Storey with happy ending?

source: Joaquin Henson | philstar.com

For Barangay Ginebra import Awvee Storey, life on the basketball court is like an unfolding tale that he hopes will have a happy ending.

In the PBA Fiesta Conference, Ginebra coach Joseph Uichico would like nothing more than a Storey-book championship finish.

“Awvee’s asset is his work ethic,” said Uichico. “He rebounds and defends. As for our team, we are all healthy at last, hoping to remain healthy. I’m not used to having these many bodies for quite a long time and am adjusting myself.”

Uichico referred to Mark Caguioa, Jay-Jay Helterbrand, Junthy Valenzuela and Eric Menk who’ve been in and out of the lineup because of injuries the last several conferences.

Aside from reactivating the often-injured stars, Uichico recently picked up Yancy de Ocampo and John Ferriols to bolster the Kings’ roster. Rudy Hatfield’s return next month will be another boost. However, working De Ocampo and Ferriols into Ginebra’s system may take some time, admitted Uichico, as “both of them just came in.”

But in a conference where imports take center stage, the focus of Uichico’s attention is Storey – just like it was Chris Alexander when Ginebra bagged the 2008 title and David Noel when the Kings took runner-up honors last season.

Storey, who turns 33 on April 18, played three years for Arizona State, the school that produced the likes of San Miguel team consultant Alton Lister, former PBA import Mario Bennett, Byron Scott, Lionel Hollins, Fat Lever and “Jumpin’” Joe Caldwell. A varsity teammate was Eddie House, newly acquitted by the New York Knicks.

Storey is the only import in town with NBA credentials. He has suited up for the New Jersey Nets, Washington Wizards and Milwaukee Bucks in three seasons, averaging 2.4 points in 60 total games. The 6-5 3/16 guard-forward from Chicago has played in leagues all over the world – in Germany, Korea, Venezuela, Australia, NBDL, CBA and USBL. What sets him apart from most globetrotting cagers is his college diploma – Storey earned a degree in interdisciplinary studies, majoring in communications and sociology, at Arizona State. In 2001, he worked for the Fox Sports network as a production department intern, preparing for a life after hoops.

At the moment, Storey is still doing what he does best – play the game that he loves with a passion.

At Arizona State, Storey gained a reputation as a bruising defender and a versatile scorer. “He’s a difficult cover for guys who are big because of his quickness and for guys who are smaller because he can take them inside and overpower them,” said his varsity coach Rob Evans. “He’s going to give you 15 to 18-foot range and he takes advantage of his abilities which are attacking the basket, rebounding and defending. He’s a tremendous talent. He’s strong, tough physically and mentally. He can get to the basket and create his own shot.”

When the Bucks signed up Storey, then-general manager Larry Harris described him as “a hard-nosed, aggressive player who brings depth to our roster at the guard and small forward positions – he’s an excellent athlete and a solid defender.”

As an Arizona State senior in 2001-02, Storey sat out three games because of bleeding behind a swollen retina but came back to score 29 points against University of Nevada at Las Vegas in his final collegiate game. In 85 career games at Arizona State, Storey posted 16 double-doubles.

Two tainted chapters in Storey’s basketball life involved a misdemeanor arrest and a punching incident at practice. In 2006, Storey and Washington teammate Gilbert Arenas were arrested for disobeying police orders at a riotous Memorial Day celebration of hip-hop music and urban beach culture in Miami Beach. Storey was arrested for blocking traffic in the middle of a street and got off the hook with a $250 donation to the local police assistance trust fund. He was one of 557 arrested during the festivities. That same year, Storey was suspended and eventually cut by Dakota in the NBDL for punching Lithuanian 7-2 teammate Martynas Andriuskevicius at practice. Andriuskevicius was hospitalized with a severe concussion, a minor fracture of the skull and a bruise on the left side of the brain.

A Storey facet is his never-say-die attitude, which fits right in with Ginebra’s philosophy.

When Storey red-shirted for Arizona State in 1998-99 after transferring from Illinois, he was extremely vocal about how the varsity team played in losing to New Orleans in the dugout. “He’s a potential leader, having directed a fierce dressing room tirade at his teammates after a loss to New Orleans – as a redshirt, no less,” reported Jeff Faraudo in the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook. “No one challenged his right to do so.”

Before moving to the PBA, Storey played for the New Zealand Breakers in the Australian league. He played only nine games for the Breakers. Coach Andrej Lemanis said Storey “acted like a true professional” but was released because “things weren’t working out and we needed to make a change.”

In 2005, Storey led the Wonjun TG Sambo Xers to the Korean league championship. That’s the kind of finish Uichico is expecting from Storey in the PBA and if that happens, it’ll be the “Greatest Storey Ever Told.”