Isaiah Rider on making a NBA comeback: “I think I will get a good shot, a good look. All I need is another chance or a good look or tryout.”
November 12, 2009 – 10:00 am by timgunterSince his NBA career has fizzled out, Isaiah Rider has been in and out of jail for multiple reasons. Whether it was kidnapping and battery charges or resisting arrest it always seemed as though trouble followed Rider where ever he went. I remember when the Hawks traded Steve Smith to Portland for Jim Jackson and Rider, I was excited to see him in a Hawks uniform. Boy was I wrong with that one! It didn’t take long for him to find trouble here in Atlanta. He was arrested for numerous misdemeanr charges for marijuana, had disputes with management and showed up late for games. It wasn’t long afterwards the Hawks gave Rider an outright release.
Nowadays, Rider is trying to make a comeback. Rider is playing in the ABA for the North Texas Fresh and hopes this will be a catalyst for him to at least get a tryout with a NBA team. For some reason he feels as though he still has it in him at age 38. I beg to differ, unless your name is Robert Horry or Dikembe Mutombo. I do have to give it to Rider for trying because he has cleaned up his act and is now drug-free and trouble-free (at least for the time being), but I am afraid his time has come and gone.
Isaiah Rider joined WQXI in Atlanta to talk about where the bad things he has done in his career have come from, Whether he will get another chance to play in the NBA based upon his past, whether he ever thought that he would get to this point of being 38 and trying to get into the NBA, and what an ABA game is like and the competition level.
Whether a tumultuous NBA career with a great skill set is a good way to describe Isaiah Rider:
“I think that is a fair assessment. I had a good ten years in the NBA and nobody can really take that away from me but I appreciate the compliment. Thank you.”
On where the bad things he has done in his career have come from:
“I am not even here to talk about that. I am here to talk about the future.
“Whether he will get another chance to play in the NBA based upon his past:
“I mean if they are willing I think it is the right situation. Honestly, I still have some people in the NBA, some friends in the NBA upper and lower level so if I have a good run here overseas or here at the ABA, I think I will get a good shot a good look. All I need is another chance or a good look or tryout.”
Whether he believes he is still talented enough to be on a NBA roster:
“Oh without a doubt. Without a doubt.”
Whether he ever thought that he would get to this point of being 38 and trying to get into the NBA:
“I mean for me I was playing basketball all my life. I am in Nike camps, McDonald’s games or college or whatever. I have been the underdog before. I just need that stage and that arena. If I can get that I can take advantage of the rest. You never know what life brings you and no one is immune to disappointments or failures. It is about how you get up and how you rebound. That is where I am at mentally.”
On what an ABA game is like and the competition level:
“I am not sure. It is just like for me when I had to go to junior college before in the midwest in Kansas, I didn’t think that there wasn’t going to be any competition or I didn’t know what to expect and it turned out to be a good league and good competition. A lot of players went on to play D1. A couple of players went on to go pro so for me I don’t know what to expect. I know there is some young guys, some D1 guys and people that are trying to get overseas and get to the NBA. Obviously there is going to be some good players here and there. I am just going to look at everybody and everything like it is just college or the NBA. Everyone has something to prove so that is what basketball is about for me.”
Due to his past in the NBA whether the world ever saw the best of his game:
“It is funny that you say that because that is a good question. A lot of people that know me a lot of people that used to play with me in college or even friends at home used to say that I saw great, I did my thing but it seemed like I was held back a little bit…I played in Portland, I would say with all due respect to the players I played with, I played with a lot of great players in Portland and our whole starting five was in double figures I think two of the three years I was there. I didn’t really have to go crazy and we had a lot of big men and I was sort of expected to play defense and I led the team in scoring in two out of the three years but I didn’t really have to get 20 or 25 a game. Then when I was playing with the Hawks, I was getting 23 a game for a while before I got all kind of messed up at the end. I wound up getting 19.3 or whatever it was. I don’t know. I think that is a good question. I think I had a lot more in the tank I think I could have showed a lot more if I was ever… On certain teams now you see players just shoot the ball whenever they want. I never really had that green light although I could put it up a lot and I created my own shot. I just never had that green light to where it was my team on any team. So I like to play team ball anyway. I think I got a lot in the tank. I think that as a player I was always in the top 5 in my position… I did ok. I did ok no matter what. I think it’s still some a good place to overcome but I think I had a good run at it.”
Whether he gets drug tested and if that will be a problem if he gets back into the NBA:
“Hey you know what it has been a very good morning you know. I appreciate talking to you guys and I wish you all the best.”
Listen to Isaiah Rider on 790 the Zone with Morning Mayhem
Isaiah Rider on Mayhem in the AM on 790 The Zone in Atlanta
Tags: ABA, Isaiah Rider, Isaiah Rider gets arrested again, J.R. Rider, NBA, NBA comeback, North Texas Fresh
