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November 24-30, 2010


Brown making his mark with Lakers Former Spartan has found a home in L.A.


By Leland Stein III AUBURN HILLS — Shannon Brown left May-


wood, Illinois, with the valued Illinois Mr. Bas- ketball title when he arrived in East Lansing to play for Michigan State University and coach Tom Izzo.


By the time the McDonald’s All-American


had left the Spartans at the end of the 2005- 06 season he and former Detroit Crockett High star Maurice Ager had helped lead MSU to the 2004-05 Final Four. And in his last season as a Spartan he averaged over 17 points per game, earning All-Big Ten honors.


The future looked very bright as he was


drafted in the first round with the 25th pick of the 2006 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cava- liers. But he was in for a rude awaking. Brown appeared in only 23 games (five starts) in his debut season and was hampered by an injury to his shin.


Cleveland assigned Brown to the NBA Devel-


opment League’s Albuquerque Thunderbirds in March 2007. Brown returned to the NBA Devel- opment League, this time with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in January 2008 and so it went for him in his short and uneventful stay in Cleve- land.


Before he could drink an NBA cup of tea in


February 2008, he was traded to the Chicago Bulls as part of a three-team deal. Just before the start of the 2008-09 NBA season he signed a one-year contract with the Charlotte Bobcats.


“I took for granted how much work it took


to be successful in this league,” Brown said. “After having some success at Michigan State I thought I could come in this league and become a good player right away. I’ve learned that that you have to put the work in beyond what you thought you were doing.”


Putting the work in and a fortuitous trade


has rejuvenated the former Michigan State star. When he heard that he was traded to the Los


SHANNON BROWN drives by the Pistons’ Ben Gordon. —Lakeisha Harvey photos


Angeles Lakers in February of 2009, he knew he was being given another change that he could not let get away.


“I just thanked God for the opportunity I had THE LAKERS’ Shannon Brown.


been given by the Lakers,” Brown said, “and I was determined to do everything coach (Phil) Jackson asked me to do.”


Showing patience, but continuing to work


hard in practice, at first Jackson had to feel Brown out and he initially saw limited play- ing time. But towards the end of the season, Brown began to gain Jackson’s confidence and he earned more playtime throughout the end of the season and in the Lakers’ 2009 champi- onship run that ended with a victory over the


By Leland Stein III ALLEN PARK — Not a lot has gone


Suh’s the real deal


four the most dominant group on the team.


the Lions’ way as they have only won two games. However, the selection of Nebras- ka’s defensive lineman, Ndamukong Suh, on the first round (2nd overall) in the 2010 NFL Draft, has been a bright spot.


Suh’s aggressiveness and natural in- stinct has helped make the Lions’ front


I’ve seen too many talented athletes


in college come to the NFL and flop or simply not live up to the hype. In Suh’s first season in the league, thus far he has shown me that he will not be in the flop category.


Following his career at Nebraska, where he recorded 215 tackles (125 solos) with


Orlando Magic. Getting a taste of victory and taking advan-


tage of his opportunity, Brown went to work in the off season and came into the 2010-11 cam- paign with a renewed sense of determination.


“Coach Jackson did not tell me he had in-


creased plans for me,” Brown recalled. “I’ve never had an NBA coach tell me that. I’ve had to work for everything I’ve got. I looked around and said I’m going to be ready to step my game up even more.”


That he has done as he dropped four threes


and scored 21 points against Milwaukee the game before the Lakers contested the Pistons. It is safe to say he is firmly in the Lakers rota- tion now.


As a Laker he has produced a career high


27 points and 10 rebounds for his first career double-double. He now has won two champion- ship rings in both 2009 and 2010. The Lakers have signed him for two years and $4.2 mil- lion. The league has taken notice as he report- edly has one of the highest vertical leaps in the league (verified at 44.5 inches) and as a result was selected to compete in the Sprite Slam Dunk Competition at Dallas in the 2010 All- Star weekend.


“Man I love having Shannon on this team,”


Bryant said. “He has all the physical tools, but more importantly he has the work ethic. He is my man and we talk all the time about our games and what both of us can do to get even better.”


Said Brown: “Playing with Kobe and for


Coach Jackson is unbelievable. Getting that first title was like a blur from how my first years were in this league. That is why I think the second title was more special for me, be- cause I was with the team all year and I contrib- uted to our victory over Boston.”


Leland Stein can be reached at lelstein3@ aol.com.


24.0 quarterback sacks for minus 187 yards, and 57.0 stops for losses of 252 yards, he elevated the expectations that Lions fans had for him. He has lived up to the hype and more, as he has earned the Pepsi Rookie of the Week award for Week 8. He has returned a fumble against Washington for a touchdown and blocked a pass and intercepted it against St. Louis.


“It is great scoring touchdowns,” Suh


said, “but it’s about the sacks, of course. They mean a little bit more to me. They are things that are shutting down their of- fense; a sack fumble, things of that sort. Just like Kyle (Vanden Bosch) got that, the one (when) I got the recovery for the touchdown. So, I love sacks more.”


Said Lions coach Jim Schwartz: “He’s


playing outstanding football for us. He is doing a good job against the run and is a difference maker for us.”


To maximize Suh’s gifts as a mobile


defensive tackle, Schwartz and his de- fensive coaches are tinkering with forma- tions and ways to present him to oppos- ing offenses.


“We will move him around and try to ex-


ploit protections and create some match- ups,” Schwartz explained. “I think Kris Kocurek, our D-line coach, and Gunther (Cunningham) are doing a really good job with that. We are also balancing our blitz game. Suh is important for us in forcing quarterbacks to throw off schedule.”


It is hard to get too excited about where


the Lions are this season when they con- tinue to lose. Yeah, I agree that moral vic- tories are nothing but losses cloaked in unsweeten sugar.


After coming up short in winnable


games against the Chicago Bears, New York Jets, Buffalo Bills and New York Giants, many are now focusing on what is wrong with the Lions and rightfully so.


But the play of Suh has made me more


THE LIONS’ Ndamukong Suh (#90) getting down and dirty at defensive tackle. — Andre Smith photo


patient about where general manager Martin Mayhew and Schwartz is leading this team. Still I understand and agree that the fans have a right to expect a team to win games.


However, Mayhew’s 2009 Draft, get-


ting three players with measurable poten- tial, quarterback Matthew Stafford, tight end Brandon Pettigrew and safety Louis Delmas, was solid. Stafford being the x- factor due to continued problems with injuries. Then the Lions second year GM snatched Suh and running back Jahvid Best. I like both his drafts, so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.


“Detroit fans are obviously very in-tune


to their football and they love it,” Suh said. “They deserve to have a team that they can be proud of. We have not given them as many wins as we would have liked, but this is a good team. We have some players that want to win and are giving it all they have game after game.”


At 6-foot-4, 307 pounds, Suh can look


in the mirror without question and tell himself he has played with determination and grit. I think what has made him spe- cial for a 300-pound defensive tackle is his balance and footwork. Much of which he learned playing soccer up until the eighth grade.


“I got a little big for soccer,” he said,


“and I started getting too many red cards. I definitely have grown to love football; It’s fun to kind of beat up on those little guys.”


I say keep having fun, big fella, and the


NDAMUKONG SUH, shown with Laker Ron Artest, is a Pistons faithful. — Mike Alberts photo


wins will start to come — I hope! Leland Stein can be reached at lel-


stein3@aol.com.


Former PSL standout handles college tennis


By Harry M. Anderson Jr. When it comes to some


sports, like football, basket- ball, track and sometimes baseball, the Detroit Public School League stands out. But when it comes to sports such as swimming, volleyball, golf, softball and tennis, the league is spinning its wheels.


Let’s focus on tennis. In the sport of tennis, the


PSL has a high hill to climb. But once in a while a diamond in the rough can arise in PSL tennis and to respectability. The diamond can go on to the collegiate level and compete with players in the rest of the league.


Jennifer Bradford of the


Wayne State Women’s Tennis Team was one of them. She’s one of the few former players in the PSL that went on to col- lege to play tennis at the col- legiate level. The social major was determined to make it at that level and by playing all four years for the Warriors in the Great Lakes Intercolle- giate Athletic Conference.


“Playing college tennis was


tough,” Bradford said. “It’s a totally different game be- cause the DPS (Detroit Public Schools) isn’t as good as the college level.


“Because I played in the


PSL I had to work harder be- cause the college game is a whole different game. It’s really competitive. Tennis isn’t as big as other sports in the PSL as well as other high schools because it doesn’t get the rec- ognition of other sports.”


The Mumford grad started


her career at WSU playing number four singles her fresh- man year (2007) compiling a record of 7-12 (0-1 in the GLIAC Tournament). During her sophomore year (2008), Bradford was 6-2 playing number five singles and 11-3 playing number six singles. Her overall record in singles was 17-6 (0-1) in the GLIAC Tourney). In 2009, her junior year, Bradford was 2-1 playing number five singles and 11-4 at number six singles compil- ing a 13-5 overall record (1-1 GLIAC Tourney).


This past fall, Bradford


compiled a singles record of 6- 6, 2-0 at number five singles, 3-5 a number six and 1-1 in the GLIAC Tournament.


As a doubles player she


compiled record of 9-11 (2007), 0-4 (2008), 11-7 (2009) and 5- 7 (2010). She played number two and three doubles during her four years. She earned All-GLIAC Honorable Mention honors in 2008 and 2009.


“I made it through,” she


said. “I struggled on the court, but pulled through my last year.


“I want to focus on school


and on graduation. I want to be a teacher, but I also want


Jennifer Bradford


to teach kids in Detroit or any- where how to play the game.”


Bradford credits her love


of the game to her mother, Mi- chelle, who also played in col- lege.


“My mom got me interest-


ed,” Bradford. “I started to play at the age of eight and started competing age of 11, playing in local United States Tennis Association Tournaments.


“I dominated the PSL be-


cause of my mom. She pushed me, preparing me for college. I just played for the Mustangs (Mumford) while I was in my teens. There were a few good teams in the PSL such as Renaissance, Cass Tech and King.”


Bradford compiled a 32-0


record match over four years in the PSL while at Mumford and had a tournament record of 8-0. She was an PSL All-City selection four years straight.


“I had determination and


drive and I want to tell the kids in the city they can have it, too,” Bradford said. “If you really want to make it play- ing tennis at the college level, you have to make the effort. It takes a lot of work, dedication and discipline.


“Playing tennis at WSU has


been fun and great all four years. It was fast paced, but I had fun every minute. I hung in there and it was worth it. Playing college tennis was one of the best times of my life as a student athlete.”


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