Photos courtesy DC Sports Bog
The Wizards were dangerously low on Point Guards heading into last Saturday’s game against the Boston Celtics. The night before Kurt Hinrich sustained an elbow injury and wouldn’t be able to play in the game. Late Friday night, the team decided to call up Mustafa Shakur from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Shakur arrived to the Verizon Center on Saturday and found an NBA jersey with his name and number on it.
However it wasn’t a perfect fit. That’s what you get when you are signed and asked to play within the same 24 hours.
That didn’t stop Shakur from making an immediate contribution, starting Point Guard John Wall ran into foul trouble early in the game and just like that Shakur would make his debut in the NBA.
Mustafa Shakur went to the University of Arizona and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Sacramento Kings in 2007. He was cut after the start of the season and proceeded to bounce around the NBA D-league, getting contracts with the Oklahoma City Thunder and New Orleans Hornets but failing to stay on long enough to enter a game.
When Washington signed Shakur to a 10-day contract this past weekend, he was told there maybe a chance he would get some action- and he made sure he put on his A-game in his first NBA game of his career.
Against one of the best teams in the league, he wasn’t intimidated as he cut towards the basket for a layup. In his first game he only played 10 minutes for five points- but he certainly caught the eye of the crowds and the press with his poise and energy.
I took a minute to talk to him after the his first game about how he got the call and his hopes for an extended stay with the Wiz.
Patrick has been blogging since before it was called blogging. At We Love DC Patrick covers local Theatre, and whatever catches his eye. Patrick’s blog stories, rants, and opinions have been featured in The Washington City Paper, Washington Post Express, CNN, Newschannel 8 Washington, and NBC Washington. See why Patrick loves DC.
You can e-mail him at ppho [at] welovedc.com
Was the Wizards’ equipment manager tying one on before they put on those numbers and name?
I mean, geez — take a little pride in your work.
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Im so happy for you keep working hard you were born to play this game