Is Othyus best Cinderella story? You judge
CHICAGO — A week ago he was with Iowa of the NBA Development League, toiling for a relative pittance.
Now he’s in the NBA, with the Jazz, about to dress tonight — and maybe even play — in front of about 150 family members, friends, former teammates and coaches against his hometown Chicago Bulls.
Raised in a rough-and-tumble part of the Windy City, Jeffers was shot in the thigh while in college. Now, he’ll suit up in the United Center.
It’s a quite a tale, indeed, for rookie forward Othyus Jeffers, who made his NBA debut with an assist, a rebound and two points while logging two minutes in last Saturday night’s home win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
But how does it stack up against other Cinderella stories? You make the call — and feel free to offer competition of your own.
In no particular order …
Carl Spackler, in “Caddyshack”: “Cinderella story. Outta nowhere. A former greenskeeper, now, about to become the Masters champion. It looks like a mirac … It’s in the hole! It’s in the hole! It’s in the hole!”
Miracle on Ice: American hockey players win improbable gold at 1980 Olympic Games in Lake Placid
Milan High: Small Indiana high school’s 1954 state championship inspired the 1986 movie “Hoosiers”
John Daly: Went from alternate to PGA Championship winner in 1991
Villanova (with apologies to Jim Valvano-coached North Carolina State, which despite being seeded just sixth beat No. 1 seeds Virginia and Phi Slama Jama Houston to win 1983 NCAA title): It couldn’t even reach the finals of the Big East Conference tournament in 1985, yet Rollie Massimino’s club won a national basketball championship that year
Sundiata Gaines: Jazz point guard hit a buzzer-beating, game-winning 3-pointer against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers shortly after being called up from Idaho of the NBA Development League
Rocky Balboa: It took until the sequel, but small-time Philadelphia debt collector finally beat boxing champ Apollo Creed
Rulon Gardner: Afton, Wyo., wrestler raised on a dairy farm wasn’t supposed to beat previously undefeated “Russian Bear” Alexander Karelin for gold at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney — but he did
Bad News Bears: Morris Buttermaker’s hapless team couldn’t beat the Yankees in 1976, but it did later knock off the Houston Toros to win a trip to Japan.