Wizards' Mason Finds a Home in the NBA
Sunday, October 29, 2006; Page E02
Not many players in the NBA grew up wanting to play for the Washington Bullets/Wizards. Roger Mason Jr. did. Mason, a 6-foot-5 guard who starred at Virginia before turning pro after his junior year, is living a dream that began when his parents would take him to Capital Centre in Landover to watch his favorite team.
"Bernard King, Ledell Eackles, Jeff Malone, Muggsy Bogues -- those were my favorite players," said Mason, the surprise of the Wizards' training camp and a lock to make the team as a shooting guard.
  Former Good Counsel and Virginia star Roger Mason Jr. took aim in training camp. He is playing for the Wizards. (By Jonathan Newton -- The Washington Post) |
Mason's route to Verizon Center began in Northwest Washington 26 years ago, with stops in Silver Spring and Gaithersburg; stints at Sidwell Friends and Good Counsel High School, where he led his team to 29 wins in his senior year (1999). "He was one of the best players in our league," retired DeMatha coach Morgan Wootten said. "None of this is surprising to those who played and coached against him."
Mason's father died when Roger was 11; his mother later married retired Redskins fullback Otis Wonsley. The family followed Mason's exploits in Charlottesville, where he played three years, averaging 18.6 points his junior year. "Three of the best years of my life," Mason said of his U-Va. days.
He opted for the draft in 2002 after being told he would be among the top 15 players selected and signed with an agent, ending his college eligibility. But he injured his shoulder and underwent surgery, leaving him to be picked in the second round by Chicago.
Over the next four years Mason bounced from Chicago to Toronto to Israel -- a typical basketball vagabond's journey -- before signing a contract last spring with the Wizards and playing on their summer league team. He's made the most of his opportunity. "Roger has a great shot, size and plays defense," Wizards Coach Eddie Jordan said.
"You cannot imagine how great this feels," Mason said Thursday. "To be on my hometown team . . . it feels so right. So good."
It all starts for real on Wednesday at Cleveland.
Horse Play
Verizon Center this week -- inside and outside -- had the feel of Middleburg or wherever equestrian folks gather for riding and big-time events. The 48th annual Washington International Horse Show was in town for six days and nights of top-flight equestrian circuit competition featuring many of the world's best riders and more than 200 horses.
Here's what's cool about this event: They turn F Street between 6th and 7th into a warmup/stall area by dropping 1,000 "tons of footing" so that the neighborhood once dominated by the now departed China Doll becomes an equestrian center. Inside, the arena looks and feels classy, if the aroma isn't pleasing to all. Everyone looks great: Riders, officials, reporters and roadies. The horses look great, too. We're told the net worth of an "average" horse that competes in U.S. Equestrian Federation events is $955,400, so they should look great. And those of us covering the Wizards' practice on Thursday didn't look nearly as great as the equestrian scribes. (Where was Wilbon when we needed him?)
According to Ryan Mink in Friday's Post, the offspring of a number of big shots were competing here, including Tom Selleck's daughter, Michael Bloomberg's daughter and CNN host Lou Dobbs's twin daughters. Even The Boss's daughter -- Jessica Springsteen -- was riding, although I did not see The Boss (Bruce or George). In addition, nearly a dozen Olympic riders competed this week on horses that cost between $500,000 and $1 million each and get weekly massages. I'll write more about this event next year and try to dress better.
Memories of Red
Red Auerbach, 89, died yesterday. He was a Hall of Fame coach with nine NBA championships and a premier front-office executive for decades as president of the Boston Celtics. It was a position he continued to hold until his death. In fact, Auerbach had every intention of flying to Boston for Wednesday night's season opener, which would have been his 58th in a row. Last week he even spoke at a dinner in Washington honoring him for his service to the U.S. Navy. Despite several years of declining health, he continued his weekly lunches with friends and daily trips to Woodmont Country Club to play gin rummy with pals. That determination to live every moment and a friendship over the years is what I will remember most about the greatest basketball coach who ever lived.
