By Joey Knight, Times Staff Writer
Tampa Bay Times In Print: Friday, June 29, 2012
TAMPA â€" That roar you might have heard on Thursday emanated from the Green Iguana on Anderson Road. Sickles High graduate John Henson had been drafted by the Bucks at No. 14 out of North Carolina.
"It was surreal," said Gryphons coach Renaldo Garcia, who joined roughly 150 former Gryphons players, students and friends of Henson at the restaurant for a draft party.
"Just a little bit of anxiety at first because you hear the projections and what not. But you're kind of understanding it's a business now so you don't quite know where he's going to fall. To finally hear his name called and hear the roar in the Green Iguana is something I'll never forget."
Henson is the highest pick from Hillsborough County. Brandon's Jeff Turner went 17th in 1984 to the Nets and Brandon's Joey Graham 16th in 2005 to the Raptors.
A two-time ACC defensive player of the year, Henson (6-feet-101/2, 216 pounds) averaged 13.7 points and an ACC-best 9.9 rebounds as a junior last season. He averaged 17.6 points, 12 rebounds and six steals during his lone season at Sickles.
"His skill set is fit for the pros," said Garcia, a former Florida guard. "As we saw in the (NBA) Finals, it's not like us growing up with what we saw in (Hakeem) Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing. Most guys in the paint these days end up being skilled and have an outside shot and do a lot of pick and pop. I think his game suits perfectly for the NBA."
Bucks GM John Hammond said he doesn't expect Henson to be a star right away. "He can defend today, and he's going to be able to rebound today," he said. "He's got some work to do offensively. But … you can see signs of his ability."
Odom back to L.A.: The Mavericks, Jazz and Clippers agreed to a deal that would send Lamar Odom to Los Angeles, the Associated Press reported. Mo Williams goes from Los Angeles to Utah, which drafted him in 2003. Dallas gets a $8.2 million trade exception. The trade is expected to become official today. The Clippers drafted Odom fourth overall in 1999. He spent four seasons there as well as seven seasons with the Lakers. He spent only one season with Dallas, which included a heated exchange with owner Mark Cuban.
More trades: Cleveland acquired the rights to North Carolina C Tyler Zeller (taken 17th) from Dallas for Oregon State SG Jared Cummingham (24th), Florida State C Bernard James (33rd) and Marquette SF Jae Crowder (34th). … The 76ers acquired Mississippi State PF Arnett Moultrie, (taken 27th) from the Heat for LSU C Justin Hamilton (45th) and a future first-round pick.
Streak continues: When New Orleans took Duke PG Austin Rivers at No. 10, it marked the 11th consecutive year the son of a former NBA player was drafted. Rivers' father, Doc, played 12 seasons for four teams and now coaches the Celtics.
Drought ends: PG Damian Lillard, taken sixth by Portland, is the first player from Weber State drafted since Willard Sojourner 20th overall by the Bulls in 1972.
Warriors: Coach Mark Jackson said he and his family were the targets of an extortion attempt related to an extramarital affair he had six years ago. The Smoking Gun website reported a former stripper, Alexis Adams, possessed nude photographs of Jackson and she and Marcus Shaw, who also was arrested, wanted money to keep them from becoming public. Jackson, who also is an ordained minister, said he "regrettably" paid the Shaw an undisclosed amount. After the man emailed him two weeks later asking for more money, Jackson told the team, which called the FBI.
Information from Times wires was used in this report.
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