Jeff Myers achieved a childhood dream this month when he got to wear a Philadelphia 76ers jersey. This wasn’t one of those Allen Iverson shirts that can be purchased at a local sporting-goods store. This one came with the free-agent contract he signed with the Sixers.
Myers, 29, traveled with his hometown team to Puerto Rico, and sat on the Sixers bench for their preseason game against the Miami Heat. On Saturday night, the 6-foot-2 point guard played eight scoreless minutes of action in the Sixers’ preseason loss to the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs at the Liacouras Center.
But on Sunday, his exciting two weeks of life in the NBA came to an end when the 76ers cut him.
On Monday, Myers, of 15th and Catharine streets, had no hard feelings toward the team he had grown up watching. Actually, he was rather grateful for getting the chance to play alongside Iverson, Eric Snow and Glenn Robinson.
"It’s an experience I will never forget," the athlete said.
The two-week NBA stint included a reunion with former Drexel University teammate and good friend Malik Rose, who owns two championship rings from his time with the Spurs. On Saturday, Myers and Rose, a Southwest Philly native, were even briefly on the court together — just on opposing sides.
"The funny thing is I kind of wanted to pass him the ball," Myers said. "He is constantly pushing me to keep working at it. Those are the type of people you need in your corner.
"He serves as an inspiration."
Rose took a more direct route into the NBA as the Charlotte Hornets — now the New Orleans Hornets — drafted him with the 44th overall pick in 1996. A year later, the 6-foot-7 forward signed with the Spurs as a free agent, and is now one of the team’s top players off the bench.
Myers, on the other hand, never got drafted. His NBA career has consisted of a couple of brief stints on summer-league rosters and training camps, but nothing for an extended period.
The guard spent some time in the Toronto Raptors’ camp last October, and played six minutes in the team’s first preseason contest. Myers missed his only shot, but notched an assist and logged three minutes of playing time in a loss to Detroit. While on the court, Myers tore cartilage in his right knee, putting his NBA dreams on hold.
So he returned to his life as a pro basketball journeyman, hoping to catch the attention of a coach or scout who could be watching in the stands. The athlete has made the rounds by playing for minor-league clubs in such outposts as Greenville, S.C.; Hartford, Conn.; and Glenn Falls, N.Y. He even had a three-year stint in Cyprus with the European League.
Myers earned his latest tryout by impressing the coaching staff during the summer-league season. The player said he wasn’t expecting to get invited back. Heading into camp, he knew he would be lucky to see minutes in actual games, as the Sixers have a very deep back court. Iverson, Snow, Aaron McKie, John Salmons and rookies Willie Green and Kyle Korver were well in front of Myers on the depth chart.
"I knew I wasn’t going to play in front of those guys," he said. "I saw it as an audition for the other 28 teams in the league."
As elusive as the NBA goal might be for Myers, he has gotten much closer than most. The player, who ranks 11th all-time on the Drexel career scoring list with 1,430 points, is one of five Drexel grads to play some form of professional basketball either in the United States or overseas. Myers was hoping to become the first Drexel alum to make the Sixers’ roster, but the guard said the timing wasn’t right.
"I am thankful for them giving me the opportunity to come out and at least prove I can play in the league," said Myers.
Now it’s back to playing the waiting game. Over the next couple of weeks, Myers will evaluate any offers he receives from minor-league teams in the states and professional clubs in Europe. He also could play for one of the professional teams in Italy or still get offered a chance to make another NBA team.
Then, there is always the National Basketball Development League, which offers athletes an opportunity to hone their talent in a highly competitive atmosphere under the NBA’s umbrella.
Myers played for the Greenville Groove in the league’s inaugural season, and earned Defensive Player of the Year honors.
The athlete might not be sure what he’ll do next, but he has no intention of staying on the bench.
"I just love the game of basketball, and I just want to play," he said. "I am going to keep on going until I can’t go no more."
