It feels right when things stay homely and close to the heart. And so it felt when Los Angeles product Jordan Farmar made his debut with the Lakers in 2006.
Farmar was the gritty kid from the bench who would provide an injection of adrenaline while the starting point guard catches a breather. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Farmar was exposed to to the rigors of professional sports from the very start by watching his father, who played in the Minor Leagues. Farmar blossomed as a high school player – a period during which he was named LA Times Player of the Year and LA Interscholastic Federation Player of the Year. He then brought his UCLA team to the 2006 Final Four, where they lost to Florida Gators.
As a Laker, he had the livewire toughness needed to hustle for loose balls and the audacity to slash to the hoop amidst the giants of the paint. He played alongside some of the best players in the NBA, including Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom; and he was a key piece of the bench that pocketed two back-to-back championship titles with the Lakers.
Farmar shows off against the Sixers
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eyp88jInrE0
Next: New Jersey, here I come.