Speaking of Cuban, Odom states that he briefly met the mercurial Dallas Mavericks owner and Shark Tank star face-to-face. Coincidentally, it came at an event where Cuban told the attendees to “never give up on their dreams.”
The irony.
“I got to meet Mark Cuban face-to-face. So when I met him, shook his hand and tried to give him my story in like 30 seconds and tried to give him stuff to look at. He said, “Don’t give me that, send it to my people.” Right after that, he gave a speech about don’t give up on your dreams. It felt like he shut me out.”
Odom was later approached by Cuban’s personal assistant and handed over his tape. A month went by before Scott finally sent out an email for an update on the situation.
The assistant “never gave it to [Cuban]” and “lost it while traveling.” In a strange twist of fate, Odom found his way into a halftime game between the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Per Odom, the NBA’s support was as limited then as it is now.
Discouraged, but never defeated.
Years have passed and opportunity is now coming in a new form. The Admirals are preparing to battle the Flex in the PBL, and Odom will be one of the players taking the court for them.
The question on everyone’s mind is, once again, as simple as it is complex: what should we expect from Odom once he takes the court?
If you ask Scott, he will be trying to keep things simple and play to his strengths.
“I’m a short white guy with one leg,” Odom said with a laugh. “I had to learn to shoot. That’s why I really look up to Ray Allen. I’m the quiet guy on the court, like him.”
Who can blame Scott for looking up to the most prolific 3-point shooter of all-time? Moreso, which coach could possibly oppose the addition of a player who prides himself on being able to space the floor?
Thus, Odom’s opportunity to play in the PBL was born.
As admirable a story and dream as it is, Odom has faced his fair share of resistance. Scott’s teammates have expressed jealousy over the spotlight he is receiving in a variety of ways. Many have questioned whether he is a legitimate player or just a basketball sideshow.
That, above all else, is what hurts Odom the most.
“I almost didn’t want to do this. We had a tryout and everybody came out and they interviewed everybody. But when it came out, I got a lot of jealousy and hate from some of my teammates,” Odom said as his demeanor turned to sadness at a time of inspiration. “That really hurt inside because I’m not doing this for myself. If anything, this can open another door for us and bring us exposure.”
Odom spoke the most honest and harrowing words imaginable: “I’ve questioned if it’s really worth it.”
The doubts were expected. The skepticism was all but guaranteed. In the end, none of that mattered.
Before accepting the offer, Scott reached out to his Lake Michigan teammates on a conference call to inform them of the opportunity he’d received. Rather than offering resistance, the team was nothing short of supportive.
With that, Odom accepted the offer. The rest will be history.
Odom’s teammates understood that this was bigger than just one person living out a dream. It was about equality and opportunity for each and all.
Mere days before from the biggest night of athletic career, Odom’s mind is far from what this means for himself. As has always been the case, the only thing on Scott’s mind is what he can do for others.
“I would really like to educate people,” Odom said. “Hopefully playing well and hitting some shots – even just playing in a professional game – I hope people don’t automatically make a judgment of somebody. [I just want to show people that] amputees are capable of doing anything if they set their mind to it.'”
Scott doesn’t believe that he deserves to be out there. He’ll be the first to confesses that there are better athletes who have earned a spot for their own.
On Saturday, however, Scott will be the one making history. He’ll go down as the first amputee in the history of professional basketball, but the impact is greater than any individual recognition.
Scott is a beacon of hope for any individuals who have ever been discouraged. Scott is proof that, regardless of what you encounter in life, impossible doesn’t exist.
On Saturday, Scott will continue to prove that he may have lost his leg, but he never lost his dream.
You can purchase Scott Odom’s book, “Stand Up,” and support the Amp 1 Basketball movement at www.Amp1Basketball.com. You can also follow him on Twitter.
Maxwell Ogden is a staff writer for Sheridan Hoops. You can follow him on Twitter.
Back when I played college we had a guy who used to come to pickup games who’d had polio. His right leg was stick thin and withered, and he was 5’4″, but he held his own against the college team in half-court practices and could play PG in a slow-down, post-up offence. You work hard enough you can overcome a lot of stuff. Good article, hope Scott gets a good look in.
Fascinating subject. But I don’t Cuban did anything wrong or rude here by assigning an assistant to procure a tape for him. Busy people outsource tasks all the time.
And it looks like the Mavericks did eventually help with the cause by hosting the Amp 1 game. Can you give more details about how that was arranged, and who organized it?
That’s a fair and accurate evaluation, Evin.
The founder of the PLAY Foundation, also an amputee, was responsible for arranging the halftime game. Scott is located in Texas and the PLAY Foundation worked with Amp 1 on a charity in Dallas, which is how those two sides came together.
Excellent article!