Brand Name Basketball
From The Westchester Wag
February 2000

At one time New York Governor George Pataki was the most famous Peekskill native, but soon a 6-foot-8 basketball star from that city may steal the title.

That player, Elton Brand, is on the brink of becoming a household name.

Last May, against the odds, Brand became the number one pick in the first round of the National Basketball Association draft for the Chicago Bulls. Suddenly, those who followed basketball were following Elton Brand.

"No question about it," joked Gov. Pataki. "Elton is the most famous. Then there are Peekskill natives Mel Gibson and Pee Wee Herman. I guess that makes me a poor fourth."

Pataki and Brand have ties that go back many years. "I've known Elton since he was in kindergarten," says the governor. "My daughter Emily and Elton went to school together. As a matter of fact, they were in a school play together. Elton was Santa and Emily played Mrs. Claus. Ever since he was a little kid, I was impressed with him. He was respectful and intelligent. He's grown to be one of the finest athletes, and still retains those characteristics."

Before Brand, the best known former Westchester County players to make it in the NBA were the Williams brothers,-Ray and Gus, from Mount Vernon. Ray played with the New York Knickerbockers and Gus played with the Seattle SuperSonics in the late '70s through the mid-'80s. Fox Lane grad James Blackwell played briefly with the Boston Celtics in 1995.

"For a long time, college coaches viewed Westchester as a bedroom community with little or no big-time basketball talent," said Joe Lombardi, sports editor of The Patent Trader, a newspaper covering Northern Westchester, and the host of a weekly sports talk show on Cablevision. "There was a feeling that if a player wasn't from the city, he wasn't a player. But then along came Elton, and he changed everything. It doesn't get any bigger or better than being National College Player of the Year as a sophomore and the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. He has put Westchester basketball on the map nationally."

Brand credits his high school basketball coach, Lou Panzanaro, with helping put him on the right path. Elton lettered in basketball all four years in high school for coach Panzanaro, as well as lettering one year in football as a tight end. Eventually, he gave up football to concentrate on basketball.

"To me, basketball was a lot of fun and a challenge to play," says the soft-spoken, multi-talented athlete.

"I met Elton when he was a 13-year-old-freshman at Peekskill High School," Panzanaro remembers. "I thought he was too young to play on the varsity team. During a scrimmage against White Plains, the junior varsity coach asked me, as varsity coach, to referee the game.

"Well, that was his mistake, because after I saw Elton get the ball up for the opening tap, score over 30 points and get every rebound after every shot, I wanted him on the varsity team. He played phenomenally. It made me realize, for him to get better, he needed to play with people who were better than him at that point."

"Various people taught me to play basketball, but my high school coach played an important role," says Brand. "He helped me tremendously. Coach worked me so hard that at one point I quit basketball, saying this is not for me. I was in 10th grade and he would have me do 100 extra things. I just couldn't take it anymore, so I quit."

Coach Panzanaro also recalls that time, which was a turning point in their relationship. "I remember that day, Elton didn't practice hard, so I had him run lines after practice. He ended up hyperventilating. I called his mother that evening to check on Elton and to explain what happened during practice. His mother, Dolly, said 'Okay, you knocked him down today, but tomorrow make sure you hug him, build him back up and tell him you love him.' Dolly told Elton not to give up and not to quit. He was only 13 years old and I never had a problem after that incident."

His mother's influence on Elton is evident from just a few minutes of conversation. When you talk to people who have known him through the years, they express the importance of his relationship with his mother.

"I got to know Elton and his mom very well when Elton was in high school," says Lombardi. "The best word I would use to describe them is 'real.' There are no pretenses about them. Their values and their priorities are so admirable and inspirational."

"My mother taught me a lot and instilled good behavior and a work ethic," Brand says. " My mom's attitude kept me positive. She was always pushing me to be the best, and to read books."

Dolly helped inspire Elton to choose a college basketball program that has a high student/athlete graduation rate. Coach Panzanaro recalls: "After his high school sophomore year, I was getting letters from people who had never even seen him play. Over 250 schools were interested in Elton. Of course, NCAA rules state schools can't contact high school athletes until their senior year.

"Elton and I decided California was too far and New York was too close. We picked out 40 schools and I did a lot research with him and evaluated the academics and graduation rate. It is ironic the way it turned out."

It's ironic because Brand chose Duke because of its impressive student/player graduation rate, yet, he was the first player to leave the prestigious basketball program early.

Along with its 94 percent graduation rate for athletes and impressive academics, Duke has been to more NCAA Final Four basketball tournaments (eight) than any other school since 1986 and won back-to-back NCAA National Championships in 1991-92. It's fair to say the school has had the most successful college basketball program since the mid-1980s. Playing for Duke is probably the closest thing to playing in the NBA.

"I warned Elton that the Duke basketball team had eight or nine underclassman that were very good," Panzanaro says. "If he was lucky Coach Mike Krzyzewski would let him play a few minutes when they played West Point since that would be a home game for him. Coach K was the only basketball coach recruiting Elton who gave no assurances of playing him."

But once again Elton surpassed expectations. His list of athletic awards in college covers just about every honor a collegiate basketball player can win. One indication of the outstanding career ahead of him in professional basketball was being named "Sporting News Player of the Year" after his sophomore year at Duke. He is one of only three players to receive the award after his sophomore year in college. (The other two were NBA legends Michael Jordan and Bill Walton.)

Brand left his highly ranked college team after his sophomore year to enter the draft. How hard was it to leave Duke early? "It was very tough," he says. " I had made lots of friendships and the coach gave me opportunities. It gave me a chance to learn. It exposed me to media coverage all the time."

"I've been impressed with Elton since the day I first met him," says Krzyzewski. "It is obvious when you meet him what a great job his mom did in raising him to be an outstanding person. I'm proud to have coached him in college and look forward to watching his professional career. Certainly, Elton is a great example of a kid that respects the people around him -- his teammates, his coaches, his family -- which is a sign of great maturity. I love Elton as a person but also for all he did for college basketball and all he'll do in the NBA. Elton deserved this opportunity."

Coach Krzyzewski has Elton's word that he'll come back to finish his degree, said high school coach Panzanaro.

Considering Brand's extraordinary college career, it wasn't surprising that sports agents were clamoring to represent him. Agent David Falk, like Coach K , was impressed with him on and off the court.

"In preparation for the NBA draft Elton worked out with a personal trainer near my home outside Washington, D.C., so I had a chance to spend a lot of time with him," he says. "I spent significantly more time with him than I usually have the luxury of spending with my rookie clients. I've observed that one of the best barometers of an individual's character is how that individual interacts with your family. Elton spent a great deal of time with my family -- my wife and my two daughters -- and he showed great poise and sincerity. He is a tremendous young man," says Falk, chairman and CEO of Falk Associates Management Enterprises (FAME) and the chairman of the SFX Sports Group.

Falk's agency represents more NBA first round draft selections, lottery picks, rookies-of-the-year and All Stars than anyone else in the business. Elton will be joining an impressive list of NBA clients represented by FAME including Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing , Alonzo Mourning and Stephan Marbury, to name a few.

Although there was speculation, many weren't certain Elton would be number one in the draft. There was one significant exception. Coach Panzanaro says, "I called his mother a few days before the draft and was concerned about Elton's draft position. She said not to worry, he would be number one overall in the draft. At first I thought she was joking but she was absolutely convinced he'd be number one ." On June 30, 1999, Elton once again surpassed all expectations, making the people of Westchester County, and mom, very proud.

"Being number one in the draft really wasn't that important to me. I just wanted to get to the best team -- the Chicago Bulls," says Elton. Although, the Chicago Bulls were the most successful team of the 1990s, most of the players from that NBA dynasty have left, and the team is in the rebuilding stage. Of course, Chicago is hungry for the next Michael Jordan and some are putting their hopes and dreams on Elton. "It's hard to comprehend -- Michael Jordan is the best player in the world!" Brand says.

He doesn't seem to be too concerned about playing in the NBA. "Each step is a new challenge. Everyone said that I was not ready for college basketball at Duke and I ended up starting as a freshman," he says.

Making the transition easier is Ron Artest, an old friend and new Bulls teammate. They played together at the infamous Riverside Church AAU program in New York. Ron went on to St. John's University. "He's very special and really knows the game," says Elton proudly.

John Goldman of Chappaqua, a.k.a. "Shot Doctor" and basketball guru, likes what he sees in this former student. "He will definitely make it as a pro. Elton is fiercely competitive. His arms are so long, and his ability to jump is so quick that he'll get any loose ball. He has wonderful hands and an uncanny way of knowing how to score."

Elton's biggest fan will join him in Chicago. "My mom will be in Chicago so she can go to the games and be a mom. I am sure she'll miss Westchester County, but I am sure she'll be back to visit."

Elton and his family have lots of roots in Westchester County. Brand says, "My grandmother lives in Ossining and I have uncles and aunts who live throughout the county. I will miss the people and being away from my friends. I liked growing up in Westchester County -- it wasn't like a fast-paced city life. It was a good environment. I'll come back to visit because I love the area, the scenery, driving up Route 9 and seeing all the trees."

One of Elton's favorite hangouts in Peekskill is not a basketball court but a restaurant. "I like going to Highland Pizza in Peekskill late at night and talking to my friends for hours and hours. I love the chicken parmesan," he says. Gov. Pataki likes the restaurant, too. Highland Pizza has a Pataki Pizza and will soon be offering an Elton chicken parmesan sandwich. Of course, now that Elton has his lucrative contract with the Bulls he could buy Highland Pizza.

Brand will be coming back with the Bulls to face the New York Knicks on March 22 at Madison Square Garden . "A lot of my friends are diehard Knicks fans," he says. "They told me that if Michael Jordan were still playing for the Bulls they would not root for me. Since Michael is gone and we grew up together they'll try."

A former Knick fan himself, Elton understands his friends' dilemma but has no problem playing for another team. "It won't be that strange, because I never wore a Knick uniform," he said before the Bulls season began.

Speculating on what the future holds for Brand, David Falk says of his new client, "Elton is an impact player. He has excellent pro potential and will be a productive professional player for a long period of time. "There are not enough Elton Brands in sports. He brings such character to the game. You know he is going to give 100 percent, work hard, and be a great ambassador for the sport. Will he be a super star? I don't know. But you know what, I didn't know if he would be a starter at Duke. He always had the ability to be the best of the best on every level. He is going to be a winner. Not only physical but mental. He knows how to be the best," said Coach Panazarro.

"A lot of people have been doubting Elton for so long," said Lombardi. "They said he couldn't play at Duke. That he wasn't big enough to be an efficient low-post player in college or the NBA. And he just keeps proving people wrong."

"I admire his relationship with people. He makes others feel very special. You should see him when he visits my kid's basketball camp," said Coach Panzanaro.

Elton would like to come back to Westchester County and pursue some business opportunities when he retires from professional basketball. His friend Gov. Pataki thinks he may have some other opportunities in the political arena. "Hey don't laugh, there are parallels between Elton and presidential candidate Bill Bradley. Like Elton, Bill was always underestimated and always made the effort to be a great player and a citizen."

Elton's whole life has been about overcoming the odds against him and he continues to prove skeptics wrong. Presidential candidate Elton Brand does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it?