Where Are They Now, 2009; Part 49
March 6th, 2009
– Tiago Splitter is into his sixth season with Tau Vitoria, averaging 16.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game in the Spanish league, alongside 15.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in the Spanish league. Splitter recently missed a couple of weeks with a torn muscle and the death of his sister, but he returned to be week MVP of the EuroLeague last week, which is not bad going.
– Latrell Sprewell was in court yesterday. not on it.
– Ondrej Starosta is in the LEB Gold, averaging 4.0 points and 4.8 rebounds for Plus Pujol Lleida.
– Vladimir Stepania hasn’t played since March 2004, which, for calendar fans out there, was five years ago. The last thing that I’ve got for him is this ominous-sounding forum post from November 2006. I’m guessing it didn’t work out.
– Blake Stepp has not played since 2006 after a stint with Valencia in Spain. The only thing that I know since then is that he’s started playing a lot of poker. Whether it’s a full time thing for him now or not, I don’t know, but he did cash at the 2008 World Series Of Poker. Another former Gonzaga player, Nathan Doudney, is also playing a lot of poker now, and doing better than Stepp.
– After Michael Stewart’s six-year contract ran out with the Hawks in 2005, he managed one more basketball stint with Huelvas in Spain, averaging 7.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. He has not played since April 2006. This old version of his Wikipedia page says that Stewart is now a businessman living in Florida, and, while it’s not the most fool proof of sources out there, I see no reason to disbelieve it.
– Frans Steyn is in China, averaging 15.6 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game for Qingdao Double Star. This means that Olumide Oyedeji is about twice as good as him. Steyn also shoots 66% from the field, 48% from the line, and averages 4.1 fouls per game.
– Curtis Stinson is performing one of the finest Magic Johnson impressions ever seen in the modern era. Playing for the Iowa Energy, Stinson averages 14.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.9 steals per game. He’s like a prime Jason Kidd, except he shoots worse. And shooting worse than Jason Kidd is not easy to do. Stinson’s percentages read 42%, 16% and 70%, none of which are even average. But seven rebounds a game from your 6’3 point guard is pretty epic. So is the 43 minutes a game that he averages.
– Awvee Storey went to China, but disgraced Americans everywhere by not dominating. However, he’s getting there; Storey averages 23.1 points and 7.1 rebounds, which is good if not great, but he started by averaging only 12.7 points and 5.2 rebounds through his first nine games. He’s since countered that by averaging 31 points and 8.3 rebounds in his last 15 games, restoring national pride and perhaps preventing a war.
– Damon Stoudamire is now an assistant coach with the Memphis Grizzlies, but claims not to have officially retired.
– Finally, Damon’s cousin Salim Stoudamire signed with the San Antonio Spurs for quite a lot of guaranteed money this training camp, but then didn’t make the team, being beaten out (not off) by Desmon Farmer, who had none. This is because Salim could barely play due to a strained groin. Having not signed anywhere since, I’m guessing it still hurts.
