Rashad McCants Is Proof The Chips Don't Always Fall Your Way
Sunday, May 13, 2012 at 11:31PM Joe Simmons 
One could argue that Rashad McCants is one of the most misunderstood players in the history of the NBA. McCants starred on the 2005 National Championship team at the University of North Carolina. His NBA career started pretty promising but unfortunately McCants hasn't played since finishing 2008-09 with the Sacramento Kings and becoming a free agent.
The Houston Rockets brought the guard to training camp before the 2009-10 season, but McCants suffered an abdominal injury before camp opened and couldn't compete for a job and he never played a minute that season. It seems as if McCants can’t catch a break as his career has been one missed opportunity after another.
The things that happen to McCants doesn’t usually happen to most players. In fact you could argue that McCants is the most unlucky person on the planet. He has never been arrested, never been suspended for disciplinary reasons, and never been benched for anything other than a perception of bad attitude by coaches and media.
The fact remains that McCants has been dealt a bad hand and the owners and coaches in the NBA don't really understand him. McCants has a history of dementia and many feel he can be a bit moody. In fact one of his moments led to former Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman to take away McCants' captaincy. This in essence was the beginning of the end. Other coaches followed suit questioning McCants stability as a person once McCants became a free agent. In fact, there were several teams interested in the shooting guard but many coaches were skeptical and guys like Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle asked that McCants see a psychiatrist before the Mavericks would offer him a contract.
His career has done a complete 180 since starring as the sharp shooter on that North Carolina National Championship team alongside Raymond Felton and Sean May. Many may have seen him as a head case. Head case or not, I always enjoyed watching Rashad play. I like a player who wears his heart on his sleeve, and McCants certainly fit that mold. I don’t think he ever dunked the basketball without picking up a technical foul.
McCants was about to make a resurgence in 2010 with the Cleveland Cavaliers as he was offered a spot on Clevelands summer league squad. McCants failed to show up and everyone was wondering what had happened. Turns out that McCants mother was sick and in the hospital and his agent let ownership know but they never reported it to the coaching staff. That is another bad break for a man who can’t seem to catch one.
Now McCants has moved on to the next step in his life. Apparently, and I hate myself for even running across this, but Rashad has found a new avenue to express himself: acting.
The Booster Club, which he is co-producing, is a new web series coming to a bandwith near you soon and his character is a cross dressing, shoplifting ring head honcho who manipulates both men and women with sex to get what he wants. I swear you couldn’t make this stuff up even if Quentin Tarantino was your mentor. Joining the McDonalds All-American along for this theatric ride are former underage child porn prodigy and Wikipedia titled “B-List actress” Traci Lords, Megan Good’s sister Lamiya and Amy Bell (wife of Ricky Bell of “Bell, Biv, DeVoe” fame).
Seeing as how judging a book by its cover isn’t really my thing – even though I did here – all I can do is taking producer Malaku McCray’s word when he says The Booster Club is result of when The Wire meets Weeds. Note to any up and coming producers out there: NEVER compare anything to The Wire. You’re just setting yourself up for failure.
So what went wrong for McCants? He had his best season ever in 2007 – 2008 as he averaged nearly 15 points per game. Then the next year he bounced around like a ping pong ball and still averaged nearly 10 points per contest and shooting career highs.
It’s sad that such a talented guy would fall so fast from glory. You can't tell me he couldn't help out an NBA team right now. Oh well, that is how the ball bounces sometimes.
Stay Breezy ~ I'm Out!
Reader Comments (2)
Man good post I'm sad McCants isn't in the LG he could at least be a 6th man type cat if they gave him a shot. I'm shocked he isn't at least playing overseas.. Damn he's acting ..dope research to find that out ..
Great post about Rashad one of my favorite player. I sure he'll be back on the nba as soon as we think. I believe in him