With a crossover that makes defenders look like pylons, a sweet three-point shot and one of the NBA's highest verticals, Steve Francis has become one of basketball's most exciting players. Here's a closer look at the newest member of the Orlando Magic whose jaw-dropping skills have earned him the nickname, The Franchise.
Steve Francis' Start
Steve Francis started shooting hoops on the playgrounds near his home in Maryland when he was nine years old. Francis later started playing for a team at the Takoma Park Community Center and on his high school team. Steve stopped playing high school basketball in 1995 after his mother died. During his time off from organized b-ball, Steve Francis grew six inches and became an entirely different player. He received a scholarship to play basketball at a junior college in Texas in 1996 and in 1998 he moved back home to play ball for the University of Maryland. Steve Francis was picked second overall in the 1999 NBA Draft by the Vancouver Grizzlies but was later traded to the Houston Rockets because he wanted to play for a team closer to his home.
Steve Francis The Star
It didn't take Steve Francis long to become a star in the NBA. By the end of his first season with the Houston Rockets, he was running the floor for the team and led the Rockets in points, assists and steals. He was named the co-winner of NBA's Rookie of the Year in 2000 (along with Elton Brand of the Chicago Bulls) and was runner-up to Vince Carter in the NBA's Slam-Dunk Contest. In 2004, after helping the Houston Rockets make it to the playoffs, Steve Francis was traded to the Orlando Magic in a blockbuster trade involving fellow NBA superstar, [KWLINK 1699[b]Tracy McGrady.
Steve Francis' Game
Steve Francis has a game that's like an all-you-can-eat smorgasbord - it's a tasty combination of everything. He dishes off sweet, no-look passes. Francis has a lightning-quick crossover. Steve unleashes high-flying, rim-rattling dunks. Steve Francis is also one of the NBA's best three-point shooters. Steve Francis has it all. His quickness and bouncy step makes him look like a six year-old kid on a sugar rush but when he turns his game on, Francis is virtually unstoppable.
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