In the NBA league, many young people join every year, and there will always be some veterans who retire from the stage of history. Fans like to give them nicknames based on the characteristics of the players during the game. Some nicknames are mighty and domineering, such as "Little Emperor", "Roaring Heavenly Dignity", etc., of course, there are also some slightly insulting nicknames, such as "Alien". The nickname Alien belongs to Sam Kassel, and the reason for this nickname is his ugly appearance.
This less friendly nickname did not destroy Kassel. Although he is more average in appearance, he is a gentle person from beginning to end. During his high school years, he could not get a scholarship because his grades did not meet the standards, and he finally chose to transfer to another college. For the next two years, he was the school's main scorer. Despite his excellent performance, the only scout who actually came to see him play was the Rockets. Obviously, scouts also like to judge people by their appearance.
Despite this, Kassel still smiles and continues to invest in more training while maintaining a strong heart. In order to get a higher draft pick, he transferred to Florida State University again. In his senior year, he and teammate Bob led the varsity team to the NCAA Quarterfinals, where they were eventually eliminated by the University of Kentucky. Still, the 24-year-old Kassel ran into the NBA draft. In that draft, talented players such as Chris Webb and Penny Hardaway were quickly selected by the team, while for the elderly rookie Kassel, he was not selected by the Rockets until the 25th pick in the first round. Interestingly, the Rockets were the only team that ever sent scouts to see Cassell play, and it all seemed predestined.
After coming to the Rockets, Cassel started off the bench. As an NBA rookie, Kassel already has a mature style of play, and when he enters the NBA game, he will not be afraid of the court like other young players. Because of his characteristics, he gradually became a surprise soldier under Coach TomJanovic. Whenever the team couldn't open the situation, Kassel was put on the pitch. He can also always seize the opportunity to disrupt the rhythm of his opponents and help the team catch up with the score.
With this trait, he has won two championships just after entering the league and is called a "koi player" by many fans, although he mainly plays as a substitute and does not hide his light. I thought that Kassel's career would develop smoothly like this, but as a supporting role, he would eventually have to bear the torment of the supporting role. As Olajuwon and Drexler prepare to retire to win another title, Kassel became a bargaining chip for the team, through whom barkley, who was equally eager to win the championship.
After leaving the Rockets, Kassel began a wandering career. He played just 22 games with the Suns and became a bargaining chip for Kidd against the Mavericks. After 16 games with the Mavericks, they were traded to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Bradley, the "big bamboo pole." In just a few months, Kassel changed three teams. Compared with the smooth sailings of the early days of his career, what happens to him now has made him suffer. But this did not stop him from moving forward, but made his heart harder.
He quickly found his role in the Nets and found a way to fully display his talents on the court, and was soon appreciated by head coach Calipari. Calipari considered Kassel to be a very imaginative course organiser, the traditional organiser we now see as a defender. Such a defender can take on the heavy responsibility of attacking, and can also use three points to open up the team space, so as to cut off the opponent's defensive system. At the same time, it can also make the attack smoother through passing and create more opportunities for teammates, just like Chris Paul now.
Many of the players who played with Kassel got better and better, naturally very popular with their teammates, and were cheered by New Jersey fans. Under such cheers, Cassel and The Watcher Van Horn led the team to the playoffs, but met the bulls who won three consecutive championships and eventually suffered a sweep. Although New Jersey fans liked Kassel very much, when the team negotiated a contract extension with him, the two sides did not reach an agreement, and finally in a three-way deal, Kassel was traded to the Bucks, and he also opened the era of "three Musketeers".
At this time, the Bucks have "Big Dog" Robinson and Ray Allen, plus Cassel, the "three musketeers" of the Bucks team. The cooperation of these three people really lived up to expectations, not only playing tough on both ends of the offensive and defensive ends, but also someone who could stand up in the critical period, and also created the highlight moment of the Bucks in the 90s. However, they met the indispensable Iverson in the playoffs and eventually lost to their opponents. Because their cooperation failed to help the team achieve their goals, the "Three Musketeers" eventually fell apart and Kassel was traded to the Timberwolves.
Soon, Kassel formed the Timberwolf Triumvir with Garnett and Sprewell, which is now the "Big Three". At this time, Kassel is 34 years old and has been one step away from the All-Star for many consecutive seasons. After coming to the Timberwolves, Cassel continued to play well, averaging 19.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game, and also led the team to become the first in the West, and Cassel was also selected as an All-Star, and the only time in his career to be selected to the Best Second Team.
When everyone expected the Timberwolves to rush out of the West, because of Kassel's injury, the team eventually lost 2-4 to the Lakers and stopped in the Western Conference Finals. Since then, Kassel's health has been greatly affected, and the Timberwolves have not made the playoffs for the following season. Kassel was quickly traded to the Clippers by the Timberwolves and thought he would be able to have a second spring here, but for the 36-year-old Kassel, his physical condition is much worse than before. By the time he was 37, he had almost no ball to play.
After two more seasons, he also followed the Celtics to take up the championship again, making his career more fulfilling. After retiring from the army, Kassel joined the Wizards as an assistant coach and began his new career. This gentle "alien" is still influencing more people with his delicacy and peace of mind, and wishes him all the best in the future!