Kenny Smith Credits CBA

Published on April 9, 2003 under United Indoor Football Association (UIF)
Ohio Valley Greyhounds News Release


Boise, Idaho (April 9, 2003)— For over 50 years the Continental Basketball Association has been well known as professional basketball's premiere developmental league, where through hard-work and determination players can reach their dream of playing in the NBA.

In the March 13 episode of TNT's Inside the NBA, basketball analyst and nine-year NBA veteran Kenny Smith sung the praises of some of those determined CBA alums, currently making an impact in the NBA, when he announced this season's "Unsigned Hype." Of the six players discussed, four (Earl Boykins, Golden State; Chucky Atkins, Detroit; Troy Hudson, Minnesota; and Aaron Williams, New Jersey) honed their skills in the CBA.

Recently Smith, who won the 2001 Sports Emmy as a studio analyst with TNT and TBS, sat down to answer a few questions about the CBA and its importance to professional basketball.

CBA: What makes these players "Unsigned Hype"?

Smith: These guys were players that weren't initially drafted in the League (NBA), and are now making an impact.

CBA: Four of the six players you mentioned honed their skills in the CBA. Do you think this is just a coincidence or do CBA players bring a special desire and/or style to the floor?

Smith: The CBA is a good ground for guys to figure out their respective games. In the NBA, players know what makes them good; they know their strengths, as players. The CBA provides an opportunity for players to figure out what their weaknesses are and helps them turn those weaknesses into strengths. The CBA gives players a chance to work on their deficiencies.

CBA: Are there any other former CBA players in the NBA that deserve kudos for their hard work?

Smith: John Starks, Anthony Mason, the list goes on.

CBA: How important has the CBA been to professional basketball over the years and what role do you see the league serving in the future?

Smith: Though the CBA doesn't guarantee a trip to the NBA, it forces players to work hard, to push themselves, which in the end can make them better players. The CBA isn't a "spring-board" to the next level, it's a "rope climb." Players in the NBA are "finished products" who are looking for the opportunity to play. Players in the CBA aren't "finished products" and don't have a guaranteed opportunity to play.

The CBA is definitely valuable to the League (NBA); for example, Atkins and Boykins- the CBA prepared these and other "unsigned hype" to take it to the next level; to figure out their strengths before making the jump to the NBA. You can get to the next level if you work hard and the CBA teaches players to work hard.

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