Chicago Bulls' John Salmons puts God, family first

The first interview request is made in Miami.

John Salmons ponders it for several seconds before agreeing — with one caveat: "Can we wait a little bit, you know what I'm saying, until I feel more comfortable?"

This doesn't surprise Stan Jones, who worked with Leonard Hamilton to recruit Salmons to up-and-coming Miami, beating out higher-profile programs like Indiana and Kansas.

"He's a very deep thinker, and when he speaks, he wants it to mean something," said Jones, now Hamilton's associate head coach at Florida State. "John has great character and depth. He doesn't suffer fools easily or get fooled by quick talk. He seeks substance because he's a man of substance."

The second interview request is made a few days later in Philadelphia. Salmons declines politely, citing demands from the friends and family in his hometown.

"He's true to the real things in life and himself, and most of us aren't that self-assured," said Jim Donofrio, the then-assistant coach and now head coach at Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School in Plymouth Meeting, Pa. "He'll come back to the Philly area to work on his game and give back to youth, but he's very private. To get a detailed interview with him is not easy."

The third interview request is made several days later, and, again, Salmons agrees but leaves when it will happen open-ended.

"John's never been comfortable with the spotlight," said Perry Clark, who took over for Hamilton and coached Salmons' final two seasons at Miami. "There are plenty of guys who play the game because they love money and being on ESPN. John plays because he loves and appreciates the game.

"Because he came up the hard way, it's made him much more appreciative. He was raised a certain way, so he gravitates toward people who have substance and meaning instead of stuff that is superficial or quick gratification."

Notice a theme?

Turning page his way: There's a reason beyond Salmons' late-blooming success and 21/2 seasons in that NBA outpost known as Sacramento why you haven't heard much about the guy: He'd rather play or contemplate life than talk.

Clark recalled road trips with Salmons writing furiously at the airport. When Clark asked him what he was doing, Salmons told him he was keeping a diary.

"Man, you're the only basketball player I know who keeps a diary!" Clark said.

Donofrio recalls a similarly analytical bent extending to Salmons' low recruiting rankings, particularly because all the top college coaches had seen him play AAU ball against Kobe Bryant in the Philly area.

"He looked at [the rankings] all the time to get mad and annoyed and took them as an insult," Donofrio said. "But he wouldn't say two words about it because he's quietly driven. And they didn't cloud his judgment because he always did the quiet, subtle thing.

"He had offers from some really good schools, but he went to Miami. He chose the school where he thought he would be most comfortable and didn't worry about status. He's always made smart moves for himself."

Jones recalls a meeting after Salmons' freshman season when he asked him to become more of a leader because he'd be starting as a sophomore.

"He said, 'I don't want you to tell me I'm a starter until I earn it,' " Jones said. "He has such an inner drive that keeps him focused on the path to success. He's quite religious, and I think his faith allows him to be at peace with himself at all times."

Rick Brunson, a journeyman guard who had two stints with the Bulls, remembers going back to their shared hometown of Philadelphia to work youth basketball camps.

"Every year I'd pick out a teenage counselor and play him one-on-one in front of the kids for fun," Brunson said. "One year I picked out this kid and he whooped my [butt]. It turned out to be John. But he didn't brag or strut because he's a quiet guy, a genuine guy, a religious guy. There's no pretense or BS with him. What you see is what you get."

Finally, one day at the Berto Center, Salmons approaches and says: "I heard you talked to Stan Jones. You want to do that interview?"

Patience rewarded: And so Salmons sits down. And this is what he shares in a wide-ranging 20-minute talk.

Salmons says shocking the bigger-name schools to attend Miami was his best decision ever because he met his wife there as well as a friend who helped him find himself spiritually. He says he cringes sometimes at his naiveté when he looks back at those college diaries.

He says playing for the 76ers proved a trying experience because he didn't play much, and fans rode him and his family mercilessly. He says spurning a sign-and-trade to Toronto and interest from other teams to sign with Sacramento in 2006 rejuvenated him because he grew as a player and husband in relative anonymity.

He says he's private, not shy. He says he considers himself an atypical NBA player because he's "God first and just a family man." He says fame and notoriety matter not to him because his Christianity demands "a humble heart."

He says Romans 8 is his favorite Bible chapter because "it's just about God being with you regardless as long as your heart is in the right place and you know him."

He sits quietly for several seconds when asked about being raised by a single mother and how the birth of his son, Josiah, has made him see his own upbringing.

"It took me a long time to really realize that not having my father around when I was young affected who I am today," Salmons said. "Once I realized that, it helped me get over it and become a better man. Because I know what it's like not to have that father around, it makes me want to be a better father to my son.

"As much as I love playing basketball, it's hard to be on the road and not see him grow. I always want to be there for him. I hadn't seen him in a while [after the trade], and he got two new teeth and is standing up easy now, pulling himself up. He can walk by holding something. Little things like that I don't want to miss.

"I want him to know me as his father. He's made me look at life differently because everything is pretty much about him. All the decisions my wife and I make are not about us anymore. It's about making sure he's right.

"I'm happy where I'm at in life. I'm at peace with everything."

Some things are worth the wait.

(chicagotribuen.com)