Well, let me tell ya ’bout them NBA players from Idaho. Idaho, ya know, it ain’t exactly a place where basketball stars grow on trees like them apples in the orchard. But, believe it or not, some fellas from Idaho did make it to the big leagues, the NBA, that is.
I heard tell of this fella, Steve Hayes. They say he played for Idaho State way back when, like, 44 years ago. Folks still yap about him bein’ the best player ever from that school. Some even say he’s the best Idaho ever produced, which is sayin’ somethin’, I reckon. Now, I ain’t seen him play myself, but if them city folk at somethin’ called “The Athletic” say he’s good, well, he musta been somethin’ special.
Now, findin’ a whole heap of NBA players from Idaho, that’s like lookin’ for a needle in a haystack. It ain’t easy. I ain’t got no fancy computer or nothin’, but I hear there’s this thing called “Basketball-Reference” where you can find all sorts of stuff. They got a list of fellas from Idaho who played in the NBA or even that other league, the ABA, whatever that is. They even talk about some “All-Star Games” but I ain’t got a clue about all that fancy stuff.
Someone told me there’s this place called “Wikimedia Commons” and they got pictures and stuff about basketball players from Idaho. They say there’s a whole bunch of pages about ’em. Thirty-six, I think they said. That’s a lot of pictures, I guess. Makes ya wonder what all them fellas did after they stopped bouncin’ that ball.
One time I heard some fellas talkin’, and they said Idaho ain’t exactly a “hot bed” for all-star athletes. Now, I don’t know what a “hot bed” is, but I reckon it means we ain’t got a whole lot of ’em. But, we got some, and that’s what matters.
Then there’s this talk about the “Top Ranked Basketball Players of All-Time from Idaho.” Sounds mighty important, don’t it? They say it’s a list of the greatest pro players born in Idaho. They ain’t talkin’ about where they grew up or went to school, just where they were born. I guess that makes a difference to some folks.
- Steve Hayes – Like I said, they say he’s the best from Idaho State.
- And a whole bunch of others I ain’t never heard of.
It’s kinda hard to keep track of all these fellas. They play for all sorts of teams, and I can’t remember all them names. Seems like some play in them “All-Star Games,” too. I heard tell of them games bein’ a big deal, but I ain’t never watched one. Too busy workin’ in the garden and tendin’ to the chickens.
Anyways, the point is, even though Idaho ain’t known for basketball, we still got some fellas who made it to the NBA. That’s somethin’ to be proud of, I reckon. They worked hard, I bet, and they chased their dreams. Just like the rest of us, tryin’ to make a livin’ and do the best we can with what we got.
It ain’t easy, you know, makin’ it big from a small place like Idaho. You gotta have somethin’ special, somethin’ inside ya that makes you want to keep goin’ even when things get tough. These fellas, they had that somethin’, I guess. They had the grit and the determination to make it to the NBA. And that’s somethin’ worth celebratin’, even if I can’t remember all their names.
So, next time you’re watchin’ one of them basketball games, and you hear someone mention a player from Idaho, remember this old lady’s words. We might not be a big state, and we might not have a whole lotta famous folks, but we got some good ones, and we’re proud of ‘em. Every last one of them NBA players from Idaho.
And that’s all I got to say about that. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go check on them pies bakin’ in the oven.
