Latrell Sprewell - The Back Roads To The Nba

Latrell Sprewell was born on September 8, 1970 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As a young child Sprewell's parents, Pamela Sprewell and Latoska Field, moved the family to Flint, Michigan. When his parents separated during Sprewell's sophomore year in high school, he moved back to Milwaukee with his mother, where he attended Washington High School. Sprewell did not play organized basketball until his senior year, when he was approached by the basketball coach in the hallway and invited to try out for the team. Not only did Sprewell make the team, he scored an average of twenty-eight points per game.

With only one, albeit impressive, year of high school experience, Sprewell had little name recognition and was not highly recruited by colleges. As a result, he enrolled in Three Rivers Junior College, where he played junior college ball for the next two years. Earning a reputation as a hard worker and defensive specialist, Sprewell was invited to transfer to the University of Alabama, where he played his last two years of college eligibility. During his senior year he averaged 17.8 points, 5.2 rebounds,

Latrell Sprewell

and 1.8 steals per game. Despite being named to the All-Southeastern Conference team, Sprewell entered the 1992 NBA draft without much fanfare.

Selected by the Golden State Warriors as the twenty-fourth pick of the draft, Sprewell made an impressive start during his rookie season. He became the first rookie in Golden State's history to accumulate 1,000 points, 250 rebounds, 250 assists, 100 steals, and fifty blocks in a season. He also led his team in minutes played with 2,741. His efforts earned him a place on the second team of the 1993 NBA All-Rookie Team. In his second season with Golden State, Sprewell continued to excel, finishing the 1993-94 season with a per-game average of twenty-one points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 2.2 steals. He was named to the 1994 All-NBA First Team.