The Celtics' Best From Beyond the Border

This week, Maine Red Claws head coach Austin Ainge will be taking part in his second Basketball Without Borders event when he heads down to Mexico City from Aug. 6-9. Ainge will be assisting with the NBA Cares mentoring program, but will the young skipper stumble upon the next Eduardo Najera?

Basketball Without Borders, consisting of the top youth players 19 and under from Asia, Latin America and Africa, as selected by the NBA, FIBA and participating federations, will train under NBA players and coaches and compete against their peers. The sessions will be held in Beijing and Johannesburg, South Africa, along with Mexico City.

"Basketball without Borders helps us to grow the game of basketball and bring attention to important social issues that affect communities around the world," Kathleen Behrens, the NBA's executive vice president of social responsibility and player programs told NBA.com. "We know that by teaching the values of the game -- teamwork, sportsmanship, hard work and healthy living -- our current and former players and coaches can also make a lasting impact on communities in need."

Ainge, the son of Celtics president Danny Ainge, was named the first head coach in the history of the Red Claws, who are one of the newest clubs to join the NBA Development League. With Ainge heading south of the border, one has to wonder how foreign-born players have fared wearing the storied green uniform.

Here is an attempt to list the top five foreign-born players in Celtics history:

5. Wally Szczerbiak: Despite playing in just 64 games for the Celtics, Wally edges out both Jiri Welsch and Michael Olowokandi for the fifth slot. Szczerbiak averaged 17.5 points and 3.2 assists per game in 32 games in the 2005-06 season and 15 points per game in 32 contests the next year. Szczerbiak was born in Madrid before moving to Long Island, N.Y., as a child.

4. Vitaly Potapenko: "The Ukraine Train" was shipped to Boston from Cleveland for Andrew DeClerq and a first-round pick in 1999. V averaged 9.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in his first full year with the C's in the 1999-2000 season -- his only campaign as a full-time starter.

3. Dominique Wilkins: Nique, also known as "The Human Highlight Film," is the most decorated foreign-born Celtics player, but he only lasted one year in the Hub. The Paris native played in 77 games for the C's in the 1994-95 season, averaging 17.8 points, 5.2 boards and 2.2 assists en route to an All-Star nod. Wilkins played in nine career All-Star games and finished in the top 10 in scoring nine times, finishing first in 1986 with 30.3 PPG.

2. Rick Fox: The Celtics' first-round pick out of North Carolina (by way of Canada) in the 1991 draft lasted six seasons with Boston. Arguably the best year of his C's career was his last one, when he averaged a career-high 15.4 points to go with 5.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game in the 1996-97 season. Fox averaged 10.7 points in 444 career games for the C's from 1991-1997.

1. Dino Radja: The 40th overall pick in the 1989 NBA draft turned out to be a steal for the C's, who opted for the 6-foot-11, 26-year-old Croatian forward. Radja played just four seasons for the Celtics, but they were ever-lasting for C's fans, who watched Radja, along with Dee Brown, attempt to carry a team that won just 115 of 328 games (.351 winning percentage). Radja earned second-team All-NBA Rookie honors in the 1993-94 season by putting up 15.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. That year happened to break the franchise's 14-year playoff streak as the C's went just 32-50, their lowest win total since 1978-79. Radja would play 224 career games for the Celtics and average 16.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game while shooting .497 from the floor in 3,052 career attempts. 

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The NBA's biggest problem? Way too many overpaid players

Last week's big-man trade of Tyson Chandler for Emeka Okafor might have seemed random when it came to the players involved.

But the deal was built around salaries.

Chandler has two more years and $24.6 million left on the contract he originally signed with the Bulls in 2005.

Okafor has five years and $62.7 million remaining, which means Charlotte shaved nearly $40 million in future salary commitments by making the deal with New Orleans.

The Hornets, meanwhile, trimmed a few million off next year's luxury-tax bill, since Okafor will make less this season. So each side saved money in some way.

Like so many industries, economics are troubling the NBA, and many observers expect another lockout in 2011 when the current collective-bargaining agreement expires.

I'd say the biggest issues the league needs to solve are keeping the games affordable and evening the playing field for small-market teams.

But the fundamental problem in the NBA right now is simply too many players who are wildly overpaid and locked into guaranteed contracts.

That's why teams make so many personnel decisions based on money.

With that in mind, let's rank the worst NBA contracts currently on the books:

1. Gilbert Arenas, Wizards (5 years, $96.3 million): Washington forgot the Grant Hill Rule - never foist a massive contract on someone who can't walk. Arenas has played in 15 games the past two seasons.

2. Elton Brand, Sixers (4 years, $66 million): This seemed like a good idea at the time, but Brand has played in just 37 games the past two years because of injuries.

3. Eddy Curry, Knicks (2 years, $21.7 million): Thanks to this contract, the former Bulls center may prevent New York's dream of chasing two major free agents in 2010.

4. Marko Jaric, Grizzlies (2 years, $14.7 million): This guy averaged 2.6 points last season. And that was before he married supermodel Adriana Lima.

5. Tracy McGrady, Rockets (1 year, $23.3 million): He will be the league's highest-paid player this season. I still laugh at how ex-Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy congratulated McGrady on TV last spring for winning his first career playoff series. Of course, T-Mac was hurt and didn't play a second.

6. Andrei Kirilenko, Jazz (2 years, $33 million): Utah might not be so eager to unload Carlos Boozer if it hadn't rushed to give Kirilenko a ridiculous deal in 2004.

7. Peja Stojakovic, Hornets (2 years, $29.5 million): This is a classic NBA mistake, bidding wildly for a free agent when there is no serious competition. Ben Gordon and the Pistons might be Exhibit B.

8. DeSagana Diop, Bobcats (4 years, $26.8 million): Dallas has a history of overpaying for mediocre big men, but the Mavs managed to unload this deal. Diop averaged 2.3 points and 3.6 rebounds last season.

9. (tie) Mike Dunleavy (2 years, $20.2 million) and Troy Murphy (2 years, $23 million), Pacers: As they finish up huge contracts, this pair has combined to play 1,048 games without ever making the playoffs.

10. Beno Udrih, Kings (4 years, $27.8 million): Might have been the league's worst starting player last season.

11. Bobby Simmons, Nets (1 year, $10.6 million): Hopefully, the former DePaul star will spend some of this money in his hometown.

12. Corey Maggette, Warriors (4 years, $39.7 million): Golden State felt it had to do something last year after losing Baron Davis unexpectedly. Signing another shoot-first perimeter player wasn't it.

13. Michael Redd, Bucks (2 years, $35.3 million): Milwaukee realized too late this is too much for a one-dimensional player.

14. Jerome James, Bulls (1 year, $6.6 million): Signing the massive center to a five-year deal in 2005 wasn't even Isiah Thomas' worst move as Knicks GM.

15. Brian Cardinal, T-Wolves (1 year, $6.8 million): A source swears the league distributed a memo last year warning teams that signing players to a full-term midlevel exception usually turns out bad. It was titled The Cardinal Rule, I'm pretty sure.

Honorable mention: Dan Gadzuric, Bucks (2 years, $14 million); Jermaine O'Neal, Heat (1 year $22.9 million), Etan Thomas, Thunder (1 year, $7.4 million), Sam Dalembert, Sixers (2 years, $23.6 million), Jason Maxiell, Pistons (4 years, $20 million).

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Thunder Insider: Etan Thomas could fill sore spot

Etan Thomas, acquired in a trade with Minnesota, isn’t a savior. The 31-year-old power forward hasn’t even been a starter much of his NBA career.

Oklahoma City acquired Etan Thomas, left, in a trade with the Timberwolves. Thomas could help the Thunder with its biggest deficieny — interior defense.

But if he can stay healthy, Thomas could help address the Thunder’s biggest deficiency — interior play.

One stat from last season underscores the Thunder’s small margin for error in the paint.

Oklahoma City was 19-27 when it out-rebounded opponents, 4-32 when it lost the battle on the boards.

That startling stat is representative of a bigger issue more than to suggest rebounding is the end-all, be-all for the Thunder.

Oklahoma City lacks an inside presence, which is Thomas’ strengths. During his seven-year career he’s been assigned the dirty in-the-paint jobs.

Thomas is a chiseled body accustomed to drawing the assignment of guarding the league’s elite big men, something the Thunder sorely lacks.

The all-time shot block leader in Syracuse history, Thomas averaged 3.6 blocks during his four seasons under coach Jim Boheim. He’s averaged 1.0 blocks in 373 NBA games.

Thomas has averaged around 5.0 rebounds in 373 NBA games. While that doesn’t sound like a difference maker, it’s more noteworthy considering he has averaged only 18 minutes.

If Thomas provides 15 to 20 minutes of much needed inside muscle, it could be invaluable on a team full of scorers and young players who excel in transition.

Thomas’ influence might be invaluable in the locker room. He’s played in 20 playoff games, experiences he can pass along to the organization’s foundation pieces — Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook and James Harden.

On a roster full of 25-and-under players, Thomas also can impart off-the-court wisdom.

Thomas wrote a poetry book that addresses hot-button political issues such as war, racism and the death penalty. He’s been lauded for his work in juvenile prisons and inner city schools in the Washington, D.C., area.

But for Thomas to make any contribution, he must first remain healthy. He missed the entire 2007-08 season after undergoing surgery for a heart ailment.

After Mayo clinic doctors repaired a leak in his aortic valve, Thomas returned at full strength last season only to miss the final three months after he suffered a torn knee ligament.

Even though he now lives in the nation’s capital, Thomas is returning "home,” having led Tulsa Washington to two state titles in the 1990s.

Interior play is the one area general manager Sam Presti must address for the Thunder to become a viable threat in the Western Conference in the next two or three seasons. In the meantime, Thomas could provide some help, even if it’s a role off the bench.

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Scoring in the big leagues

A diesel van carrying half the Simon Fraser University men's basketball team is barrelling down the desolate highways of the Pacific Northwest.

Head coach Jay Triano is at the wheel, leading a boredom-evading discussion about the particular skills of NBA players, only this isn't a car game. It's the early 1990s, and the coach is working for video-game developer Electronic Arts Canada, filling an increasingly seminal role for the company's NBA Live franchise.

Somewhere between Lewiston, Idaho and Ellensburg, Wash., above the roar of the engine, Mr. Triano and his crew will determine a major element of the gaming experience.

“We'd sit there and I'd say ‘How do you rate this guy as a shooter?'“ said Mr. Triano, now of the Toronto Raptors, and the first Canadian to become an NBA head coach. “We'd take the average score and give it to the particular player. At the time, that was the best information they [EA] were getting. They were all computer guys building this game, but they didn't have a basketball guy. It's neat the way it has transformed.”

By transformed, Mr. Triano is referring to EA's ascendance into the professional sports club, its behind-the-curtain access, and its Nike-esque cachet among athletes. The long-time industry leader has evolved from making games about sports, to making games with sports.

From inexact beginnings in Mr. Triano's van, EA Canada is now a place that doesn't flinch at the sight of tennis luminary Venus Williams, or basketball's Dwight Howard, one of the NBA's emerging superstars, who visited its suburban Vancouver campus last month. Other visitors over the years include golfer Tiger Woods, soccer stars Thierry Henry and Paul Scholes, boxing champions Sugar Ray Leonard and Lennox Lewis, and Dion Phaneuf and Jeremy Roenick of the National Hockey League. Vancouver Canucks players, who are far more accessible, have also helped the NHL game.

It's a good thing they all do visit, especially since the video game industry could use their help.

The recession has taken its toll across the U.S., with sales of consoles and games suffering their worst year-over-year decline in nine years, according to a report by market researcher NPD Group. Hardware, software and accessories sales fell by 31 per cent in June, to $1.17-billion (U.S.).

Electronic Arts Inc., (ERTS-Q19.50-0.07-0.36%) headquartered in Redwood City, Calif., late last year announced that it was slashing 10 per cent of its work force, about 1,000 people, including cuts at the Burnaby office, home to 1,600 employees. EA Canada moved its Black Box studio from downtown Vancouver to Burnaby to save costs. It also had another 20,000-square-foot downtown space, which was intended to be a third B.C. studio, but leased it to a third party.

EA Sports, the sports-games brand that made the firm famous in the 1990s, has accounted for about one-third of company revenues in recent years (revenues last year were $4.2-billion), and the NBA Live franchise annually sells more than 1 million units worldwide.

In 1991, the company bought out Distinctive Software Inc., the B.C. firm founded by Don Mattrick in 1982, and the Canadian arm began publishing many of the EA Sports titles, including basketball, hockey, boxing, soccer and tennis. EA Sports partners with sports leagues, governing bodies, unions, scouting services and broadcasters, but the relationship to athletics transformed its business.

It happened in the name of realism, which gamers began expecting, and which the company itself promised with its trademark phrase: “It's in the game.” And it happened because the technology, namely a realism-culling process called “motion capture,” and the advancement of the consoles, placed athleticism at the forefront of sports-game creation.

Rather than the passengers in Mr. Triano's van deciding on the individual merits of players from afar, EA went to the source, and began digitally replicating the athletes on which its sports games are built.

“We realized the level of fidelity we could get to in terms of how our characters looked, the way they moved, and the way they behaved,” said Brent Nielsen, an executive producer who started as an EA game tester in 1995. Dwight Howard, EA's cover athlete for NBA Live 10 , is a prime example of motion-capture possibilities.

The Orlando Magic centre stands 6 foot 11, and weighs 265 lbs. Clearly, Mr. Howard has few body doubles, but if he did, they wouldn't be able to move with his power, speed and grace.

“[With motion capture] we can get Dwight Howard's perfect signature shot, and we can get the suite of dunks that he typically uses at any given time in a game,” Mr. Nielsen said.

The motion-capture studio, the largest in the world at 40,000-square-feet, is equipped with 119 cameras and can also gauge the length of Mr. Howard's stride, the form of his shot, and the height of his leap. During these sessions, athletes will wear a skintight black bodysuit affixed with tiny rubber spheres wrapped in reflective tape. It allows the “mo-cap” team to record the movements three-dimensionally, and integrate the data into the games.

But Mr. Howard, just 23 and nicknamed “Superman,” also serves another purpose. Unlike superstars such as Wayne Gretzky or Michael Jordan, his generation was raised on video games, and understands their showmanship and entertainment.

“They play games now, and that's another big difference in the culture,” Mr. Nielsen said. “They speak with a level of not only an authenticity about the sport, but an authenticity about gaming … They know what players would be more likely to do in what situation, but they also understand that it's a video game that has to be fun.

“From our perspective, that's fantastic.”

The company will never be able to motion capture every athlete, in every sport, on an annual basis, so EA compensates as best it can. It employs scouts and consults communities of gamers with knowledge of sports. It is hiring more players from the NBA Developmental League, a minor league for basketball, and retired players, for motion capture shoots.

EA's game developers are continuously educated on their sports. They go on skating field trips, shoot hoops in the company gymnasium, and have twice weekly boxing workshops. If an employee isn't athletically inclined, then at the very least, he or she will know enough to join the conversation at sports bars.

“When I first came here, that wasn't necessarily the case,” said Mr. Richards, who joined in 1999. “We're method gamers. ‘

“We really dive deep into what that means and try to experience what that is, so that when we go to tell that story, it's coming from a place of authenticity.”

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Former Husky Kevin Ollie Signs With Thunder

Free agent Kevin Ollie signed with the Thunder on Saturday, his 11th team entering his 13th NBA season. Ollie appeared in 29 games in 2002-03 for Seattle, which moved to Oklahoma City before last season.

Thunder general manager Sam Presti said Ollie brings "experience, leadership and professionalism" to the team. The Thunder finished 23-59 last season, 31 games behind Denver and Portland in the NBA Northwest.

The former UConn guard (1991-95) averaged 4.0 points, 2.3 assists, 1.5 rebounds and 17 minutes last season in 50 games, including 21 starts, with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Ollie, 36, has appeared in 637 career games, averaging 2.3 assists, 3.8 points and 1.6 rebounds in 15.8 minutes.

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Time spent not spending

During the NBA draft in June, Celtics coach Doc Rivers gave his take on the offseason strategies of teams. Rivers noted about one-third of the league’s 30 teams seemed confident of going for the championship next season. Those teams are willing to spend money on free agents, the others shying away, believing they do not have a realistic chance of contending.

“Nine or 10 teams think they can win the championship next year, and you can see by the moves,’’ Rivers said. “Because of the economy, 20 or 21 feel they can’t. A group of nine looked at the Finals last year and said, ‘We can do this,’ and they are going for it.’’

Rivers’s assessment is playing out, but not just because of the economic downturn.

Most of the league’s teams simply cannot compete with the elite, so they are undertaking long-term rebuilding programs, or setting themselves up for next year’s free agent extravaganza.

But there are other factors muddling the free agent market.

Agents have struggled to judge the level of demand for players. The fates of restricted free agents Marcin Gortat, 25, and Glen Davis, 23, show how confounding the market can be.

Gortat gained a full midlevel exception contract offer from Dallas within a week of being eligible last month, the Orlando Magic matching. Gortat averaged 3.8 points per game in the regular season and 3.3 in the playoffs in 2008-09.

Meanwhile, Davis, who averaged 7 points in the regular season and 15.8 in the playoffs with the Celtics in ’08-09, has yet to receive an offer, and will likely settle for something less than the midlevel exception.

Gortat-Davis is an apples-and-oranges comparison, Gortat being a mobile 7-footer, Davis equally mobile but considerably shorter. But in recent offseasons, Davis would likely have been assured a contract worth the midlevel exception, based on his late-season and playoff performances. That still could happen for Davis, but the way things are going his expectations might have to be lowered.

“In my particular case, I couldn’t be happier,’’ said Guy Zucker, Gortat’s agent. “Gortat got the best deal of the year, the full midlevel exception, fully guaranteed for five years, equal to [Antonio] McDyess and [Rasheed] Wallace, [Ron] Artest, [Trevor] Ariza. Marcin played well in the playoffs and it helps that [the Magic] got to the Finals. He’s a center, he’s fast, athletic, quick, plays the pick-and-roll well, and plays with a lot of heart. And he played big in big moments. Whenever a team does well it helps everyone - coaches, players, GMs, owners, everyone.’’

Gortat is still a backup and, so far, an exception to a trend, and not just a midlevel one.

The trades of Ryan Anderson and Vince Carter from New Jersey to Orlando and Richard Jefferson from Milwaukee to San Antonio “would never have happened in a normal market,’’ Zucker said.

Anderson’s contract was expiring and Carter’s contract would have launched the Nets near $80 million in salaries next season. So, the Nets chose to stay with a young, relatively cheap roster, awaiting the 2010 free agent market. Milwaukee, like other medium- and small-market franchises, is simply cutting costs based on the economy, and on the NBA’s projected loss of revenues and reduction of the salary cap.

Then there is Allen Iverson, who earned $20.8 million from Detroit last season. If Iverson receives an offer, it will likely be a one-year, midlevel exception deal.

“It is not a lack of money, but a strategy,’’ Zucker said. “New York, for example, could easily pay more but is choosing not to. They want to reduce the payroll and grab a superstar.’’

The “haves’’ are using the perceived economic downturn to their advantage. When the negotiating period began last month, many free agents expected teams to come to them. As time goes on, some of those free agents are not receiving the offers hoped for, so they are going from the pursued to the role of pursuers, going to teams with reduced demands.

There is also the European part of the equation. The failure of Dynamo Moscow signaled a significant reduction in demand for foreign players, reducing US players’ bargaining powers. Last year, Dynamo Moscow awarded contracts worth about $3 million to Bostjan Nachbar and Jannero Pargo. Now, those contracts are not worth their weight in rubles.

“A year ago, the market peaked for energy prices and the euro had a favorable exchange,’’ said Zucker, a Boston University graduate. “Ukraine and Russia are energy-driven markets, and now teams like Dynamo Moscow are barely able to function. Several teams could offer seven-figure salaries, not to superstars but to midlevel and below players. Now they can’t, so that takes away 15 to 20 jobs and reduces the leverage of the guys above them.’’

So, based on how teams have approached the free agent market, these could be the Celtics’ competition next season: Cleveland, Detroit, Orlando, and Toronto in the Eastern Conference, and the defending champion Lakers, Dallas, Houston, Portland, and San Antonio in the Western Conference. Denver, Phoenix, and Utah have been willing to spend to keep free agents but have not gone outside for help.

But whatever happens during the remainder of the offseason, it is merely a prelude to next year’s free agency bonanza.

Scalabrine believes the best is ahead

Brian Scalabrine was on the same page as Celtics management with free agents. And Scalabrine believes the acquisitions of Rasheed Wallace and Marquis Daniels will make the Celtics the favorites to regain the championship.

“I’m loving Rasheed Wallace,’’ Scalabrine said last week at a State House presentation for the team’s Heroes Among Us program. “And Marquis Daniels gives us versatility. Those two things, I think, make us the best team in the league.

“I’m incredibly psyched. Winning championships is something I want to continue to do. I felt we were the best team in the league last year, the year before, and we will be the best team in the league this year. The key thing for us is limiting guys’ minutes and being healthy. Our bench needs to be able to sustain leads or build them.

“Rasheed Wallace, if I had to name one guy that I’d want on our team he’d be the guy. The way Doc [ Rivers] uses power forwards, he’s a perfect fit for us. Defensively, he’s a dominant force and his basketball IQ is through the roof. [Daniels] is going to help Ray [ Allen] and Paul [ Pierce] get some rest throughout the season. And I’ve heard he can also play some point guard for us, so it would be nice to have him as backup, and maybe play with Eddie [ House] at [shooting guard]. He’s super versatile and that’s going to help us a lot.’’

The Celtics were 25 games above .500 after the first 29 games (27-2) last season. In the final 67 games, including playoffs, the Celtics were 17 games above .500 (42-25), losing Kevin Garnett (knee) in February.

“If we would have beaten Orlando or lost in the Finals without Kevin, I would have thought we overachieved,’’ Scalabrine said. “But even the team we had out there, we had really good players. But the biggest thing was the season wearing on, and wearing on Paul and Ray, the amount of time they had to play. Even then, those guys were awesome, what they did. But for us, it’s staying healthy and our bench has to sustain leads.’’

The Celtics had a 3-2 advantage over Orlando in the Eastern Conference semifinals, and maintained the lead going into the final quarter of Game 6 before losing, 83-75.

“Game 6 was disappointing; I’ll probably never get over it,’’ Scalabrine said. “But you have to move on.’’

Etc.

Waiting by the phone

Jeff Adrien said he is “still playing the waiting game’’ after suiting up for Memphis in the Las Vegas Summer League. Adrien, a Brookline native who played for the University of Connecticut, last month had a tryout with the Celtics, and has been looking to catch on as a free agent after being bypassed in the draft. The forward has to prove himself as a perimeter threat, but teams are realizing he could be a force off the bench as a rebounder and overachieving scorer near the basket. In Las Vegas, Adrien had 35 points and 26 rebounds in 78 minutes of playing time in four games, shooting 11 for 23 from the field and 13 for 20 from the foul line, as the Grizzlies went 5-0.

Mass appeal

Former University of Massachusetts forwards Gary Forbes, Tony Gaffney, and Stephane Lasme had productive showings in Vegas. Forbes averaged 17.8 points for the D-League Select team and Lasme averaged 5 points for San Antonio. Gaffney, a Boston native, averaged 3.8 points for the Lakers and has been invited to training camp in October.

Bench boss

David Blatt, who went from Framingham to Princeton to a major coaching career in Europe, will guide Russia in the European Championships in Poland next month. Blatt was recently fired by Efes Pilsen in Turkey but could return to Benetton Treviso, which last week added former Southern California guard Danny Hackett. The bad news for Blatt’s Russians is Andrei Kirilenko (Utah) will not play because of “personal reasons.’’

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GAME fueled by late teen’s passion

The death of 13-year-old Steven Odom stirred the community when he was fatally shot in October 2007 a few feet from his Dorchester home by a Roxbury gang member. Nearly two years later, the neighborhood is keeping his memory alive through the game he felt most passionate about.

Hundreds of people, along with Governor Deval Patrick and Mayor Thomas M. Menino, streamed into the Madison Park High School gym yesterday in his honor for the second annual Steven P. Odom Peace Charity Basketball Game. This year’s theme, Changing the GAME, which stands for giving, affirming, mentoring, and empowering, was aimed at bringing people in Dorchester and Roxbury together and highlighted the neighborhoods’ positive aspects, said Steven’s father, Ronald Odom.

“It is all in the name peace,’’ he said. “We are looking for that better day, we are working toward that day.’’

Three games were played between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., with a 15-and-under game first, then high school and college players, and, finally, NBA and overseas athletes.

Steven had been two grade levels ahead of Stephanie Soto when he was fatally shot, she said. Soto, who is now 13, did not know him personally, but came to yesterday’s game to play in his memory. The event “is special because everybody who knew him loved him,’’ she said. “He was well known in school.’’

Tyler Ryan, 16, said he lived down the street from Steven, and the two used to play basketball in the neighborhood. Yesterday’s game showed that Steven’s death brought the community together, he said.

“Steven did not like to see people fighting, and he loved to play basketball,’’ said the student at Boston Prep High School.

Steven “sweat, drank, and ate basketball,’’ his father joked. He slept with a basketball. He dribbled it while waiting for the bus, and when it accidentally rolled into the street one day and was squashed flat by a zooming car, “a neighbor said he had had a look on his face as though he had lost his best friend.’’

Passion for the game is what brought him and his brother together, said Brandon Odom. That is why he began coordinating the charity event last year. Now his greatest challenge, he said, is keeping his emotions in check while he is planning for the games.

“When it is all coming together, I realize it is for a great cause,’’ Brandon Odom said. “It brings me back down to think I am doing this for my little brother.’’

Ronald Odom said he hopes to develop the charity game into a two-day event that will include empowerment workshops and competitions with teams from other states.

“It is always a tragedy when a family loses a loved one to violence, but all the community support softens the blow, lightens the load,’’ he said.

© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.

 

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