Kings coach Reggie Theus (above) shares a high school alma mater with Paul Pierce.
(Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
Kings coach Reggie Theus is so proud of his and Paul Pierce's hometown that he belted out the proper pronunciation when asked about it.
"It's Ingle-Wood!" Theus said.
Inglewood, Calif., is a city of about 112,000 people, according to the 2000 census, that is southwest of downtown Los Angeles. Nicknamed "The City of Champions," it is the former home of the Lakers and the hometown of numerous celebrities, including supermodel/talk-show host Tyra Banks, Red Sox outfielder Coco Crisp, comedienne Vicki Lawrence, and singer Omarion, and it has been the setting for movies such as "Pulp Fiction," "Boyz n the Hood," "Training Day," and "The Wood."
Inglewood is also the hometown of numerous current and former NBA and WNBA players. Pierce and Theus, both Inglewood High graduates, have constantly debated about which of them is the best hoop star to come out of the city.
Tonight, Pierce will meet up with Theus and the Kings as the Celtics start a four-game road trip in Sacramento.
"When you've got a city that small, what else is there to do than play ball?" Pierce said. "There are only two high schools in the city. That's just the thing to do. We had a big [high school] rivalry."
Inglewood could stack up against most major United States cities if you listed the basketball players who came from them.
Pierce is a five-time All-Star, and Theus was twice honored. Also from Inglewood is Hornets coach and three-time NBA champion Byron Scott. Lisa Leslie is a three-time Olympic gold medalist who won two titles with the WNBA Los Angeles Sparks, was the first player to dunk in a WNBA game, and once scored 101 points in the first half of an Inglewood Morningside High game. Tina Thompson is another gold medalist and a four-time WNBA champ with the Houston Comets.
Among the NBA players born or raised in Inglewood are Craig Smith, Elden Campbell, Jay Humphries, Harold Miner, Jason Hart, Jackie Robinson, Corey Gaines, Tremaine Fowlkes, Tony Bland, Jamal Sampson, Amir Johnson, Dijon Thompson, Hassan Adams, and Ralph Jackson.
"I don't know what we are serving people in Inglewood," Scott said. "In the last 20 years or so, it's been great for the city of Inglewood, obviously. It kind of puts Inglewood on the map, something other than gang violence, drug trafficking, and all that other stuff.
"It puts us on the map as far as NBA players and WNBA players. It's great to have the type of success we have had."
The Lakers are often credited for giving motivation to Inglewood residents to use basketball as a road to success.
The famed Forum was built in Inglewood in 1967 and was home to the Lakers, the Sparks, and the NHL's Los Angeles Kings until 1999. The Lakers won six NBA titles while playing in the Forum and enjoyed their "Showtime" heyday with Scott, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy there in the 1980s. The Lakers also would practice in the town, at Inglewood and Morningside high schools.
"I used to sit there [at Lakers practices] and watch, and say, 'One day I'm going to be out there,' " Scott said. "That to me was a little bit of motivation."
Said Pierce, "When I was young, we didn't have cable. So the only game we got to watch was the Lakers. Back in the day, the Lakers used to practice at my high school. Sometimes we would sneak in the gym and watch Magic and all of them practice. That was a big influence.
"The Lakers? That's what everybody wanted to do."
So who is the best basketball player from Inglewood?
"On the record, Paul Pierce is second, or maybe third to Lisa Leslie," Scott said. "And I'm still the best to come out of Inglewood."
Said Theus, "You can toss in Byron, Paul, and myself and get what you need to get your best player. I like to tease Paul all the time. He knows he's the second-best player out of Inglewood High School."
Pierce, who claims he surpassed Theus during his rookie season, said, "I've got to say me, then Lisa Leslie, then Reggie. [Scott], he's fourth."
Celtics guard Ray Allen will receive a plaque and have a video tribute in his honor prior to tomorrow's game at Seattle to salute him for his play with the Sonics and his charity work in Seattle. Allen starred for the Sonics the last five seasons before being dealt to Boston . . . The Celtics, who did not practice the past two days so they could enjoy Christmas, took an afternoon flight to Sacramento yesterday. Coach Doc Rivers (Orlando) and players Eddie House (Sacramento), Leon Powe (Oakland), and Gabe Pruitt (Los Angeles) met the team in Sacramento after spending the holiday away from Boston.
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