By Mitch Abramson
Alston is the mercurial street baller from the Toronto Raptors with the easy smile and stubborn persona. Ivey is the quiet defensive stalwart on the Atlanta Hawks whose game is as low key as he is. What they have in common is that neither was thought to have any chance of making it to the NBA, but in the span of six days, the two former Cardozo stars touched down at Madison Square Garden to play the Knicks, proving that persistence, or in the case of Alston, inflexibility, often pays off in the end. Alston entered the NBA in 1999 labeled as a playground legend who was more concerned with amusing the crowd than running a team. He was known in the streets as “Skip to My Lou,” for the hop-skip he took with the ball in his hands. Alston bounced around the NBA, making stops on three teams, once tumbling to the National Basketball Developmental League before finding a home with the Raptors this season.”When you play with Rafer, you always have to keep your hands up because he might hit you in the head with a pass if you're not ready,” said Jalen Rose, his teammate on the Raptors. “I'm a big fan of street ball, though, and he's made the transition from street ball to the pros really well. This is really his first time running a ball club, and in the beginning he was kind of learning on the job, but now you can really see his confidence going up.”Alston had to convince the Raptors he was NBA ready, so he pared down his game, discarding the moves that had given him his nickname, and he was rewarded this season with a six-year contract valued between $26 and 30 million.”It humbles you to think where you are now and to think where you used to be,” said Alston, who grew up in Jamaica. “You just have to keep working hard and never take anything for granted. You have to approach every game like it's a playoff game because someone is always trying to take your spot.” Despite finally getting his dream contract, Alston and his first year coach Sam Mitchell clashed earlier in the season. In February, Alston left the arena after he was benched in the first quarter of a game against Cleveland. The Associated Press reported that Alston was seen crying leaving in the fourth quarter. A week before, he was suspended two games for walking out of practice.”Rafer was always good at leading others, but he wasn't always the best at leading himself,” said Cardozo coach Ron Naclerio.Alston was benched again in a loss to Boston and was taken out of the starting lineup the next game because of a disagreement. At the time, Alston said he might quit the team and wondered aloud if he was suited for the NBA.”If you look at my stats, I was having a good summer,” he said. “But after the run-ins with coach, it kind of nullified what I had accomplished. I'm an open person, though. I don't like scenarios and politics and everything is cool now.”When the ball is in his hands, Alston's face often curls up into a wide smile. He plays the game as if he wants to enjoy every minute of it. In a 105-93 over the Knicks April 12, there was no trace of animosity between player and coach. Whenever the two conferred, they often exchanged half-hugs and were always creating some type of physical contact.”He's grown up a lot since he's been here,” Mitchell said. “We've had our difficulties, but in this league, when you have a new coach and a new point guard, they're going to be some issues. It's a growing process.”While Alston's season has been marred with disputes, Ivey has been plagued with injures in his rookie year. He suffered the first major injury of his career when he sprained his knee against the Knicks in November and missed 15 games, costing him his spot in the starting lineup. When he was activated from the injured list on January 29, Kenny Anderson, the legendary point guard from Archbishop Molloy was removed from the roster.Given his shaky introduction to basketball in high school, the thought of Ivey starting on an NBA team is not easy to digest. He played on the JV as a freshman and didn't see any significant minutes until his junior season. During his senior season, Naclerio called 68 Division I schools, trying to drum up some interest.”There was nothing available for him,” Naclerio said.After earning MVP honors and leading Cardozo to the PSAL championship in 1999, Ivey opted to go the prep school route rather than settle for a couple of mid-majors which recruited him. He went to Blair Academy in New Jersey where he was noticed by former Texas assistant Rob Lanier.Ivey had a stellar career at Texas, starting all four years he played. He was not expected to get drafted, but after impressing scouts at the pre-draft workouts against Ben Gordon and Shaun Livingston, Atlanta swooped in with the 37th pick in the second round and selected Ivey, who had led Texas to the NCAA Final Four as a junior. “I knew in my heart that I could play in the NBA,” said Ivey, who scored 4 points in a 139-135 overtime win for the Hawks Sunday. “It was just a matter of continuing to play hard, but I never doubted myself. Maybe others did, but I never did, and it's been a great experience, like a dream come true.”Reach reporter Mitch Abramson by E-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300 Ext. 130.
