While my newest contributor BOC was getting all the hits for the upgraded blog due to his great, in-depth recruiting articles The Crier felt a little left out. Thinking of ideas for content outside of recruiting or significant news I came up with something. What if we had a recurring post about the best thing in Friartown from the previous week? Now this won’t be EVERY week because lets face it as great as Friartown is not every week there will be a story to willing to share. However lost in the shuffle of missing out on recruit Bobby Pettiford Jr was an amazing story and its regarding Friar legend God Shammgod.
Shammgod Wells hailed from Manhattan and was a star player at LaSalle Academy Shammgod Wells? Yes God Shammgod used to go by the name Shammgod Wells during his high school days before he enrolled at PC and had to register his real name. First off God if you are reading this, why on earth did you want to go by Shammgod Wells? Your name was GOD! Regardless God Shammgod stared at LaSalle Academy along side Meta World Peace (go figure) and went on to become a McDonalds All-American. He would pledge to then coach Pete Gillen and enrolled at PC for the 1995-1996 season. In his freshman year, where he won Big East Freshman of the year, the Friars made it to the NIT. The year after he, along side Austin Croshere, would lead the Friars to a magically run where to the Elite 8, where they lost to the champion Arizona in OT. The game was considered a classic and many people from the Arizona team said that was their toughest challenge. That would be Arizona’s their only National Championship and now they are just a team under Sean Miller that loses a bunch of Elite 8s, would later cheat and buy players only to lose in the first round to Buffalo, so who was the real loser that day?
That would be the last game that God Shammgod would play for the Friars after he left to become a second round pick in the 1997 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards. His career in the NBA was rather unceremonious, as he played in 20 games averaging 3.1 points per game and 1.8 assists before playing the rest of his career overseas. Why did his career fizzle in the NBA? Maybe it was the coaching staff I mean the guy averaged 15 points per 36 minutes (his turnovers per 36 were 5.1 shhhhhh)! On top of that the 1997-1998 Washington Wizards were LOADED. Their roster consisted of Juwan Howard, Chris Webber, Shammgod, Rod Strickland, Ben Wallace and Tim Legler (FUCKIN LEGS?!?!). I mean Gee Wiz to lead that squad to a 42-40 record and to have Shammgod ride pine that is on Bernie Bickerstaff!
While his impact on the NBA was never felt as a performer, he left a big imprint on the league, with his crossover move The Shammgod. For those who don’t know its a crossover dribble where you expose your dribble hand only to expose a defender when you bring it back or to the side and leave your man with his ankles shattered. The move was his own creation and wasn’t some bullshit like a Jelly Fam layup, this move was effective. So effective that it is seen in the NBA performed by some of the game’s best such as Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and team killer Kyrie Irving. That is why finally at age 44, years after his playing days, God Shammgod has finally got a signature shoe with Puma.
Full disclosure God Shammgod’s era with the Friars was before my fandom. In 1997 I was probably playing Pokemon and not appreciating a Friar great. Nevertheless he is one of my favorite Friars. As a short guy (not that he was tiny) I have always had an affinity to the PG position and for a dude to be such a legend because of his cocky crossover is amazing. When you think of a signature shoe you think of a guy that is playing in the NBA and taking the league by storm but Shammgod has defied the odds. He is a player development coach for the Dallas Mavericks with a signature shoe, I don’t see Luka Doncic with a damn shoe! That is why God Shammgod I congratulate you on your kicks and that is the best thing in Friartown I’ve seen this week.
-The Crier