A Brief History

For Those Who Have No Idea-

Samuel Dalembert was born in a undisclosed location in Haiti, sometime in the early 1980's. His early life, from all accounts, consisted of gangly attempts at all things, including potty-training and hand fishing. By age 10 he stood six feet tall and weighed 62 pounds. By 14 his moustache had filled in nicely and complimented his 6'8 frame to a degree. Still, manhood stood a ways off. After catching the eye of a roving jai alai coach one day after school, Sam Dalembert's journey to America began. Initially viewed as a prodigy at sugar cane harvesting, due to his towering height and the wingspan of a crop duster, Sam took up jai alai as an afterthought. Quickly he became a local legend, known around the region as much for his irrespressible spirit as for his laser-beam throws and wild, totally unpredictable game instincts. Spotted by coach Garvard Ichinamtre one day afterschool, Sam was recruited to play on a traveling team of local all-stars. It was during a trip to the city of Port Au Prince that Sam first saw a basketball in flight and, legend has it, blocked it into the ocean. From there the story takes on a magical quality. High school in New Jersey saw Sam thrive like never before, as he learned how to accept free gifts and money from recruiters, tried out for the marching band, and ate three square meals a day for the first time in his life. He even had some luck with the American girls, which he most definitely appreciated. A year at Seton Hall University furthered his Americanization and included three tattoos, two expensive diamond filled crosses, and a son. By the time the Philadelphia 76ers drafted him in the first round on the 2001 draft, he was a man, a man on a mission. Stay tuned for part two of the Dalembert Backstory: (Goal) Tending A Pro.