Kenny Smith on Dwayne ‘Pearl’ Washington: ‘He made (New York City basketball) what it was’
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Dwayne Washington, Kenny Smith and Mark Jackson were all point guards that played basketball in New York City at the same time. Smith said Washington helped generate attention for all the New York City basketball players.
On Wednesday during a broadcast of NBA on TNT, Kenny “The Jet” Smith, a former AAU teammate of Dwayne “Pearl” Washington, discussed the late Syracuse legend. He praised Washington for what he did for New York City basketball and the attention Washington brought to Smith and Mark Jackson, the former New York Knicks guard and past coach of the Golden State Warriors.
"He was a man amongst boys." – @TheJetOnTNT on Dwayne 'Pearl' Washingon https://t.co/ckxguMeEFL
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 21, 2016
Here is the transcript of what Smith said:
“(Washington) was a man amongst boys for us. He was the guy and the rabbit we all chased. We came out the same class … the best New York City basketball class with Mark Jackson, Pearl Washington and myself at that point guard position ever in that era.
“So he was the guy we always looked up to. We always wanted to measure ourselves next to Pearl. We played AAU together. We traveled the world together. One thing he did was bring so much attention to New York City that people noticed us.
“I’m so happy before he passed, I got an opportunity maybe like eight years ago, I called him up and said, ‘I just want to thank you, man … Thank you for being who you were, because I would never be who I am if it wasn’t for you. Mark Jackson, I know, would not be who he is without him.
“… He made (New York City basketball) for my era, he made it what it was.”
Published on April 20, 2016 at 8:48 pm
Contact Chris: cjlibona@syr.edu | @ChrisLibonati
