A draft pick's wild ride

	Giorgos Printezis (right), wearing Rochester Big & Tall, greets deputy commissioner Adam Silver after being drafted in Round 2. AP

A week after receiving his U.S. visa and trying out in four NBA cities, Greek prospect Giorgos Printezis arrived in New York for the NBA Draft wearing a T-shirt, jeans and sneakers. At 4:30 p.m. -- three hours before the draft -- he learned that he wouldn't be allowed on stage unless he was dressed appropriately.

What to do? He went to Rochester Big & Tall and spent $800 on an outfit.

"He bought shoes, socks, shirt, jacket, pants, and the pants they had to tailor there in the store,'' said his American agent, Kenny Grant. "They were very nice. It took 20 minutes and they did it while we waited.''

They still had an hour to kill, and Printezis wanted to visit Niketown. They were in the store when Grant looked at his watch and realized they needed to get going.

"We couldn't get a taxi,'' Grant said. "Then a bike went by.''

It was one of those pedaled rickshaws, a bicycle with a carriage in back.

"We said, 'Can you take us to the Garden?''' Grant said. "The guy said, 'Sure. Where is it?' "

The two-mile ride took more than 10 minutes. Printezis, a small forward, is 6-8 and 205 pounds, and Grant is a 6-foot former point guard.

"Every time we would stop for a red light, I felt so sorry for the guy on the bike,'' Grant said. "He was so slow getting started again.''

The rickshaw pulled them down 5th Avenue then across 34th Street against traffic to the back entrance of the Garden.

"He pulls up to that green awning on 33rd,'' Grant said. "All the limos are lined up there for Greg Oden and Kevin Durant, and here we pull up in a rickshaw.''

Printezis ran into the bathroom and changed into his new outfit: a cream linen sportcoat, dark navy slacks and a light blue uncollared shirt. Then he and Grant sat in the audience hoping to hear his name called.

It was a far different experience for Grant than last year, when he and Leon Rose served as agents to No. 1 pick Andrea Bargnani. Hours went by as Grant and Printezis waited.

"When they got to No. 55,'' Grant said, "he leaned over and told me, 'I wasted $800.' "

Then the San Antonio Spurs used the No. 58 pick on Printezis on behalf of the Toronto Raptors, who had acquired the pick. Printezis, 22, might have been the most enthusiastic draftee of the night. He ran up to the stage and shook deputy commissioner Adam Silver's hand like a father greeting the doctor who delivered the baby. The Raptors intend to let him remain next season with Olympiakos of Athens, with whom Printezis has two years remaining on his contract. Printezis may never make it to the NBA, but he'll always have this night in New York.

"Afterward we went to the Greek section to eat, and he was the big celebrity,'' Grant said. "It's a funny story -- but it might not have been as funny if he hadn't been drafted.''

NOTE: An earlier version of this item contained a quote attributed to P. Diddy, which turned out in fact to be the creation of a blogger. My apologies to the readers and to P. Diddy, for attributing it erroneously to him.