UCLA's Shabazz Muhammad is a Danny Almonte

http://www.latimes.com/news/columnone/la-fi-shabazz-muhammad-inc-20130322-dto,0,3133186.htmlstory

Tremendously interesting story about how Muhammad's dad set out from before he was born to create a superstar athlete (that's why he picked the kid's mom). And the reporter found that, beginning at some heretofore unknown early age, the dad made the kid a year younger than he actually is. Doesn't matter now of course, but that is an enormously huge deal when a kid is playing age-group stuff.

According to the UCLA men's basketball media guide, he was born in Los Angeles on Nov. 13, 1993.

But a copy of Shabazz Nagee Muhammad's birth certificate on file with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health shows that he was born at Long Beach Memorial Hospital exactly one year earlier, making him 20 years old — not 19 as widely reported.

How and when he lost a year of his life are unclear. But competing against younger, smaller athletes, particularly in the fast-growing years of early adolescence, can be "a huge edge," said Eddie Bonine, executive director of the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Assn. "People naturally look at the big, strong kids."

Asked about the discrepancy, Holmes insisted his son was 19 and born in Nevada. "It must be a mistake," he said.

Several minutes later, he changed his account, saying that his son is, in fact, 20 and was born in Long Beach.

Holmes expressed concern about disclosure of his son's true age and his own criminal record and questioned whether either was newsworthy. He followed up with a text message.

"Bazz is going to blow up in the NBA lets team up and blow this thing up!!!" Holmes wrote to this reporter. "I'm going to need a publicist anyway why shouldn't it be you. We can do some big things together."

 

Why did this reporter narc on the kid?

Maybe they had their reasons.

 

Awesome! In 18 years prepare for me to be caught in the same lies! My kid is going to be the next Bobby Orr Gordie Howe. [/crossthread]

 

The part about why they have different last names is a nice part of the story too -- the mom and kids took the last name Muhammad, but the dad was ordered to keep his last name forever as part of a criminal fraud conviction.

 

Isn't this a case more like Todd Marinovich than Danny Almonte? Yeah, there's a discrepancy in age but it sounds like he's been raised "RoboQB" style.

 

I want to know how he found a willing partner in his plan to breed athletes. Hell, he may as well have stuck her in a pen and used a syringe to stick his sperm into her. If there were any cows who didn't turn out, then he could bring them to the veal pen.

 

Interesting story. Good for Shabazz to have a father that cares about his son's success and good luck to him in the pros.

 

Yep.

But I am sure everything will be OK.

 

That's a little harsh.

 

It's stuff like this that make college basketball among the sleaziest of sports.

 

Compared to some of the stuff you've posted, that's tame.

 

jimmy the Greek has a theory on that