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Flying Under the Radar

By Ashley Gomez

Despite the fast-paced life of Los Angeles, and beyond the glitz and glamour of the celebrities who sit courtside at STAPLES Center, Maurice Evans, in his Maurice Evansfirst year with the Lakers, seems to be fitting in just fine. While playing next to one of the greatest players to ever grace the court, Evans has made a large impact on this young season.

Many ask who Maurice Evans is, but if you have seen a Lakers game this year, you are familiar with the excitement and grit Maurice brings to the court day in and day out. A three year NBA veteran, Evans seems to have found a home here in L.A. He may not be a "scoring machine", but Evans is playing with the passion that propels his teammates to play at a higher level.

Evans, a 27 year-old native of Wichita, Kansas, played for the Wichita State Shockers for two seasons before transferring to the University of Texas. As an early entry candidate for the 2001 NBA draft, Evans went undrafted, but went on to sign with the Minnesota Timberwolves. After playing little that year, Evans decided to head overseas and try his luck playing in Europe.

Maurice EvansIt was in Europe that Evans would mature as a player. Unfamiliar at first with the European style of play, he would quickly learn that the talent and competition was strong. "I did not realize how good the players were over there; it's a high level of competition," explains Evans.

Going over to Europe, Evans had something to prove. Not only did he feel he had failed in the NBA, but he also felt as if playing overseas was a demotion for him. This mentality created motivation for Evans, and with every dribble on the court, and with every shot he took, he felt he had something to prove to himself and others who felt he had could not succeed. "Every time I stepped on the court, I was out to prove I was an NBA player. As a result, it helped motivate me," Evans said.

His new and exciting style of play helped Evans achieve Eurobasket All-League Player of the Year in 2003-2004 with his team, Benetton Treviso. Evans also grabbed MVP honors in the All-Star game, while averaging 17.4 points and 3.7 rebounds in 20 games. "I went to Europe and I finally got to play, and I was heavily relied upon, I was expected to carry a team to a championship," said Evans. Being thrown into the fire like that and having such high demands created a new appreciation for the game in Evans. This translated to his second stint in the NBA.

Since returning, Evans has used his knowledge and game play he developed in Europe to play the game at a higher level. "Honestly, I'm just trying to take advantage, I want to try and carry some of the mentality I learned there, of being relied upon and being respected," Evans said.

Playing with a new sense of accomplishment, Evans now sees his time with Maurice Evansthe Lakers as a time to finish what he started. Evans wants to be a factor, and he realizes this will be a challenge playing with seasoned superstars like Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom. "In the past, I could take 15-20 shots a game. Here, I may only get seven shots, so I have to make them count. I have to be more efficient when I am out there on the court; I just want to help and be a factor."

That is what Maurice Evans has become, a huge factor in the Lakers' early success. Creating a strong presence off the bench and displaying tough defense against opposing teams, he has helped this Lakers squad surpass many people's expectations despite key injuries. "Once we get all our players back, I think we will be a contending force at the end of the season".

Maurice has always flown under the radar. In a game covered by TNT Maurice Evansrecently, commentator Charles Barkley asked who this Maurice Evans was and why was he even shooting the ball. When told what Barkley said, Evans laughed while encouraging doubters to look at his college and European achievements. He knows he has always flown under the radar. In a way, it propels him to play that much harder. "I still feel like I have a lot to prove, not only to myself, but to a lot of people around the league."

With the excitement he brings every game, it's not long until this high flyer will get the recognition that he has been working so hard for. In time, people like Barkley will see that Maurice Evans has a place in this league, and maybe some will see that flying under the radar is not so bad after all.

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