In a move that has the distinct odors of both “desperation” and “publicity stunt,” Tulsa’s WNBA franchise will sign Olympic-champion-turned-convict Marion Jones to a contract.
Jones was the starting point guard for the national champion Carolina Tar Heels — way back in 1994, but gave up basketball to concentrate on her track career. In 2007, she admitted to use of performance-enhancing drugs.
She spent several months in prison for lying to investigators and for her role in a bad-check scam.
Why would a professional basketball team be interested in signing a player more than a decade removed from competitive hoops — let alone one who is an admitted steroid cheat and ex-convict? Coach Nolan Richardson told reporters:
In the workouts last week I saw how hard she works. She has things you can’t teach, like speed and great hand and eye coordination. She looks chiseled. Her age [34] might be saying one thing but everything about her is saying she’s young.
Of course, it would have been impolite for him to say, “Can any of you name a player on the Tulsa Shock? Everyone knows who Marion Jones is. I don’t care if she hasn’t played high-level basketball in ten-plus years, spent time in prison and just gave birth to her third child. I need to sell tickets.”
Marion Jones to Join Tulsa WNBA Franchise originally appeared on About.com Basketball on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 13:27:46.
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