Written by Nick Halili | DUB Magazine | January 18, 2008
Like Mike, if I could be like Mike...
Remember those old commercials? Throughout the 1990s, who didn't want to be like Michael Jordan? Millions around the world were emulating M.J.'s moves and mannerisms, from the kiss-the-rim dunks and one-handed ball fakes to the wagging tongue and gum-chewing swagger. Countless young ballers dreamed of scoring and dominating just like His Airness.
But there was one kid, a kid who grew up in Jordan's backyard of Chicago no less, who had a different hero. Unlike almost all of his neighbors, he instead wanted to "Be like Scottie," idolizing Jordan's sometimes underappreciated second-banana, Scottie Pippen.
Choosing the hard-nosed, defensive-oriented Pippen over Jordan as his role model says a lot about NBA forward James Singleton's mindset and his hard-earned rise to the pros.
"I was more realistic. Everybody wants to be like Mike, but not everybody can," Singleton says. Many other youngsters dreamed of going pro in high school, but he actually had a legit shot at achieving this lofty goal, which led to him picking a more sensible role-model to pattern his game after. "There's always going to be somebody that has a little more talent, can jump a little bit higher, run a little bit faster, shoot a little bit better...but the one thing you can do is think. If you have a high basketball IQ, you can do anything."
Singleton wasn't one of those prep-school stars who were groomed from childhood for superstardom. He was a kid who used to get cut regularly from his highschool team until his sophomore year, when he learned the fundamentals of the game and sprouted from 6'0" to 6'6".
He wasn't a player who was handed college scholarships left and right coming out of high school. Singleton made his way from Pearl River Junior College in Mississippi to Murray State University in Kentucky. Subsequently, he wasn't an NBA lottery pick backed by a multi-million dollar ad campaign from the second he left college.
So, Singleton spent two years in professional Italian basketball leagues, playing for Sicc Cucine Jesi of Lega B in 2003-2004, then with Olimpia Milano of Lega A in 2004-2005, helping the 25-time champions reach the league finals. On August 30, 2005, he finally got his shot at the NBA when the Los Angeles Clippers signed him to a two-year contract.
In just a few years, Singleton has gotten the chance to see his sport and the world from many different perspectives. Traveling from his native Midwestern home to go to college in the South, Singleton recalls the shock he experienced, especially when it came to the hot weather and the insects.
"They got the prehistoric bugs down there," he says. "They try to eat you 'til you're bone dry." But in college, he recalls growing as both a person and as a player, thanks to the influence of his coach at Pearl River, Richard Mathis.
Playing for Olimpia Milano in Lega A, Singleton got a taste of the rabid mentality of the European sports fanatic.
"You ever see those wild crowds at soccer games? Imagine that, but with basketball." Singleton continues, "I remember playing against [Pallacanestro] Cantu. I was playing for Milano, and they set their own gym on fire (just to cheer on their team). They go hard overseas. I've never seen anything like that in my life. They'll throw coins at you if you're losing. I got hit in the head with a Euro before. They're twice the size of a quarter."
Today, as a member of the Clippers, Singleton gets to enjoy some of the fruits of his labor by building his car collection. Unlike some other pro athletes who only started becoming auto enthusiasts when they started to have more money to burn, Singleton has been a car fiend from day one, and used to customize his cars himself.
Singleton's first ride was a red 1996 Ford Thunderbird that he bought with money he made working as a waiter. The Thunderbird sported some of his, shall we say, unique modifications.
"At one point in time...I took out the passenger seat and I put three 15's right there. I had three 15's in the trunk (too). It was looouuuud!" Singleton recalls. Of course, after realizing that the ladies may not have liked jumping in the backseat while his sound system rode shotgun, reinstalled the passenger seat.
Today, Singleton chooses to be a bit more subtle about his rides, eschewing the neon lights and Lambo doors he used to rock on his old whips back in the day. These days, he gets his custom work done by Elle Rothstan at Al & Ed's Autosound (West Hollywood, California) from the 1,600-Watt sound system with Clippers-logo-embossed subwoofer in his '07 Escalade ESV to the custom grille kit and side vents on his Chrysler 300C SRT8. He keeps his black '07 Mercedes-Benz S 550 stock and lets the Benzo's inherent class and elegance speak for it.
These days, when Singleton feels the need for speed, he takes his 425-horsepower 300C for a spin. When he just wants to cruise or take a long road trip to Las Vegas, he'll roll the Escalade ESV, which Singleton states, "...has all the comforts of home."
Now that he's in the NBA and living his dream, what's next?
"I want to become one of those players in the league that's just recognized year round," he says. "I want to make sure everyone in my immediate family...has everything they didn't have and they won't have to struggle."