THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, February 4, 1997 TAG: 9702040425
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LANDOVER, MD. LENGTH: 114 lines
Halfway through his fourth NBA season, Bobby Hurley looks as boyish as ever.
As ballboyish as ever, in fact. Warming up with some of his much larger Sacramento Kings teammates before a recent game, a T-shirt hanging loosely from his 160-pound frame, he easily could be mistaken for one of the skinny teens shagging rebounds.
Only when he pulls off his jersey after the game do you see how time and tragedy have marked Hurley since he left Duke University. Long surgical scars crisscross his back, reminders of the life-threatening injuries he suffered in an auto accident three years ago.
It happened Dec. 12, 1993, on a remote road near Arco Arena in Sacramento. Hurley's truck was blindsided by a car. Hurley, who wasn't wearing a seat belt, was thrown into a ditch.
Had teammate Mike Peplowski not happened by, Hurley might not have made it. In addition to various fractures, of the shoulder, ribs and back, Hurley had a torn trachea tube, severed from the main airway to his left lung.
Even after he was taken to the hospital, it was touch-and-go. ``I don't think people really remember the situation,'' said Sacramento coach Garry St. Jean, who will never forget it. ``The young man received the last rites.''
Hurley fought back and returned to the court about a year after the accident. But although his wounds have healed, now it's his career that's in critical condition.
The fact is, if it weren't for a huge contract that makes him virtually untradeable, Hurley, 25, would have been gone from Sacramento long ago. As it is, he's languishing on the bench, his confidence waning, his shooting percentage (28 percent) below the freezing mark.
Hurley's struggles are a source of great debate among Kings fans. There are those who say he's never been the same since the accident, and those who say he never would have made it anyway.
``No one will ever know,'' St. Jean said.
This much is indisputable. Hurley was a great college point guard, who led Duke to three straight NCAA finals and two straight NCAA championships. He was tough and gritty, not a great shooter but the kind of player who would hit the big shot. A winner.
Hurley was also just 6 feet tall and 160 pounds, and for that reason many doubted whether he could make it in the NBA. Nevertheless, the Kings made him the seventh pick overall in the 1993 draft and signed him to a six-year, $16 million contract.
Hurley started his first 19 NBA games and did reasonably well, averaging 26 minutes, 7.1 points and 6.1 assists per game. He shot just 37 percent but was learning a tough position, on a bad team.
Then came the accident. Whatever momentum Hurley had was lost.
In 64 games the next year, most of them off the bench, Hurley's scoring averaged dipped to four points, his assist average to below four, his shooting percentage to .363. He was still recovering, physically and mentally, he said.
``I don't know if basketball was a big priority for me,'' he said. ``The accident made me appreciate other things other than basketball for a while. It took me a long time, but I got my strength back. And I've been able to enjoy playing again.''
Still, the downward trend continued. Last season, Hurley averaged just three points and three assists, and shot 27 percent, the lowest of any player in the league.
This year he's averaging 2.3 points and two assists in 11 minutes per game. In 15 of Sacramento's first 42 games, his line read: ``Did not play, coach's decision.''
There has been talk of trades: to Boston for Dee Brown; to New Jersey, where, as a Jersey City native, he would be a fan draw. But the deals didn't pan out.
Sacramento insiders say St. Jean has lost confidence in Hurley.
Hurley's struggle is to keep from losing it in himself.
``It goes a little bit,'' he said. ``It's hard to keep your game as sharp as you want when you don't know when you're getting in.''
Hurley's been in there a little more lately because of an injury to backup point guard Tyus Edney.
Against Washington on Jan. 25, the added minutes only showcased Hurley's weaknesses. He has several, but his most critical one is obvious even in warmups: his lack of a consistent jump shot.
You would think Hurley would be a better shooter. But he's got a hitch in his shot that flattens his trajectory and limits his range. As a result, Hurley's man can play off him and help defend other players.
His poor shooting limits Hurley's effectiveness as a passer as well. Although he's got good vision, teams can play the passing lanes against him because they know he's unlikely to shoot.
On top of that, Hurley is not a good defender. He's neither strong enough nor quick enough to stop many guards.
Against the Bullets, Hurley did a lot of east-west dribbling and didn't look quick enough to go by his man and make something happen in the lane.
Among his auto-accident injuries was a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. But Hurley says he hasn't lost a step.
``I'm just playing against stronger and quicker guys,'' he said. ``It may not look that way, but I feel pretty good.''
Hurley certainly is paid pretty well. His contract calls for a reported $3 million this year, and that has caused some backlash among Kings fans who are upset that he makes nearly as much as star guard Mitch Richmond.
Hurley's contract contains an option that allows him to become a free agent after this season. He's not sure if he's going to exercise it. Although he might get more playing time elsewhere, he certainly wouldn't make as much money as he does with the Kings.
Even if he doesn't make it, Hurley has money in the bank, a wife and new baby, and most importantly, St. Jean says, his health.
``That stuff at Duke, that was dreamland there. They had a wonderful run. Even if it doesn't work out that he's an All-Star, he's given it his best, and that's the bottom line.''
Hurley's hoping to recapture at least a little of that dreamland.
``I'm still a young guy,'' he said. ``I've had to overcome something very tough. I'm just trying to turn the corner.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
ASSOCIATED PRESS/FILE PHOTO
Bobby Hurley says he's recovered from his near-fatal 1993 crash. The
stats suggest otherwise.