John Wall and Trevor Booker are in Tarrytown, NY to participate in NBA’s Rookie photo shoot. The players will move to New York City as part of the NBA’s orientation week for incoming first-year players. It is unclear if Hamady N’Diaye or Kevin Seraphin participated in Tuesday’s photo shoot, but Kevin Seraphin had hoped to have his work visa in time to participate in the NBA Rookie Transition program.
The Rookie Transition program is typically a six-day seminar which began in 1986. The objective of the program is to help the new NBA players make a seamless transition into the league. The NBA and NBAPA jointly administered program typically covers a wide range of topics including:
Professional and Life Skills
- Computer Training
- Education
- Finance
- Professionalism/Networking
Player Development
- Coach's Huddle
- NBA Legends Panel
- Player to Player Panel with current NBA players
- Players Association meeting
- Rules of the Game
- Special Sessions with Bill Russell and Bob Love
Personal Development and Education
- Character, Image and Ethics Panel
- Driving Safety
- Drugs and Alcohol
- Nutrition
- Sexual Health
- Stress and Anger Management
Media and Community Relations
- Community Relations
- Media Training
- NBA Communications
- NBA Entertainment
Legal Education
- Felony Situations
- Gambling
- Gender Violence
- Security
- Sexual Harassment
Special Sessions
- Focus on the unique challenges facing:
- International players (i.e. Cultural Adaptation; Overcoming the Language Barrier; Acclimating to the NBA-style of play)
- Players "20 and under" (i.e. Being on your own for the first time; Interacting with Veterans; How to deal with Peer Pressure situations)
Michael Lee of the Post did an excellent job detailing John Wall’s day, I urge you to read it. Probably the most intriguing piece of news – depending on your perspective – is that John Wall and Gilbert have finally had a face-to-face conversation. Here is how Michael Lee reported it:
Wall said he also met with Gilbert Arenas, who was in town receiving treatment on his left knee. "I talked to him a little bit. He knows a lot about the game. You can tell he's a smart player. I can't wait to get on the court with him and get it going," Wall said. "He just says he's going to do as much as he can to change and play the way he knows how to play, helping us win. I feel like you got two guys who can attack the basket and also Gilbert can stretch the defense, it helps out a lot."
I was never too broken up that the two hadn’t had a chance to have a face-to-face conversation. In many ways, their schedules likely got in the way with Gilbert spending a significant amount of time in Chicago working with Tim Grover and Wall’s time preparing for and playing in the Summer League. However, it is good that they were both able to meet at the Wizards facility last week and start what is likely to be the first step in the process to better understand each other, and how they both can benefit one another this season.