Sports Illustrated For Kids, March, 2004 Steve Francis is running late. He emerges from the Houston Rockets' locker room in the Toyota Center dressed in his team's red uniform and heads to a photo shoot across the street. Instead of rushing, though, Francis makes stops along the way. He pops into the Rockets' offices, checking each room to see if he can say hello to anyone, surprising some employees. He checks the playing floor and jokingly yells to an innocent bystander, "Hey, get off the court!" His three-minute walk to the photo shoot turns into a 10-minute journey, but Francis finally arrives at his destination. Nothing new here. Francis's journey to NBA stardom has been filled with detours too. "It's remarkable," he says of his road to the pros. "I've got to tell you: Determination made me what I am right now." Tiny and Tough Francis grew up in a poor, crime-ridden part of Takoma Park, Maryland, less than half an hour from Washington D.C. "It is a place where you never know if you are going to make it out," says former Rocket guard Moochie Norris, who grew up in the area. When young Steve was shooting on one of the many basketball courts in the area, his mother, Brenda, and older brothers Terry and Jeff kept a close watch on him. "My brothers pretty much smacked me in the head and said either go to the basketball court or go in the house," says Francis. When Francis was 9, a friend took him to the local Boys & Girls Club to play hoops. He was wearing jeans and school shoes because he could not afford sneakers. But he put on such a show that Tony Langley, the club's basketball coach, invited him back. Soon, Francis was spending up to six hours each day after school playing hoops at the club. Says Langley, "He had a fierce desire to be the best." Despite his will to succeed, Francis didn't have the body of a hoops player. "He was tiny," says his brother Terry. Standing just 5' 3" as a sophomore, Francis was too small to make much of an impact on his Blair High School team. He didn't play his freshman year because his grades weren't good enough. He started just one game as a sophomore, when he was mainly the third-string point guard. He missed his entire junior season because of a broken ankle. Then, in his senior year, tragedy struck. His mom died of cancer at age 39. The normally upbeat, happy-go-lucky Francis was crushed. He stopped studying. His grades slipped. He dropped out of school. "He basically stopped living his life," says Terry. Getting It Together The following fall, a family friend steered Francis to a prep school in Connecticut to finish high school. But a grant fell through and Francis's family couldn't afford the tuition. Francis had to leave the school after a couple of months. He arrived back in Takoma Park in November 1995. At age 18, Francis had played only one season of high school ball. But he still dreamed of playing in the NBA. "That's what I wanted to do," he says. "I always wanted to be a professional basketball player." Instead of giving up, he spent the next few months playing pickup games in the basement of a firehouse and working toward earning his high school equivalency diploma. His crossover dribble became so quick and smooth that a defender literally broke his ankle one time trying to defend Francis. He had grown a foot since his sophomore year. He stood 6' 3" and had a 43-inch vertical leap, and his game was turning heads in local pickup games. "Even when I was short, I could always jump," he says. In the summer of 1996, Francis got the break he needed. He played on a Maryland AAU team and made the all-tournament team in the 19-and-under AAU national championships. He also earned his high-school equivalency diploma. A coach for San Jacinto Junior College, in Pasadena, Texas, saw him play and offered him a scholarship. Francis led San Jacinto to the Juco national championship game that season. But he transferred to Allegany (Maryland) Community College, which was only three hours from his home, after one year. "I left because I was homesick," says Francis. At Allegany, Francis's game continued to flourish. He lit up opponents for 25.3 points and 8.7 assists per game in his sophomore season and earned a scholarship to Maryland for 1998-99. Time to Shine Francis thought about going pro after junior college. But he felt that playing for a well-known university like Maryland would give him his best chance of getting noticed by NBA scouts. He was right. That same season, the NBA had a lockout. Players and management argued over money and contract issues, and no games were played until January. With pro games on the shelf, college hoops took center stage on TV. "All the NBA players and scouts were watching them," says Francis. Francis seized the opportunity and shined under the spotlight at Maryland. He scored 17 points per game and had an Atlantic Coast Conference-best 2.8 steals. Soon after the season ended, he declared himself eligible for the 1999 NBA Draft. Taking Control The Vancouver Grizzlies chose Francis with the second overall pick in the draft. But Vancouver already had a rising star at point guard: Mike Bibby. Francis knew the Grizzlies wanted him to switch to shooting guard, a position he didn't want to play. Not wanting a disgruntled player, Vancouver began shopping Francis to other teams. Some fans criticized him for being selfish, but Francis felt he had worked too hard and come too far to lose control of his pro career. He still believes he made the right decision. "Business is business," he says simply. "I didn't think I could reach my full potential playing in Vancouver." Rocket general manager Carroll Dawson landed Francis in a blockbuster deal that involved three teams, 11 players, and two future first-round draft picks. Dawson had followed Francis since his days in junior college and knew he was special. "He was excited [about the trade]," says Dawson. "But he wasn't as excited as we were." Texas Star Francis had instant success in Houston. He averaged 18 points, 6.6 assists, and 1.5 steals per game in his first pro season and shared Rookie of the Year honors with forward Elton Brand. In his third and fourth seasons, Francis was named an All-Star as his stats continued to rise. But while he continued to shine, the Rockets missed the playoffs in each of his first four seasons. Francis has fulfilled his dream of becoming an NBA player. But he feels his journey will not be complete until he has turned the Rockets into a team that can contend for the NBA championship. Houston head coach Jeff Van Gundy agrees. "Until his team wins [playoff games,]" he says, "he'll never be considered a significant player in this league." Winning Ways In 2002, the Rockets drafted 7' 6" center Yao Ming, whose skills and size gave the team a talented young star in the paint. With guard Cuttino Mobley scoring and dishing in the backcourt alongside Francis, the Rockets finished the season 43--39, just one game out of a playoff spot. The team appeared to be rolling at the start of the 2003-04 season, too. As of December 22, they were tied for sixth place in the highly competitive Western Conference. Francis was leading the team in scoring (17.2 points per game) and assists (5.2). Occasionally, Francis wanders into the general manager's office and gazes at the framed newspaper articles hanging on the walls. The articles tell of how the Rockets won the NBA championship in back-to-back seasons (1993-94 and 1994-95). Francis knows how challenging it will be to win the title. Then he thinks about the path he took just to reach the NBA. "It was a hard path," he says. "It helped me build a lot of character and respect for the game of basketball. It was unbelievable." Francis arrived in the NBA because he worked hard and never gave up. Maybe all he has to do to win the NBA championship is follow the same formula. BOX STORY: FRANCIS'S FAVORITE STUFF Sports to Watch Football Sport to Play Pool Video Game James Bond 007 TV Show The Bernie Mac Show Movie Poetic Justice Food Lasagna Actor Samuel L. Jackson Actress Halle Berry Musical Group New Edition (back in the 1980's) Vacation Spot Bermuda Athlete Marion Jones Teams to Watch Maryland Terps, Dallas Cowboys Cereal Golden Grahams BOX STORY: FRANCIS'S STATS Scoring Season G Pts. Avg. FG Pct. RPG APG SPG 1999-00 77 1,388 18 44.5 5.3 6.6 1.53 2000-01 80 1,591 19.9 45.1 6.9 6.5 1.76 2001-02 57 1,234 21.6 41.7 7 6.4 1.25 2002-03 81 1,703 21 43.5 6.2 6.2 1.74 2003-04 26 448 17.2 39.2 5.7 5.2 1.35 ________________________________________________________________ CAREER TOTALS 321 6,364 19.8 43.4 6.3 6.3 1.58 As of December 22, 2003 G: Games; Pts.: Points; FG Pct.: Field-Goal Percentage; RPG: Rebounds Per Game; APG: Assists Per game; SPG: Steals Per Game BOX STORY: ABOUT FRANCIS HEIGHT: 6' 3" WEIGHT: 200 lbs. BIRTH DATE: February 21, 1977 BIRTH PLACE: Takoma Park, Maryland --Francis led Maryland to the NCAA's Sweet Sixteen in 1998-99. He was named to the Division I All-America Second Team and the All-ACC first team. He led the Terps in scoring (17 points per game) and steals (2.8). --Francis and forward Elton Brand were co-winners of the NBA Rookie of the Year award in 1999-00. "The Franchise" was the first rookie to lead the Rockets in scoring (18 points per game), assists (6.6), and steals (1.53). --Only four players have averaged at least 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in each of their first four NBA seasons: Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, Grant Hill, and Steve Francis. --Francis, Nick Van Exel of the Golden State Warriors, and Sam Cassell of the Minnesota Timberwolves are partners in a clothing company called We R One. "Determination is what made me what I am right now," says Francis.
Someone emailed me to say this was not an online link yet. Did you hand-type this in Visagial? If so I apologize for locking the thread.
Thanks Vis, what a great read. I wish Francis all the best, wherever his destiny lies - hopefully he will be here, flourishing with Yao and Mobley and proves all the doubters wrong. SS999
WOW Steve was 5'3" as a SOPH? Daaaaamn. When I was 5'3" as an 8th grader I was by FAR the shortest guy in my class. I didn't grow a foot like he did though. Shucks....
I could see why Steve lacks the fundamentals. He wasn't raised in a solid HS basketball program + 4 yr of college.
The article makes you like the guy. Perhaps it also explains a bit why he is how he is. I wish he could stay with the Rockets and be successful together with Yao Ming for years to come.
Very good article. Didn't know that he didn't play much basketball in high school. 3rd string PG???!!! Thanks, Visagial.
I find this part ironic. Early on he didn't want to play SG because "Francis felt he had worked too hard and come too far to lose control of his pro career" But now, he is open to playing SG.
