AJC > Sports > Hawks > Blog > Archives > 2008 > September > 23
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Clarity
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Salim Stoudamire looks like a new man.
He literally looks brand new.
He’s got the ‘fro back. He’s smiling, not scowling.
And he sounds brand new, too.
It’s amazing what a change of scenery does for a man.
After waiting all summer to find a new home the former Hawks reserve guard has found one in San Antonio with the Spurs. He signed a two-year deal with the Western Conference power and moves into a place where there is a glaring need for some scoring punch off the bench.
“They invited me out there three times and let me know they were interested,” Stoudamire said. “They wanted to see how I could fit in with their guys. They knew I was talented but they wanted to see if they could incorporate that into their system. Then [three] days ago Gregg Popovich called me and told me how much he wanted me to come to San Antonio and we came to an agreement and that’s how I got there.”
After three tumultuous and disappointing seasons with the Hawks (he played in 61 games in each of his first two seasons but managed to make appearances in just 35 last year), Stoudamire knows his position in the league is tenuous, at best, right now. That’s why he isn’t taking anything for granted.
“This is definitely my second chance and it might be my last chance,” Stoudamire said. “But I know how to turn negatives into a positive. After these three years in Atlanta I can say that I’ve finally become a man. Being in a situation where I wasn’t playing, it humbled me. It made me appreciate just being in the NBA a lot more. It made me work a lot harder and realize that this is a blessing. There are only 400 and something guys in the NBA and billions of people in the world. So once you take that into account, your focus is there, your clarity is there and you can move forward.”
Stoudamire leaves the Hawks without cashing in on all the potential he showed, but with a chance to seize an opportunity elsewhere (and when it’s with a perennial powerhouse that routinely plays deep into the playoffs, it’s hard to ask for a better situation).
And even though he’ll be focused on his new job and new challenges, he insists he’ll keep tabs on things in Atlanta.
“I’m definitely going to keep a close eye on the Hawks,” he said. “I still feel connected here. I want to see the best for everyone involved. Not only for the players but also for the coaches, the trainers and especially the fans. I just finally want to see Atlanta basketball reach that consistent level of playing well. I saw how far we came in the three years I was here, from barely winning to making the playoffs and getting everybody energized and caught up in what we’re we doing. And it’s really a beautiful thing to come from the bottom up and have that kind of success.”
