Roger Reid brought all sorts of controversy his way by recruiting and playing his sons when he was the coach of BYU. Charges of nepotism abounded by those who didn't care for the Reids' style.
But after Roger Reid was fired by BYU in December of 1996, his son, Robbie Reid, transferred to Michigan, where he proved he could play for someone other than Dad -- starting for two seasons for the tradition-rich Wolverines.But now father and son have been reunited as coach and player, this time as members of the Phoenix Suns. Robbie Reid, the former Spanish Fork High star, was invited to summer camp by the Suns -- the team where Roger Reid is now an assistant coach to ex-BYU star Danny Ainge. The younger Reid is expected to play for the Phoenix entrant in the Rocky Mountain Revue, which begins Monday in the Delta Center.
Reid isn't the only Utah high school product on a Revue roster. Ben Melmeth, a former Ute who was the Deseret News' Mr. Basketball of 1993 when he played at Judge Memorial, will represent the world champion San Antonio Spurs. The 6-10 center cut his Runnin' Ute career short to play professionally in his homeland of Australia, but now he's back in the United States.
While many of the players on Revue rosters will be unfamiliar to even hard-core basketball fans, the eight-day event will also feature some of the biggest names from June's draft and a few players who have already made a splash in the league.
Jason Williams, Sacramento's flashy starting point guard who Jazz fans learned all about during the playoffs, is scheduled to play for the Kings. Elton Brand, the No. 1 overall pick by Chicago, is on the Bulls roster although he isn't expected to arrive until midweek. Wally Szczerbiak, the Ute killer from Miami of Ohio, will play for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Houston's starting backcourt from last season, Cuttino Mobley and Michael Dickerson, will also participate.
Here's a look at some of the players who dot each of the 11 Revue rosters:
CHICAGO BULLS
The top pick in the draft from Duke ensures the Bulls will have a Brand name on its roster. Chicago will also be represented by 6-7 swingman Ron Artest, the No. 16 pick in the draft out of St. John's and by Kornel David, a Hungarian who saw plenty of action for the Bulls last season. WAC basketball fans will recognize Michael Ruffin, a recent second-round pick who played at Tulsa.
DALLAS MAVERICKS
A year ago Don Nelson was predicting that German youngster Dirk Nowitzki, a 7-foot small forward, would be a candidate for rookie of the year honors. Nowitzki didn't come close. He'll be at the Revue in an attempt to get better so he can live up to Nellie's expectations. Also on the Mavs roster is 6-11 forward Leon Smith, the rookie straight out of a Chicago high school who refused to run laps directed by assistant coach Donn Nelson at his first-ever workout as a Maverick. WAC fans may recognize 6-2 guard Anthony Carter (Hawaii) and 6-3 guard Mike Jones (TCU).
DENVER NUGGETS
Flashy former Fresno State guard Chris Herren is on Denver's roster. The Nuggets also have forward James Posey, a 6-8 forward who went one pick before Utah's Quincy Lewis in June's draft. Posey was a teammate of Jazz camper Torraye Braggs at Xavier University. Ricky Moore, a rookie guard who played for national champion UConn, is also playing for the Nuggets as are additional WAC veterans Keon Clark (UNLV) and Milt Palacio (Colorado State).
HOUSTON ROCKETS
The three rookie guards Rudy Tomjanovich's team had to rely on so much -- Mobley, Dickerson and Bryce Drew -- are all expected to play in the Revue. As Houston's first-round flameout in the playoffs indicated, the trio could probably use the experience. Another player local fans will probably want to keep an eye on is Kenny Thomas, whom BYU and Utah fans watched for four years as a New Mexico Lobo.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS
Robert "Tractor" Traylor, Reid's big-bodied Michigan teammate, headlines the Bucks' entry. Tim Thomas, a 6-7 two-year veteran, will also be on hand. Despite Thomas already having two NBA seasons under his belt, he would be heading into his senior season at Villanova had he stayed in school. Milwaukee's tie to the WAC is former Fresno State point guard Rafer Alston.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
Szczerbiak, considered the best shooter in June's draft and the No. 6 pick overall, will lead the T'Wolves Revue team. He'll be joined by fellow rookie William Avery, a point guard from Duke who went with the 14th pick in the first round. Bobby Jackson, who saw significant action for Minnesota last season as a back-up guard, will also be on hand. Tim Breaux, who graduated from Wyoming back in 1992, will be one of the oldest players at the Revue.
PHOENIX SUNS
The Suns invited 21 players to camp and will likely make cuts before they get to the Revue -- so Robbie Reid may not make it back to town after all. Some of the other interesting names on the roster Phoenix sent the Jazz include 300-plus pound center Oliver Miller, who started his career seven years ago with the Suns, and 7-0 beanpole Yinke Dare. Pat Garrity, the hard-nosed forward from Notre Dame who had a couple of good games against the Jazz last season, headlines the team along with first-round pick Shawn Marion, the No. 9 pick overall from UNLV.
PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS
The team that disappointed millions of Jazz fans in May didn't even have a first-round draft pick this year. Most of the Blazers' players are young and under contract, so free agent campers for Portland shouldn't hold out much hope of making next year's roster. Blazer vets Kelvin Cato and Bonzi Wells head the roster.
SACRAMENTO KINGS
While the Rockets will have a fine Revue backcourt, the Kings' may be even better. In addition to Williams at the point, swingman Predrag Stojakovic will play for Sacramento's entrant. Stojakovic, as Jazz fans may recall, is a deadeye long-range bomber from Serbia. The Kings are another team that didn't have a first-round pick in the draft.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
Antonio Daniels, who played a significant backup roll for the world champs, is the most experienced of the Spurs' campers. In addition to Melmeth, the Spurs, who had Australian Andrew Gaze on its team last season, invited another tall Aussie in 6-10 forward Mark Bradkte.
UTAH JAZZ
Fans will get a chance to see what first-round picks Quincy Lewis and Scott Padgett can do and get to watch Jacque Vaughn and Todd Fuller get extended playing time.