Sports Commentary
At last, O.J. Mayo is where he belongs. He's in the NBA, as a true professional athlete. No more pretense, no more killing time in college, no more working as a bogus amateur.
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Now, we get to find out whether all the hype, for all those years, really meant anything. We already know that this prodigy, who managed to play Kentucky high school basketball when he was only in seventh grade, doesn't impress any NBA team nearly as much as LeBron James did five years ago.
Mayo not only went third in the draft; he went behind another guard, Derrick Rose. He wasn't deemed the savior of a franchise, perhaps an entire city's sports pride, the way James was when Cleveland took him at No. 1. Franchise and city saviors don't get used as trade bait within hours of being drafted.
At least, the eight-player trade that sent him from Minnesota to Memphis generated some intrigue in a fairly dull, predictable draft. And it made perfect sense. Wherever he goes, Mayo serves up maximum drama on the side.
The interesting thing is that the circus around him doesn't appear to have turned him into a clown. By most accounts, Mayo has a work ethic to match James' and a passion for the game that survived his elevation to national prominence at age 14.
In fact, he seems to be part of a generation that has been bred to handle ridiculously high expectations and excessive exposure at an early age. Where this once guaranteed burnout or worse -- see Todd Marinovich -- the hype machine has become a lot kinder to kid athletes.
James, the man-child whose extraordinary promise put his high school basketball team on national TV, went from prince to king without a hitch. Earl Woods, once a suspicious character for over-the-top pronouncements about his son's potential, turned out to be more than a little correct. Richard Williams bragged about his daughters' toughness, and they turned out to be tough enough to push him to the background of their careers.
For now, Michelle Wie is an exception. Her talent has been horribly mismanaged, but, at 18, she still has time to fix her game and actually win as a pro. More to the point, despite her fortune in endorsement money, Wie is still getting a Stanford education, which suggests she hasn't become another parentally stoked flameout from the Marinovich mold.
China's former NBA player Wang Zhizhi (R) looks for an opening as Angola's Joaquim Gomes guards during their Stankovic Cup basketball game in Hangzhou on July 19, 2008 in eastern China's Zhejiang province. Angola defeated China 72-71. AFP PHOTO/Frederic J. BROWN (Photo credit should read FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images)
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China's NBA star Yao Ming (R) looks for a pass as Angola's Joaquim Gomes (L) guards during their Stankovic Cup basketball game in Hangzhou on July 19, 2008 in eastern China's Zhejiang province. Angola defeated China 72-71. AFP PHOTO/Frederic J. BROWN (Photo credit should read FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images)
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China's NBA players Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets (R) talks with Yi Jianlian of the New Jersey Nets during their Stankovic Cup baskeball game against Angola in Hangzhou on July 19, 2008 in eastern China's Zhejiang province. Angola defeated China 72-71. AFP PHOTO/Frederic J. BROWN (Photo credit should read FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images)
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China's NBA star Yao Ming checks the scoreboard during their Stankovic Cup basketball tournament game against angola in Hangzhou on July 19, 2008 in eastern China's Zhejiang province. Angola defeated China 72-71. AFP PHOTO/Frederic J. BROWN (Photo credit should read FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images)
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China's NBA player Yi Jianlian (L) tries to block a shot from Angola's Victor Muzadi (R) during the Stankovic Cup basketball tournament in Hangzhou on July 19, 2008 in eastern China's Zhejiang province. Angola defeated China 72-71. AFP PHOTO/Frederic J. BROWN (Photo credit should read FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images)
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China's NBA star Yao Ming (C-#13) blocks a shot from Angola's Joaquim Gomes (L) during the Stankovic Cup basketball tournament in Hangzhou on July 19, 2008 in eastern China's Zhejiang province. Angola defeated China 72-71. AFP PHOTO/Frederic J. BROWN (Photo credit should read FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images)
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China's NBA player Yi Jianlian (2nd R) vies for position with Angola's Victor Muzadi (R-#11) while awaiting the pass from China's Zhu Fangyu (L) during the Stankovic Cup basketball tournament in Hangzhou on July 19, 2008 in eastern China's Zhejiang province. Angola were leading China 32-31 at half-time. AFP PHOTO/Frederic J. BROWN (Photo credit should read FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images)
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China's NBA player Yi Jianlian wipes his face during their Stankovic Cup basketball tournament game against Angola in Hangzhou on July 19, 2008 in eastern China's Zhejiang province. Angola were leading China 32-31 at half-time. AFP PHOTO/Frederic J. BROWN (Photo credit should read FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images)
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China's NBA star Yao Ming (R) makes A move for the basket as Angola's Joaquim Gomes (2nd L) guards during the Stankovic Cup basketball tournament in Hangzhou on July 19, 2008 in eastern China's Zhejiang province. Angola were leading China 32-31 at half-time. AFP PHOTO/Frederic J. BROWN (Photo credit should read FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images)
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Chinese NBA star Yao Ming slam dunks against Angola during the Stankovic Cup basketball tournament in Hangzhou on July 19, 2008 in eastern China's Zhejiang province. Angola were leading China 32-31 at half-time. AFP PHOTO/Frederic J. BROWN (Photo credit should read FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images)
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It's entirely possible that, for athletes of this generation, the hype machine isn't lethal at all. When Mayo put up a Web page promoting himself in 2002, when he was still in middle school, a lot of traditionalists looked on with alarm. Today, their own kids probably have a nearly identical Facebook or MySpace page.
Certainly, Mayo's game doesn't prove that he let premature fame get in the way of developing his skills. His movements are remarkably efficient, and he has beautiful footwork. Whenever I've seen him play, I've been struck by the fact that he doesn't do things haphazardly, like so many young superstars-in-waiting. His defense could use substantial improvement, but James' needed work when he got to the NBA.
Does that mean Mayo will be a transcendent player in the pros? No. That's never guaranteed. Nor is someone's health. Ask Grant Hill.
But does Mayo really have to be a Michael Jordan, LeBron James or Kobe Bryant to live up to expectations? If he becomes another Gary Payton, a great player who never lit up Madison Avenue and didn't win a ring until he was an elderly reserve player, that should be more than enough. Of course, his defense would have to improve dramatically for him to be another Payton.
We can be pretty sure that Mayo will never be troubled by the stuff that critics always said would harm teenagers in the NBA: the constant travel, the instant celebrity status, the need to fit in with older colleagues.
First, he is already friends with NBA players. James and Carmelo Anthony came to see him play in high school.
The celebrity issue? His biggest problem might be playing in Memphis, too far from the big stages.
And he has been nomadic for a long time now. He played high school ball in three different states, Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia, and did it by design. He chose a college 2,000 miles from home. And now, in typical fashion, he has belonged to two NBA teams in less than 24 hours.
If he stays with the Grizzlies for four years, it will be the most stability he has ever experienced as a basketball player. That should be the biggest concern about Mayo: Now that he is finally where he belongs, can he stay put and thrive without high drama?
Gwen Knapp is a sports columnist at the San Francisco Chronicle.
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