By Mark Altieri, Special to the On-line Forty-Niner
May 5,1997
These days it seems that young college basketball stars have it made. The shoe contracts and product endorsements are waiting long before they put pen to paper to sign with their first professional team. For many, the challenge of making it in the NBA is nonexistent due to the media and marketing jackals that insist on glorifying these youths before they've hit the hardwood for their first game.
But not every successful college player enters the league amidst all this hype. For every super rookie drafted in the first round, there's five or six who enter the NBA unheralded, facing the challenge of finding their niche in the dog-eat-dog world of professional basketball.
Enter former Cal State Long Beach star Bryon Russell. Russell, who averaged 11.7 points and 6.6 rebounds over his four-year career at Long Beach didn't consider playing professionally until the end of his junior year.
"My coach, Bob Tate, told me if I was serious about pro basketball, I had better develop an outside jump shot." Russell said. "After my senior year, Orlando and Phoenix showed some interest in me, but I wanted to get invited to a couple of pre-draft camps so I could prove myself."
Russell was invited to the pre-draft camp in Chicago run by NBA scout Marty Blake, and his strong work ethic paid off. The Utah Jazz made Russell the 45th pick overall in the 1993 draft. Russell's story sure is a far cry from the marketing-mogul college stars that pervade the NBA draft each season, but he's happy to have taken the low-profile route.
"I didn't have the pressure on me like the bigger name rookies did," Russell said. "I just worked hard and played my game without worrying about any expectations."
However, Russell's path in the NBA has not been without its share of pressure. Russell played in 67 games during his rookie campaign, starting in 48 of them. Two seasons later he didn't leave the bench for 23 games and shot a measly 39 percent from the field while averaging less than 10 minutes a game when he did appear. It seemed that Russell's days with the Jazz were numbered.
"I thought I was going to get cut at that time, because coaches were telling me to play well to showcase my skills to other teams," Russell said. "But I didn't let myself get down. Life is way too short for that."
Luckily things turned around for Russell during the 1995-96 playoff series against the Portland Trailblazers. The Jazz seemed headed for a devastating first game home loss to the Trailblazers in their best-of-five series. Russell, the only player yet to leave the bench, was summoned by Coach Jerry Sloan when Portland had the game all but wrapped up. Russell proceeded to score, rebound and defend and bring the Jazz back to victory. His performance earned him regular minutes throughout the remainder of the series which the Jazz won thanks, in large part, to Russell's relentless defense.
"That was the biggest chance of my life." Russell said.
Coach Jerry Sloan also remembers Russell's turning-point performance.
"Bryon always kept working. And everyone needs a little luck," Sloan said. "Against Portland we were struggling. Then Byron came in and played great. We drafted him to defend people. His defense is what brought him to our attention."
Since that fateful night, the former San Bernadino High School star's career has been one success after another. Bryon started the entire 1996-97 season at the small forward position, finishing the season with averages of 10.8 points (4th on the team), 4.1 rebounds (3rd on the team) and 1.59 steals (2nd on the team). Although Russell is known for his defensive prowess, he's become one of the league's biggest long-range scoring threats, breaking the Jazz franchise record for three-point field goals made in a season (108).
After four seasons with the Jazz, Russell has become a integral part of the team's system. He credits his success to his attitude and work ethic.
"I think I bring a lot of poise and intensity to this team," Russell said. "I'm a team player, no doubt. I do what it takes for the team to win and not for my personal goals."
Jazz president and former head coach Frank Layden is quick to praise Russell's positive outlook on life, when discussing the player's success in Utah.
"One thing about Bryon is that he never gets down. Layden said. "He always seems to be having fun. His temperament is his greatest asset."
Having fun seems to be something that Russell has concentrated on since his days at Cal State Long Beach. Former 49er teammate Lucious Harris, now with the Philadelphia 76ers, also commented on Russell's positive demeanor.
"Bryon is the happiest person I've ever met," Harris said. I've never heard him say a bad thing about another person, and he's always laughing. I mean always. Nothing gets him down."
To hear Russell speak about his experience at Cal State Long Beach, it becomes clear that enjoying himself and staying positive are the secrets to his success.
"I had a great time, all four years there. I couldn't have picked a better school," Russell said. The coaches were great to me. The people were great to me. The community was great to me. My teammates and myself had a great time at the school. It was just fun."
Fun, fun, fun. That seems to be the overriding theme with Bryon Russell. It's often said that positive thoughts breed positive outcomes. Bryon Russell is living proof that this old cliché is very true.