"Not that I would ever tell him to his face-especially after the time and effort I spent getting on him in high school-but I was very proud of James. I followed his career since he was drafted; he worked hard at his game. He never had that kind of can't-miss talent, and was a little trigger-happy with the ball, but the fact that he made it and the rest of us didn't is simply amazing; he wasn't the likeliest candidate. Likely or not, he made it out of Flatbush, and I know quite a few people who couldn't say the same."

Rob Bishop and his four best friends wanted to get out of the 'hood and...