The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
No other Canadians were considered capable of meriting selection. None but Carl English, who had hoped to become the first basketball player from Newfoundland selected in the annual NBA draft. But English never heard his name called. For the bleached-blonde native of the tiny town of Patrick's Cove, playing in the NBA was the next step in an unlikely basketball career. The 22 year-old guard is a remarkable story. English's parents died in a house fire when he was five and he was raise by his aunt and uncle. In 2001, his uncle had a heart attack and died in English's arms when the pair was out on a fishing trip. English has seven brothers and one sister. He chose the University of Hawaii, six and a half time zones from his home town, because of a fondness for coach Riley Wallace. The six-foot-five guard averaged 19.3 points and set a school record with 89 three-pointers last season. Being passed over was a major disappointment for English, who can still try to catch on with a team as a free agent. Something to Ponder: Show me a family with everything in life, and I'll show you a household about to have a garage sale.
