REMEBERING TAJ MCDAVID:

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TAJ "RED"  MCDAVID A 6-6 F WILLIAMSTON PALMETTO HIGH SCHOOL, WILLIAMSTON, SOUTH CAROLINA.

MCDAVID WAS A SOUTH CAROLINA PREP WHO DECLARED FOR THE DRAFT IN 1996 THE SAME YEAR AS BRYANT BUT NOT ONLY NEVER MADE THE NBA, NEVER EVEN SIGNED ANY SORT OF PRO CONTRACT.

MCDAVID TOOK A STRANGE TURN A LITTLE OVER 13 MONTHS BEFORE THE 1996 NBA DRAFT WITH HIS STARTLING DECLARATION FOR THE DRAFT. NBA SOUNTING

 DIRECTORS SCRAMBLED FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THIS OBSCURSE PLAYER, THEN DID ALL THEY COULD TO CONVINCE HIM TO WITHDRAW.

SURE, MCDAVID WAS A THREE-TIME ALL- STATE PLAYER. SURE, HE WAS SOUTH CAROLINA'S CLASS AA PLAYER OF THE YEAR AS A SENIOR. SURE, HE AVERAGED 26 POINTS AND 13 REBOUNDS AND ONCE PLAYED ALONGSIDE KEVIN GARNETT ON THE AAU TEAM.

BUT HE WASN'T READY FOR THE BIG TIME. HE WASN'T EVEN READY FOR A DIVISION 1 COLLEGE PROGRAM. NOT ATHLETICALLY AND CERTAINLY NOT ACADEMICALLY. JUNIOR COLLEGE WAS A MUCH BETTER OPTION.

INSTEAD, A FRUSTRATED MCDAVID DECIDED TO ROLL THE DICE AND HOPE FOR A MIRACLE.

NONE WAS FORTHCOMING.

MCDAVID WAS CONFUSED THAT HE WAS NOT DRAFTED. AFTERWARD, HE PETITIONED THE NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION TO RESTORE HIS ELIGIBILITY AND, IN A LANDMARK RULING, THE N.C.A.A. AGREED TO DO SO. MCDAVID WAS GRANTED THREE YEARS OF ELIGIBILITY, AND HE WAS RELEGATED TO THE SIDELINES FOR HIS FRESHMAN YEAR. WHILE UNHAPPY AT NOT BEING ABLE TO PLAY RIGHT AWAY, MCDAVID ENROLLED AT  ANDERSON COLLEGE, A DIVISION II SCHOOL IN ANDERSON, S.C.

RED, AS MCDAVID IS CALLED, PLAYED INTRAMURAL BASKETBALL IN HIS FRESHMAN YEAR. "I DIDN'T THINK RED STOOD OUT ALL THAT MUCH, EVEN AGAINST US," RECALLED ANDY BURLESON, A CLASSMATE AT ANDERSON.

"AND WHEN SOMEONE WOULD GET INTO AN ARGUMENT WITH HIM, WE'D CALL HIM 'N.B.A', IT WAS JUST CLOWIN', BUT HE DIDN'T LIKE IT.

BUT HIS SKILLS WERE DISAPPOINTING. TODAY, THE COACHES AT ANDERSON SAY MCDAVID'S ABILITIES ARE NOT UP TO THE COMPETITION IN THEIR LEAGUE, THE CAROLINA-VIRGINIA ATHLETIC CONFERENCE.

MCDAVID EVENTUALLY DROPPED OUT OF COLLEGE AND, FOR MANY, OUT OF SIGHT. WILLIAMS, HIS HIGH SCHOOL COACH, SAID HE HAD NOT SEEN HIM IN MORE THAN A YEAR, AND DID NOT KNOW IF HE HAD A JOB. MCDAVID AND HIS FAMILY ARE UPSET WITH THE NEWS MEDIA, BECAUSE THEY THINK REPORTERS HURT TAJ'S CHANCES FOR THE N.B.A. BY CALLING HIS ENTRY INTO THE DRAFT A JOKE. HE AND HIS FAMILY HAVE REFUSED INTERVIEW REQUESTS  FOR YEARS, BUT MCDAVID ANSWERED A RECENT PHONE CALL TO HIS HOME.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING THESE DAYS?" HE WAS ASKED.

"NOT MUCH," HE SAID.

"IS THERE ANYTHING YOU'D HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY?" HE WAS ASKED.

"NAH," HE SAID.

THEN HE SAID, "GOT ANOTHER CALL I GOTTA TAKE," AND HUNG UP.

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