The only player to officially block Kareem's sky hook has graduated college. Congrats Willow !!! http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/index It is at the bottom of the page below the Rodman clip. DaDakota ------------------ If you like RTS games, check out this one. www.frontierwars.com coming soon to a PC near you.
Here's the article to go with it Willoughby gets college degree To Bill Willoughby, teenagers should be welcome in the NBA. He was, when he finished high school in 1975 and joined the pros. But Willoughby, 44, applauds stars such as Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal and Vince Carter, who left college early but returned to get their degrees. Now, Willoughby also can applaud himself. On Wednesday, he received his bachelor's degree in communications from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, N.J., making the long-retired journeyman guard-forward the first NBA player to skip college entirely to play, then start school and earn a degree. For years, Willoughby has been the lesser-known half of the answer to a trivia question: Who were the first two players to go directly from high school to the NBA? He made the jump along with Darryl Dawkins. Moses Malone skipped college to play in the ABA a year earlier. Willoughby said he decided to go to college in 1994 after he spoke to a class of NBA rookies that included Jason Kidd and Glenn Robinson. Many of those players went to college but didn't stay long enough to earn degrees. "Just because you came out of school early, I wanted to let them know: 'Always keep school in mind,"' Willoughby said. The National Basketball Retired Players Association paid part of Willoughby's tuition. The league did not immediately return a call for comment Wednesday. Willoughby, years younger than most of his co-workers in the NBA, found himself 20 years older than many of his classmates. But he said he made the right decision when he turned pro and said it makes sense for today's top prep players to try to do the same. Since Kevin Garnett did it in 1995, many have followed, and six high school seniors have entered this year's NBA draft. "You got a chance to go play against your idols like Connie Hawkins, Julius Erving and George Gervin. You've got to do it," Willoughby said. "You can go to school later." Dawkins and Malone became stars. Willoughby did not. After lighting it up at Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood, N.J., he played for six teams over eight seasons, only one of them as a regular starter. That was in 1981-82, when he was with the Houston Rockets and averaged a career-high of nearly 8 points per game. Willoughby would like to go to work as an educational consultant for the league where he played for eight years. He said he would like to be on the league payroll to advise students and athletes from kindergarten through the NBA on the value of education. He's been doing that anyway for years working for municipal recreation departments, police athletic leagues and at basketball camps. But he says his degree may give him a bit more clout. "This makes it so I can have a basketball in one hand," Willoughby said, "and my degree in the other." ------------------ "Empire" had the better ending. I mean, Luke gets his hand cut off, finds out Vader's his father, Han gets frozen and taken away by Boba Fett. It ends on such a down note. I mean, that's what life is, a series of down endings. All "Jedi" had was a bunch of Muppets.
This is great, kudos to BW! This should've been a bigger story than the one Carter got. Carter did it more or less as a promise to his mother. Bill did it for his own good and realizes the importance of an education. Everyone should listen to the media clip through the link that DaDakota provided above. It was touching and I felt it was sincere. Congrat Bill, I hope you get a position with the NBA and help kids to learn the importance of education.
You see how important education is, even to members of this esteemed BBS. Hardly anyone cared enough to post. Willow was at one time the all time leader in FG% in Rocket history, something like .548. DaDakota ------------------ If you like RTS games, check out this one. www.frontierwars.com coming soon to a PC near you.
Right forum. If it is a former Rockets player, then it is the right forum. And congrats to Bill, the NBA needs constant statements like this to remind kids that education is important. Does anyone have a direct link, I think it is gone from the main page. ------------------ "I'm just a poster, and I want a piece of everyone's ass." HeyPartner And the truth shall set you free... [This message has been edited by RunninRaven (edited May 25, 2001).]
Good try... but at least congradulate the guy. RunninRaven, check out the 2nd link in my sig. ------------------ Congratulations Bill!!!! Willoughby gets college degree Willoughby graduation video (In the "More highlights -> NBA" section) [This message has been edited by MoonBus (edited May 25, 2001).]
