[ESPN] NBA Forgottens

Pretty good read that someone posted on another forum.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insi...mns/story?columnist=sheridan_chris&id=2686826

Where did they go? Former NBA stars sit on sidelines
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Sheridan
By Chris Sheridan
ESPN.com
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"I'm under the sink. Can I call you back in 20 minutes?" Antonio Davis said.

It was another day of domestic duties earlier this week for the former All-Star, whose 20 minutes stretched to six or seven hours before he was able to call back.

There were kids to pick up from school, twin sixth-graders, Kaela and A.J., who have become the daily focus for Davis, a househusband who's now several months removed from the last time he put on an NBA uniform, back in March after the Knicks had shipped him to the Raptors.

"I don't think I'll be playing again. I'm very content and happy, doing the types of things I haven't gotten to do, be a father," Davis told ESPN.com. "As of right now, I have no desire. I've watched several games and played pickup ball thinking I'd have the feeling I'd like to get back, but I didn't have that feeling. I don't really miss the game."

Davis isn't the only guy spending a lot more time with his family than he used to. Keith Van Horn is in the same boat, staying away from the NBA by choice, while more than a handful of others are itching to get back but waiting for the right phone call as the season slips into its second month.

Davis was not prepared to say he's finished forever -- he thought long and hard about joining the Bulls when they approached him over the summer -- but it would take an offer from exactly the right type of team sometime in February or March to get him to consider giving up his domestic bliss.

"It's not 100 percent retired. It's about 95," Davis said. "I've never had a chance to go to the Finals, and I don't have a ring -- and that would be the only thing that would get me to think about it."

Joining Davis on the sidelines are such former All-Stars as Vin Baker, Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway, Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell as well as such players as Chris Andersen, Doug Christie, Qyntel Woods, Nick Van Exel and Keith Van Horn.

Here's a look at players who could be found in an NBA uniform until recently, and what they're doing now:


Gregory Shamus/NBAE via Getty Images
The "Birdman" was the first NBA player banned for drug violations since 1999.

Chris Andersen: He won't be able to apply for reinstatement into the NBA until January 2008 after drawing a two-year suspension for using a "drug of abuse" that caused his $14 million contract with the Hornets to be voided.

He told the Denver Post he has been living sober since January. It's unclear if he'll play in the minor league ABA -- one of the few leagues that will have him, since FIBA and the D-League are honoring the NBA's ban.

Shandon Anderson: He got paid twice last season -- with a buyout from the Knicks and a contract from the Heat -- so he's presumably busy counting $100 bills and waiting for another call from a desperate warm-weather team. His agent did not return ESPN.com's calls.

Kelenna Azubuike: The 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Kentucky, who played well for Cleveland in the summer league and was waived by Houston late in training camp, is leading the D-League with a 26.7 average for Fort Worth. Also toiling in the D-League are Louis Williams, Luke Schenscher, Von Wafer, Devin Green, Frank Williams, Eddie Robinson and Randy Livingston (league-high 10.5 assists per game for Idaho).

Eddie Basden: Traded over the summer from Chicago to Cleveland, and then cut by the Cavs, he just signed with Fenerbahce Ulker in Istanbul, where his teammates include Will Solomon, Mirsad Turkcan and Ibo Kutluay.

Vin Baker: A DNP in Minnesota's first six games after beating out ESPN.com's Paul Shirley for the final roster spot, he was released on Nov. 15. We're guessing Shirley's not real happy about how all that turned out.

Lonny Baxter: After serving nearly two months in jail for firing a gun out his car window in Washington, D.C., Baxter joined Montepaschi Siena of the Italian League. He agreed to a team option for a second year while behind bars.

Ryan Bowen: The Rockets waived him in October to save a roster spot for Bob Sura in his comeback from knee surgery, and Bowen has been under the radar since. There isn't even an update at ryanbowen.com.

Michael Bradley: After finishing last season with Philadelphia, the five-year NBA veteran took a one-year deal with Bruesa in the Spanish ACB League, where he is averaging 10.2 points and 7.2 rebounds.

Devin Brown: There has been interest from Charlotte, Milwaukee and New Orleans since he was cut by Golden State after his trade from Utah. Brown has turned down overtures from FC Barcelona and Maccabi Tel Aviv. He's making almost a million dollars off the contract he got from the Jazz, so he can afford to sit tight in San Antonio waiting for an NBA call.

Anthony Carter: Working out at a health club in downtown Minneapolis after the Wolves did not bring him back. Thought he might get a shot with Denver, but now waiting to hear whether opportunities in Spain and/or Russia will pan out.

Doug and Jackie Christie
Jesse Grant/WireImage
Doug Christie has gone from defensive star to reality star.

Doug Christie: Appears on a reality television show with devoted wife Jackie. Try to go to dougchristie.com, and watch what happens. Also, here is a recent photo.

Tony Delk: Spending his first season overseas with Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos. Averaging 12.2 points and shooting 42 percent on 3s.

Howard Eisley: Took a buyout instead of the final $1.17 million he was due from the Bulls in the final year of his contract after they acquired him and two second-round picks from Denver for J.R. Smith -- a deal that's now looking like a steal for the Nuggets.

Brian Grant: Earning more than $16 million this year from the Lakers, who waived him under the 2005 amnesty rule, and from the Celtics, who acquired him from Phoenix in a draft-day deal knowing that an arthritic knee would be ending his career. Said to be thinking about a move to broadcasting.

Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway: The former All-Star has hardly been seen since the Knicks dealt him to Orlando for Steve Francis, though there was talk the Bobcats were considering him before they settled on Derek Anderson. His agent did not return a call seeking an update. Hardaway wrote on his Web site this summer that his knees feel "great" and he was dunking.

Allan Houston: Now an ESPN commentator. His $20.7 million salary for this season with the New York Knicks is being paid by an insurance company. It would not be out of the question for him to sign with someone for the playoffs after the regular season ends.

Despite suffering from chronic knee pain, he won't say he has hung 'em up for good. "I think about playing again but that doesn't mean it's necessarily going to happen. I know one day I'll be able to be healthy and play in pickup games. But to play in an NBA game, I can't say if I can do it or not," he told the New York Daily News.

Jermaine Jackson: Looking for his sixth NBA team in six years, he has spurned offers overseas to stay stateside and wait. Last year, the Bucks didn't sign him until Dec. 15. Players in similar situations include John Thomas, who was in the Nets' playoff starting lineup last year after he joined them on the final day of the regular season, and Zendon Hamilton, seeking his eighth team in seven seasons.

Luke Jackson: Cut by the Celtics when they gave their final roster spot to Michael Olowokandi, he is expected to decide late this week whether to choose from a number of offers from Euroleague teams.

"This is a gigantic mistake NBA teams are making. He has not failed, he's coming off an unfortunate injury," agent Mark Bartelstein said. "It's mind-boggling to me that a team hasn't picked him up."

Ervin Johnson: Last season was his 13th in the league, and Johnson appeared in only 18 games for the Bucks. If he's finished, he retires with almost the exact same number of career points (3,473) as career defensive rebounds (3,471). He also had a grand total of two 3-pointers over those 13 years.

Toni Kukoc: The 13-year veteran said over the summer he was willing to play another season, but only for the Bucks or Bulls, who are both close to his home in northern Illinois. Neither team was interested, but that doesn't mean someone else won't be when it comes time to look for an experienced player with three championship rings to put on the end of a playoff roster just in case.

Voshon Lenard
Getty Images
Voshon Lenard still has a deep shot that most teams will covet.

Voshon Lenard: He's working out and waiting by the phone in metro Detroit. Two NBA teams are "very close to doing something," according to agent Joel Bell, who said Lenard is in great shape and weighs less than he did three years ago when he was a starter for Denver and made 106 3-pointers.

Jeff McInnis: There's "nothing happening whatsoever" on the trade front, according to Nets president Rod Thorn, whose team is paying McInnis $3.6 million to stay away. Miami had interest before the season began, but their horrible start has shifted their focus to other prospective deals.

Stanislav "Slava" Medvedenko: No NBA team pursued him after his six-year career with the Lakers ended last season, and he reportedly sold his Manhattan Beach home for about $2.3 million to L.A. Kings forward Alexander Frolov.

Sergei Monia: After one NBA season split between the Trail Blazers and Kings, he's back in Russia with Dynamo Moscow, playing alongside Americans Travis Hansen and Eddie Gill. Shot a combined 1-for-10 in his first five Euroleague games.

Lamond Murray: After spending last season with the New Jersey Nets and going to camp with the L.A. Clippers, the 12-year veteran is back home in Los Angeles working out and hoping for a phone call. He is not expected to pursue any overseas jobs.

Moochie Norris: He had a contract with the Hornets for $4.55 million for this season, but it was not guaranteed. That was one reason they cut him, the other being that he hadn't contributed anything to a team since about the fifth year of what became a nine-year career. His agent did not return calls.

Greg Ostertag: Know why the Jazz are wearing black sneakers on the road these days? Because they don't have 'Tag around to veto the idea, as he did last season. Apparently happily retired and living in Phoenix, he was spotted with his wife at a Jazz exhibition game in early November.

Zoran Planinic: After spending three seasons as Jason Kidd's backup in New Jersey, he's logging heavy minutes at the point (averaging 11.5 points and 4.7 assists) for Tau Ceramica in Spain. Among his teammates are Argentina forward Luis Scola, whose NBA rights are held by the Spurs but whose buyout provisions have kept him out of the league.

Kareem Rush: The four-year veteran was cut in training camp by the Sonics and is now living in Los Angeles. He expects to decide in the next two to three weeks whether to take a job in the Spanish ACB league.

Bryon Russell: Looks like this is the end of the road for Russell, who recorded only three minutes of playing time last season in one game for Denver before being traded to Seattle on deadline day and then waived.

Paul Shirley: See Vin Baker.

Latrell Sprewell
AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt
What is this man thinking now?

Latrell Sprewell: Former teammate Marcus Camby said he spoke over the summer with Sprewell, who told him he has zero interest in returning to the NBA.

Nikoloz Tskitishvili: Was with New York during training camp but was cut along with several others when the team signed Kelvin Cato. During training camp, all of the Knicks had to run wind sprints after Skita's cell phone went off during a team meeting.

Nick Van Exel: His knee has been bone on bone for the past couple of years, so don't be surprised if you never see him on the court again. But then again, there will be a half-dozen coaches looking for someone later this season with a history of hitting clutch buzzer-beaters, and Van Exel did it as well as anybody.

Keith Van Horn: Agent David Falk sent word that Van Horn is still declining interview requests. He is living outside of Denver and spending time with his family after earning $15.7 million for Dallas last season. Van Horn is another player who could be of interest to someone come playoff time.

Jiri Welsch: The Cavaliers still owe the Celtics a first-round pick that they gave up for the Czech forward, who was traded a total of five times in his four-year NBA career. Now playing for Unicaja Malaga of Spain alongside Raptors draft pick Erazem Lorbek, Michael Pietrus' brother, Florent, and former Bucks center Daniel Santiago.

Qyntel Woods: Recently sued in Portland, along with former teammate Zach Randolph, by a man who says he was harassed and tormented by the players, who allegedly believed he was the person who called the authorities on Woods for illegal dogfighting.

Others:

Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf: The former Chris Jackson is now with Aris TT Bank in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Alex Acker: Former Pistons guard is fourth in scoring in the Euroleague, averaging 17.8 for Olympiakos of Greece.

Juan Carlos Navarro: Spanish guard whose NBA rights are held by Washington leads the Euroleague in scoring, averaging 22.6 for Winterthur FCB.

Theo Papaloukas: The Greek guard Team USA couldn't stop is shooting 67 percent for CSKA Moscow in five Euroleague games.

Eddie Robinson: The former Bulls free agent washout is averaging 23.0 points in two games for Idaho of the D-League, where he is a teammate of Wizards washout Peter John Ramos.

Chris Sheridan covers the NBA for ESPN Insider. To e-mail Chris, click here.