(Chron) What's in a number? Quite a lot to the newest Rocket

Queen Solomon
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/solomon/rockets/7159363.html

During the Rockets' past, nine players donned No. 11, including a Major one, a Sleepy one, a Mad one and a Big one.
Now an even bigger one, the biggest Rocket of all-time, wears the number.
So Courtney Lee, the newest Rocket — picked up in a trade for Trevor Ariza last week — had no chance at getting the double-1s. But he asked anyway.
"I knew Yao (Ming) wore No. 11, but I had a blah moment when they called me and asked me what number I wanted to wear, and I told them '11,' " Lee said with a smile. "They told me, 'That's the big man's number.' "
That's OK with Lee. He'll still take No. 11 on the court.
On his basketball shoes.
Tattooed on his right arm.
Ingrained in his heart.
Lee's love for No. 11 is in tribute is to college teammate and roommate Danny Rumph, who died of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, at the age of 21.
Rumph, a junior at Western Kentucky when Lee was a freshman, died after playing in a pickup game in his hometown of Philadelphia just after their only season together. Rumph was there to support his younger teammate when homesickness kicked in.
Lee credits Rumph, in life and in death, with helping him grow into a better per-_son. Rumph has been gone five years, but Lee thinks of his good friend often.
"Always, always," Lee said. "I stay in contact with his family, and there is always something — whether I'm at home or in my car — that reminds me of him."
No. 5 will have to do
Lee will wear No. 5, which in the Rockets' past has belonged to a host of interesting characters, including a lefty, a cat and a whopper.
There may have been better players than Lee sport that jersey number, but as he held it up Wednesday at a news conference at Toyota Center, it was fair to wonder if there has been a more impressive addition to the Rockets organization.
Lee carries himself well. Oh, he dresses like the youngsters are wont to — faded blue jeans with built-in semi-holes and designer sneakers — but he tops off his look on this day with a tailored, monogrammed long-sleeve shirt. Sharp. Even Yao was impressed.
The young man seems to be all class. Don't be thrown that he has been traded after each of his two seasons in the NBA. His former coaches and teammates rave about him. He is smart, a thinker, a planner and a hard worker.
Lee talked about being familiar with coach Rick Adelman because he did so much research preparing for his interview with the Rockets before the 2008 NBA Draft. He isn't the only draft prospect to put in prep time for such sessions, but there have been players show up at interviews unable to name the team's head coach.
Word is Lee puts in similar preparation for games. When you hear the phrase Battier-esque used to describe a player, you know there are plenty of positives.
No wonder the Rockets have wanted to acquire him since before the draft.
"When we got an opportunity to get Courtney, we jumped on it," Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said.
Not many league executives consider Lee to be a better player than Ariza at this point, so the move was about potential and money, and not necessarily in that order. Lee's tab is some $5 million less than Ariza's.
But Lee's potential, and the potential of the deal aiding the Rockets in making a trade for the star Morey so covets made this an easy decision for the Rockets.
Lee, a 6-5 shooting guard who will enter camp as a backup to Kevin Martin, has put an extra focus on ballhandling this offseason in workouts to improve his point guard skills. That made him even more valuable to the Rockets, who are set at point guard with Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry but would likely have to part with one of those two in any major trade.
For now, Lee is ecstatic to be out of New Jersey, where the Nets suffered through a dreadful 12-70 season. After playing in the Sweet 16 as a college senior and starting in the NBA Finals with Orlando as a rookie, that had to rattle his system.
"It was very difficult, but you have to focus on what you can control and that's just getting better individually, and try to make the right plays and do whatever you can to help the team," he said. "Even though the wins weren't coming, you try to help the team the whole time."
Groomed for success
One of the things Lee learned from Rumph is you get out of the game what you put into it.
"My mindset is just to continue to be a pro, continue to do the things that are going to position me to succeed in this league and be happy that I'm on a good team, a team that obviously has been trying to get me for a while," he said. "And now I get a chance to compete for a championship."
An opportunity for which he says he is blessed to have, even if he isn't listed as No. 11 in your program; No. 11 in his heart will do.
jerome.solomon@chron.com

Comments

 

^ Grammer Police

 

Fixed*

 

Ok I spelt Grammar wrong and used it in the wrong context my bad I shouldn't of even said anything.

Can we focus on the article or rocket related stuff.