The John would not carry fairly the identical intrigue as The Shammgod.
That’s a part of the attract — it sounds cool. Unique. Something to be found.
That’s the idea provided by God Shammgod, anyway. The former Providence level guard’s iconic dribbling transfer has been imitated by a number of NBA superstars over the previous twenty years, however there is just one man who created it. That’s the previous McDonald’s All-American who helped lead the Friars to the Elite Eight in 1997 and ultimately went on to knowledgeable profession in the NBA and abroad.
“All of that’s natural,” Shammgod stated Thursday. “Before the transfer I used to be already referred to as a dribbler — that sort of enhanced it.”
Former Friar nice Shammgod getting his personal sneaker
It’s solely a part of the 46-year-old’s story. Some different chapters will probably be opened in “NYC Point Gods,” a documentary that premieres Friday evening at 9 pm on Showtime. Shammgod was a part of a particular era of gamers who honed their video games on the metropolis’s parks and playgrounds, squaring off in opposition to each other all through a number of boroughs for supremacy.
“If you did not have a degree guard from New York you were not actually in the sport,” Shammgod stated. “Grit, toughness, information of the sport, a lot coronary heart — that is what we had.”
Current Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant and enterprise accomplice Rich Kleiman led the manufacturing via Boardroom, a subsidiary of Durant’s Thirty Five Ventures. Interviews embrace journalist and metropolis native Stephen A. Smith, musical artists Fat Joe and Cam’Ron and a trio of celebrated school coaches — Jim Boeheim, Lou Carnesecca and Rick Pitino. Shammgod was approached by the manufacturing staff about participating and was thrilled to agree.
“I used to be honored to be requested,” Shammgod stated. “Of course I used to be keen to do it.”
Shammgod performed for 2 years with Providence earlier than being chosen in the second spherical of the NBA Draft. He ultimately returned to the varsity as a part of the teaching employees beneath Ed Cooley, serving in a player improvement position. Shammgod completed his diploma at Providence and simply wrapped up his third season in an analogous employees position with the Dallas Mavericks.
“It was the appropriate time,” Shammgod stated. “I used to be making the transition. Ed Cooley was there and he welcomed me with open arms as a result of he is such an incredible household particular person.”
Shammgod’s signature ability works like an optical phantasm in opposition to an opposing defender. A player dribbles the ball into what looks like a impartial area between two our bodies, snatches it again with the other hand and is on his technique to daylight. HoopsTube posted a montage that garnered greater than 5.7 million views on YouTube — Russell Westbrook, Kyrie Irving, Chris Paul, Tracy McGrady and Manu Ginobili are amongst these proven leaving their foes greedy at skinny air.
“My father gave me a singular identify,” Shammgod stated. “I attempt to dwell as much as my identify and my household. How I performed sort of coincided with my identify.”
The 2022 Providence Friars had been in the Sweet 16:Here’s a take a look at their earlier appearances
Shammgod has some type of reference to every of the principal events in the documentary. He was the Catholic colleges player of the yr in New York as a highschool senior — Stephon Marbury took the consideration among the many public colleges. Shammgod performed with Rafer Alston and Rod Strickland, appeared as much as Kenny Anderson and Pearl Washington, was educated by Mark Jackson and Kenny Smith — their world in the large metropolis was in the end a fairly small one.
“If you take a look at the way in which level guards play now, that is how we performed again then,” Shammgod stated. “It wasn’t accepted as a lot as now. That’s why we’re nonetheless related in this contemporary period.”
Shammgod would not have many free nights throughout the season, however he discovered the time to look at his alma mater get pleasure from a particular 2021-22 season. The Friars captured their first common season Big East title and superior to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. Providence narrowly missed an upset of eventual champion Kansas in a showdown on the United Center in Chicago.
“(Cooley) took a staff that folks did not assume was going to be the way it was, and he virtually received to the Elite Eight,” Shammgod stated. “The future continues to be brilliant. He’s received much more in the tank to return.”
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On Twitter: @BillKoch25