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Chandler under the spotlight Seven-foot sensation insists he's not set on NBA
Posted: Monday July 10, 2000 02:25 PM
By Albert Lin, CNNSI.com INDIANPOLIS -- It seems like Tyson Chandler has already been in the spotlight for such a long time, but the glare is about to intensify. Chandler has a chance, should he turn pro, of being the first high schooler selected No. 1 in the NBA draft. But such acclaim is not new to this 7-footer, who first drew notice when he appeared on an episode of "60 Minutes" the summer before his freshman year of high school. Chandler, wearing a Maurice Taylor jersey and Michigan shorts, and his mother were interviewed in their kitchen about his decision to attend Dominguez High School in Compton, Calif., about an hour from their home in San Bernardino. What the "60 Minutes" piece left out, though, was that Chandler's father worked in L.A., so the commute -- which generally took 90 minutes in rush-hour traffic -- wasn't that great of a burden. "Most of the time I was sleeping," Chandler said. That continued for two years. Chandler now lives in Buena Park, a mere 15 minutes from Dominguez, with his mother and three younger brothers. Last season he led the Dons to the USA Today national championship. CNNSI.com recruiting analyst Brick Oettinger rates him the nation's No. 3 player, and he is a priority for UCLA, which made, surprisingly, the only call to his house when the most recent contact period began. "It's people not taking a risk," Chandler said. "If a guy thinks he's a good-enough coach, a good-enough recruiter, then he'll come after me. If he feels he can't turn my heart, then he'll think otherwise. But he can do that; it's not like I'm sold on the NBA." Chandler says his top four schools now are UCLA, Arizona, Syracuse and Memphis, with childhood-favorite Michigan and Kentucky among others on a second tier. But as evidenced by the fact his phone didn't ring off the hook, no one really expects Chandler -- who said he only needs two more core classes to reach NCAA eligibility standards -- to end up in college. "My mom says that it's my decision, to just go with my heart and pray, whatever I do," he said. "I'm not going to make an unintelligent decision about my future; I'm going to make an intelligent decision. "[I will turn pro] if I feel I'm ready for the league, ready to go from a boy to a man. It's not on the court -- I'll train hard, do what I have to do -- but off the court, maturing, if I'm ready to make that jump, to get on with my life." Chandler said he will probably make an announcement a few days after his senior season ends. In the meantime, he will not pick a college destination. "My decision will be solid," he said. "I wouldn't want to commit and then enter the draft, and they wouldn't have a chance to recruit other players. I wouldn't want a coach to have to go through that." Why all the fuss? Chandler is about as good an athlete as you'll ever see for a 7-footer. He can run the court forever, is deceptively strong, has great quickness and is a good leaper. His body is reminiscent of David Robinson -- long and lean -- and he is similarly agile. "I don't look at myself as having a solid position. I feel I can play 3, 4 or 5 if I need to," he said. "I think I'm a natural 3/4." Chandler's hallmark, though, is his defense. He averaged 4.7 blocks last season (with 20.1 points and 11.3 rebounds), and that's only counting each shot once. Chandler, incredibly, has taken to blocking some shots twice -- once with each hand. "I'm trying to place the ball somewhere, maybe to another teammate I saw behind me. So if I plant it [with one hand], then hit it hard enough [with the other], maybe I can start a fastbreak," Chandler said. "It's also intimidation -- if I hit it once and then hit it down again, the next time he comes in he's going to think twice before he puts a shot up. And that gives me a little edge." As if he needed any more help. Chandler has already tested his game in pickup contests with NBA veterans like Stacey Augmon and Sean Rooks. The results confirm what everyone thinks: that his skills are ready for the big time. "The funny thing is, I have more confidence when I play with pros than with high school guys," he said. "The first time I went in I was slapped around, slapped in the face, and I started second guessing myself, wondering if I really wanted to do this. But after a couple years you get used to their mentality, the speed, the quick hands. And then back in high school, I might be defending someone and I think he's going to go one way, but he doesn't because his mind is not there [to NBA level] yet." As Chandler charts his future, he knows more and more people will make demands of his time. The attention, he says, has been good and bad. It has made him remarkably perceptive and well spoken, and allowed him to serve as a role model. "I really enjoy that," he said. "When a father and son come up to me and the son says, 'You're my favorite player, I want to be like you,' that tops it all." There are negatives, though: People investigating his grades. People questioning his character. People interviewing classmates about his personality. "It's got nothing to do with anything on the basketball court," Chandler said. "But they dig deep and try to find your family and anyone else." He'd better get used to it. Because no matter where he is next fall, the spotlight will not be far behind.
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