." It was tough for him when A.I. got traded. "He's just a close friend of mine, a guy I came into the league with [in 1997] and played with earlier and went to the Finals with [in 2001]. To see him go and play in a different jersey was kind of a shock." Then, C-Webb. "I just wish him the best of luck if everything does go through," Ollie said. "I know there are a lot of teams that want his services and you know the organization thinks it's better for us to move on." The silver lining for Ollie has been the return of Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown as the Sixers executive vice president. "If it wasn't for him I wouldn't be in the league, having the opportunity I've had, to be in this league 10 years because he gave me my chance, my shot, in Philadelphia [in 1999-00 and 2000-01]," Ollie said of Brown. "That's where I got most of playing time early in my career and was able to play in the Finals, able to play in the playoffs. He really believed in me. He just put me under his wing and really showed me the way to be a true point guard and be successful, not only in basketball but in life also." </div> Link Ollie has been having a terrific year thus far. The guy is a veteran player, and he just comes out and plays hard everyday. It sucks that he has to be playing for a team that's going nowhere. He'd be a great fit for a team trying to win the Championship
When the most notable bright spot of your season is a 30+ year old reserve point guard, with a bloated contract, you know your having a bad season.
<div class="quote_poster">Blur Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">When the most notable bright spot of your season is a 30+ year old reserve point guard, with a bloated contract, you know your having a bad season.</div> Pretty much.
