COLUMNS

So, what does it take to be a San Antonio Spur?
Score Magazine, Volume V, No. 7, 2000

Of course, it takes talent.  After all, talent is a big part of what brought the team the 1999 World Championship.  But, it also takes something less tangible - something not as easily measured by stats and scores. It takes character. And a willingness to give back to the community.

In other words, it takes the qualities that make new guard Derek Anderson such a perfect fit with the Spurs.

The 26-year-old Anderson, a three-year NBA veteran, certainly possesses the measurable talent.

“Derek was our primary choice from day one among free agents that were not our own," said Spurs Head Coach and General Manager Gregg Popovich about the guard. "He's, a heck of a player and will make us a better basketball team, but it's more than that - he fits with the rest of our guys as far as character is concerned.  There's a lot of talent out there, but talent-wise — and as a person — he exceeds what we could have gotten."

Anderson first excelled at the University of Kentucky, where he earned his degree in pharmacy and played two seasons for the Wildcats after spending his first two years at Ohio State.  In his collegiate basketball career, Anderson played in 99 games in which he averaged 12.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. He was also a key contributor to the Wildcats' NCAA Championship victory in 1996.

The 6'5" Anderson joined the NBA when the Cleveland Cavaliers selected him in the first round of the 1997 Draft with the 13^th overall pick. He suited up with the Cavs for two seasons, where as a rookie he earned a spot on the 1998 All-Rookie Second Team and ranked fourth in the NBA with a .873 free throw percentage.

Anderson played his third NBA season with the Clippers, with whom he scored a career-high 35 points against Dallas and recorded his first career triple-double. Finishing with 16 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds against Miami.

Last season, he averaged 16.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.41 steals in 34.4 minutes in 64 games. His .877 mark from the line ranked seventh in the NBA in free throw percentage With stats like that, it's not surprising that the Spurs weren't the only NBA team vying to have Anderson wear the number "1" on its team jersey. According to Popovich, 16 to 17 teams contacted the free agent.

Determined to bring Anderson to San Antonio, the Spurs welcomed the visiting Anderson with open arms, escorting him around the city - he even attended the July 12 news conference at Sunset Station to announce the August 2001 Vikings-Saints NFL preseason game.

"Derek is good people," Popovich said. "He has a great sense of humor. I value that very highly. " And a healthy sense of humor is a quality the guard shares with the other Spurs players, known for their good-natured banter and jokes.

THE NEED TO GIVE BACK

Likewise, Anderson understands about the need to give back to the community.   The guard joins Spurs players like David Robinson, Avery Johnson, Tim Duncan and others who regularly demonstrate a solid commitment through volunteer service

and donations. (And, the Spurs organization was recognized this year as the winner of the 2000 Pro-Team Community Service Award, honoring the professional sports franchise that best demonstrates outstanding community involvement and acts as a catalyst for community pride and spirit.)

Anderson is active with the NBA TeamUp community service initiative, and also  has his own charitable organization in his hometown of Louisville, KY - the  Derek Anderson Foundation. The Foundation assists underprivileged children in a variety of ways. An example is the mentoring services it provides for another Louisville-based agency, where mentors teach life skills, from budgeting and meal planning to job interviewing and personal care to teens who have been abused, abandoned or neglected or shuffled among foster homes. Other programs the Foundation sponsors include a summer basketball league; scholarships and recognition awards for local students; a summer pro-am basketball tournament; and an annual high school "Dream Game," at which coaches are invited to watch local players in action - an event that has resulted in many college scholarships.

George Williams, the guard's father and former vice president of the Derek Anderson Foundation, told Louisville Courier-Journal reporter Darla Carter in a May 1, 2000 article that Anderson started the program because he believed that "young men need a support network." Williams continued, "Derek wanted to help them build a bridge to that network, to. ..get them to go to a higher-educational institute, finish their GED or get vocational training so they would be a solid entity in the community rather than a liability."

Anderson's philosophy about community involvement is clear. "Being in our situation [as professional athletes], and able to do things for other people," he says, "it makes sense that we give back."

Anderson takes his responsibility as a role model Just as seriously as he takes his community work. "I think I need to keep our community as clean as possible - I don't need to be out there saying one thing and the next day doing another. That just doesn't make sense - that deteriorates what we're trying to do."

Anderson knows his values will complement those he sees not only with the Spurs, but also the values held by the team's home city. "Here in San Antonio, you already have a good situation set in place. You have good people around you - both on and off the court."

IT'S ALL ABOUT WINNING

And while the people off the court are important to Anderson, he is really looking forward to being part of the on-the-court action. While playing against the Silver and Black, Anderson watched the team's dynamics from across the court, and liked what he saw.

Noticing how the "[Spurs] players respect Coach Popovich's coaching ability," Anderson remarked, "Everybody has to get along on the court to even make it work half-way. And if you have people getting along off the court, then that just carries over. I saw it from the outside, and) saw a pretty picture. Everybody collectively came together— whether they were losing or winning — and they stayed that way. And that made a big difference in my decision to come here."

Anderson says that his seasons wearing other jerseys have taught him valuable lessons that have made him ready for the move.

"It's like graduating high school," he says about signing with the Spurs. "All the studying, taking exams, and you finally get your degree. I feel like I finally got my degree, and I'm ready to step into a new job."

And, in his fourth year with the NBA, Anderson is thrilled to have found "the perfect fit."

For beyond the shared sense of humor, dedication to community and spirit of camaraderie, he chose San Antonio for a key reason: to satisfy his own desire to be part of a winning team. "The real reason I came to San Antonio, is, basically, because I wanted to win," says the guard.  "I didn't hesitate to come down...I want to be a focal part of the team, and I think this is a great situation where I can start.  I'm going to try to bring the team another Championship. It takes unique character to win games for the Spurs, and I think I'll bring my own to the team - on top of the character they already have. "

And in San Antonio, character makes the fit.