Found. Part I

“I couldn’t understand it. I was so fucking mad. They traded me and Corie Blount for Vinny Del Negro. I was like, ‘Get the fuck out of here…Vinny Del Negro!?’”

-Paul McPherson

Found. Finally. I saw the YouTube videos, so I knew he was in Europe, but still I hadn't heard a word about Paul McPherson in forever. Someone left an anonymous (Ted Danson?) comment on one of my posts a while ago letting me know Dime Magazine had a spot on P-Mac and I just now was able to comprehend it any put in on my site.

To start I guess I should probably explain why the blog is called "Where's Paul McPherson?" I guess it's kinda weird that I've had the blog up for not quite a year and ever offered an explanation for the name.

I was in 8th grade when I first saw P-Mac play in an exhibition game with the Phoenix Suns against the Lakers. I remember being in awe as this 6'2'' man, built like Brian Dawkins, wearing the magic number 23 was doing insane dunks in the lay-up lines pre-game. I rooted for him the entire game in the limited minutes he saw. I remember telling my brother, "I hope they put McPherson back in." I remember watching him back down Robert Horry before fading away and hitting nothing but net. I'll never forget when he got a break-away dunk and tried to tear the rim off the backboard.

The whole season I was P-Mac's number 1 fan, I'd always check the box score in the paper, looking to see what it said aside McPherson. Unfortunately he spent most of it in coach Scott Skiles' dog house, which didn't help his stats or highlights. That didn't stop P-Mac from making ridiculous plays whenever he was in the game. My friend JT and I still bring up the "God Play" whenever we hang out. The "God Play" went like this: 2 seconds on the clock, someone lobs it down court to P-Mac, he catches it in the air on the right side of the hoop, gracefully floated under the hoop and hit the reverse lay-up as he fell to the ground. It wasn't a game-winner, but if you saw the video and were a P-Mac fan, it was the greatest 2 seconds (6 seconds with slow-mo replay) of your life. I'd estimate that JT and I tried to emulate the "God Play" at least 100 times on a 7-foot hoop, making only a couple.

Then midway through the season they traded P-Mac, along with Corie Blount to Golden State for Vinny Del Negro. Aside from the day my parents got divorced and when the '95 Magic knocked the Bulls out of the play-offs, this was the worst day of my life.

We traded Paul McPherson, who had an NBA tattoo on his bicep and could jump out the gym for some lame white guy that looks like he should be asking you if you need help finding a printer at Staples. What the fuck?!

P-Mac bounced around the league, never really logging a minute and apparently picking up an assault, gun and drug charge in the process.

In my freshman year of high school, during what P-Mac called the "darkest years of my life" in the Dime article, P-Mac joined the ABA's Phoenix Eclipse. This was after the ABA came back for the first time and before it folded for a second time, although now it's strangely back again. It's that kinda league. The Eclipse played in the Suns old arena, Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

JT and I went to the game an hour early in hopes of meeting P-Mac and getting autographs. For $5 we had tickets right behind the Eclipse bench and we met P-Mac pre-game. He was cool as hell as he talked to us both and gave us autographs. I am pretty sure he was just happy to know someone was watching him outside his family and friends.

P-Mac was killing people the whole game, but I will never forget when P-Mac caught an oop, as he jumped from outside the key, hurdled a defender and threw it down with two hands. P-Mac was/is that godly and that is why I'll always love him.

The Eclipse, with the rest of the ABA went down hill quickly and soon they were playing at local high schools. After the Eclipse season, we never heard from P-Mac again.

P-Mac if you're reading this or any of your family or friends are, e-mail me, justinadler1@gmail.com, so we can do an interview. Thanks for inspiring the blog and the eye patch and pirate hat on the banner is just seasonal.