For some players, the path to NBA stardom is clear and straightforward. They begin building a name for themselves before they've ever finished high school. They're very publicly recruited by the biggest names in college basketball, drawn by promises of stardom and eventual placement at the very top of the NBA Draft. But sometimes the path is decidedly more winding, filled with uncertainty and littered with failures and successes and failures again. Such was the path for Hassan Whiteside, one of the more improbable success stories to burst onto the NBA scene in recent years. Rising from obscurity as a fringe developmental league prospect, Whiteside has become one of the most ferocious shot blockers in the NBA, and he's helped turn the Miami…show more content… Gifted with one of the largest wingspans in the history of the NBA's pre-draft camp at 7 feet 7 inches, the long, lanky big man flashed tremendous potential at times during his lone season with the Marshall Thundering Herd. He was also extremely raw and unrefined, and his reputation for being a difficult personality cast doubt on his incredible potential. Some draft pundits projected him to be a high lottery pick, while others doubted he'd be chosen at all. Few took notice when his name was eventually called by the Sacramento Kings with the third pick of the second round.
It didn't take long for things to go south. Whiteside was quickly sent to the NBA D-League, a move to which he did not respond well. Coaches and teammates questioned his arrogance and his desire to be part of a team. Still, his potential and shot-blocking skill were on full display, and he eventually got a call-up to the NBA. He played just two minutes before being sidelined for the rest of the season with a knee injury. The next season wasn't much better, as he again bounced between the NBA and the D-League, playing just 18 games of ineffective ball before being released.
