Marion Jones headed to the WNBA
Marion Jones
If anyone can relate to Tiger Woods right now, it’s Marion Jones. The five-time Olympic medal sprinter and long jumper was once in the good girl/golden child class of American athletes — then suddenly found her personal life being picked apart thanks to close ties to steroid users and her eventual admission that she also used steroids.
(In my perfect world, Tiger’s next press conference goes like this:
* Reporter: Where were you headed at 2:30 in the morning?
* Tiger: Well, to be honest, I was going to go mind my f***in’ business.)
Jones has been out of the spotlight since 2008, when she served a six-month prison term and was stripped of her medals and records. Now, the 34-year-old is considering returning to basketball as a pro overseas and in the WNBA.
Jones went to North Carolina on a basketball scholarship and was UNC’s starting point guard when they won the national title in 1994. She quit basketball in ‘96 to focus on track.
San Antonio Silver Stars coach Dan Hughes said that Jones has been working out with his team for the last couple months. The tentative plan is for her to play in Europe this winter season before joining the Silver Stars next spring.
“I thought it would be an interesting journey if I decided to do this,” Jones told reporters. “It would give me an opportunity to share my message to young people on a bigger platform; it would give me an opportunity to get a second chance.”
Any 34-year-old athlete coming back to play a pro sport after more than a year away from competition is tough enough, let alone when it’s a sport they haven’t played at a high level in 13 years. A couple of weeks after the LeBron/NFL pipe dream hypotheticals began resurfacing on the national radar, if Jones pulls this off, it’d be no less impressive.
December 1st, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Steve A says:
Comparing Woods’ situation to an olympic cheater who spent time in jail makes no sense. Marion Jones handled that whole situation awful and has no credibility.
December 1st, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Chicagorilla says:
Steve A, Go F^k a cow.
Cheater?
You need to really read credible sources about shit before you start posting stupid shit like that.
As for Ms. Jones… more power to you. I don’t believe she can do it, but who knows. I know it’s not a publicity stunt, because that’s not the kind of pub the silver stars want. They already had to deal with the Beck Hamon playing olympic ball for russia situation. They aren’t trying to take it there again.
December 1st, 2009 at 1:58 pm
yeah right says:
Chicagorilla .. that’s a Marion Jones quote:
“…with a great amount of shame…I stand before you and tell you that I have betrayed your trust…and you have the right to be angry with me… I have let my country down and I have let myself down.” admitting using steriods etc blabla.
so why don’t you go take care of the cows and stfu. thanks.
December 1st, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Steve A says:
@ 3,
thanks…glad I read it before I posted the exact same thing.
December 1st, 2009 at 2:38 pm
POPPI GEE says:
“And if you sitting on chrome,
I’ll call my boys and have you stripped of yo medals
like Marion Jones”
Ludacris
December 1st, 2009 at 2:56 pm
hoopsguru says:
maybe tiger was just going to visit his good buddy Sir Charles “friend”
December 1st, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Chicagorilla says:
And I saw the interview too. Yes that’s what she said, but I was more so posting abo….nevermind. I don’t have the time to type all this shit out. you win, i was wrong
December 1st, 2009 at 3:27 pm
kudos says:
Considering that it’s the WNBA, she should have no trouble becoming a star.. So many missed jumpers and layups that should be automatic. It’s like watching a high school girls game starring men.
Jone’s speed alone should make her the tony parker of the wnba, although i never saw her play ball. What’s funnier is that she prollie made more money doing track than she’ll ever make in the women’s league.
December 1st, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Jazz says:
Damn … i bet she can dunk easily…
December 1st, 2009 at 4:21 pm
jryu says:
@kudos
yeah, true that..she’s def not in it for the money..
the WNBA league MAXIMUM salary for 2009 is $99k.
December 1st, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Pet Society Help says:
Hope she does well, everyone deserves a second chance.
December 1st, 2009 at 4:42 pm
schoops says:
agree w/ #1… Tiger may have banged some chick, and drove his own car sober into a tree.
marion jones built her career on steroids.
not the same, not even close.
December 1st, 2009 at 6:34 pm
Bron42 aka Had Springs before slamball says:
She’s still in shape, was on a national champ team in college and played a big role( unlike lebron who played on high school football against small schools), not to mention 80 percent of the women in the wnba are mom so it’s not like she’s Kareem coming out of retirement to guard Dwight now. She will do fine. Also leberman did a few the years ago and she’s how old?
December 1st, 2009 at 9:01 pm
Ace says:
To say she built her career on steroids is crazy. Sure it gave her an edge when she started using, but she still had to train and work hard. The woman is still in shape and I don’t see why she can’t do it. Jones can make money overseas playing ball if she’s really good.
December 1st, 2009 at 9:38 pm
dagwaller says:
Hahaha Chicagorilla, at least you owned up to it.
December 2nd, 2009 at 8:11 pm
GURU says:
5 time what?
SHe doesnt have any medals, but it sure paid well, she still got the money the adds, thanks to those cheated victories she got a lot of contracts with a lot of companies, she got the fame…
And no one ever remembers the ones who finished 2nd who were the real winners.
December 3rd, 2009 at 4:13 am
Sweet English says:
And if you sittin on chromes / I call up my boys and have STRIPPED of your medals / like marion jones.
Once a cheat, always a cheat.