Latest news with #Seikaly
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rony Seikaly talks about his motivation to become one of the first international players in the NBA: "Let me be a pioneer"
Rony Seikaly talks about his motivation to become one of the first international players in the NBA: "Let me be a pioneer" originally appeared on Basketball Network. In 2025, the abundance of international stars around the NBA is normal, as their steady rise has been a noted trend in recent years. However, that was far from the case in older eras of the Association. Players from all over the world started entering the league in the late 80s and early 90s, but even then, they were a minority without any significant roles. One of the first was Rony Seikaly, a center of Lebanese descent. Seik was drafted ninth by the Miami Heat in the 1988 NBA Draft, the first pick for the new franchise in South Beach. According to Rony, his goal was to break the barrier and help other foreign players make the bold step of trying out their luck in the best league in the world. "When I started playing basketball, basketball was an inner city sport. They never looked at European players; they never looked at any foreign-born players. It was all farmed in the U.S. I was one of the very few and first players to come from overseas to play basketball in the United States. It was a big gamble to take, because I know I could have been all set playing basketball in Greece, but I wanted the bigger challenge. And I figured, let me be a pioneer and be one of the very first few foreign basketball players to play at the highest level," Seikaly explained in a recent interview. NBA bound Born in Lebanon and attending an American school in Athens, Greece, Seikaly's basketball upbringing was international. However, he developed into a skilled 6'11" center who garnered interest from many European clubs. However, Rony decided to go overseas after receiving a scholarship offer from Syracuse. As fate would have it, Seik spent four years with the Orange and turned himself into a legitimate NBA prospect who would eventually end up on the Heat. "I came here and played against all the best players in high school. That's when I got a scholarship to play in college, and then in college, I was exposed to the whole television audience, the press and everything else. And that's when I was drafted as the number one pick to the Miami Heat," Rony added. Seikaly spent the majority and best part of his career in Miami, averaging 15.4 points and 10.4 rebounds per game during his six seasons with the Heat. The Lebanese international also played for the New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic, and Golden State Warriors to round out a solid 11-year career in the golden era of the rise of international basketball While nowadays guys like Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Victor Wembanyma and many more are dominating in the NBA, with fresh batches of international prospects entering the league every year, it is evident that American players no longer hold power over the foreign guys. In fact, many would say that they have overtaken them and are more desirable for teams to have. The rise in skill and adaptability the overseas guys have shown in recent years is impressive, but if pioneers like Seikaly, Drazen Petrovic, Vlade Divac, Toni Kukoc, and many other internationals had not taken risks 30+ years ago, all of this would not have been possible for the new story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Rony Seikaly reflects on how players treated Magic after HIV diagnosis: "Watching all the players kind of distance themselves was really not something that I was very proud of"
Rony Seikaly reflects on how players treated Magic after HIV diagnosis: "Watching all the players kind of distance themselves was really not something that I was very proud of" originally appeared on Basketball Network. When Earvin Magic Johnson announced his retirement in November 1991 after testing positive for HIV, the basketball world was rocked deeply. Looking back from today's standpoint, we have to understand that it was a time when the disease was largely misunderstood and cloaked in fear and misinformation. As for the guys in the best basketball league in the world, the NBA, the reaction was mixed. Plenty of shock, a touch of sympathy among fellow players and, quite understandably, distance from many of them. Those afraid, uncertain about how HIV spread, instinctively pushed Magic away, avoiding all contact by any means necessary. Ron Seikaly, the Lebanese-American big man who was a walking double-double at the time of his peak, didn't shy away from admitting his disappointment at how the Los Angeles Lakers legend was treated. "So, basically, when Magic retired because of HIV, a lot of the players and a lot of the people didn't understand the disease and stuff like that. Everybody just didn't want to be around Magic. Nobody knew how you would get infected. So, all the players kinda pushed away. For me growing up, Magic Johnson was the NBA. Him and Larry Bird. Watching all the players kind of distance themselves from Magic Johnson was really not something that I was very proud of," Ron said about the unknown situation at the time. Seikaly went on to support his idol Ron's respect for Magic ran very deep, and it passed the lines of pure basketball competitiveness. Johnson was his idol, so Seikaly recalled how, before a game, he approached Magic with nothing but respect and compassion, despite the tension and fear hanging in the air around the diagnosis. "I remember before one of the games, I wanted to go up to Magic and just give him a hug. He was still working out, still giving his all, despite everything. It was not something that he chose. The reaction to it was very bad," Seikaly explained. This human approach was rare in a league where the unknown ruled all the time. Seikaly acknowledged that while players were pushing away physically, he wanted to break through that barrier, showing that beyond the disease, Magic was still a competitor, a peer and most importantly, a person deserving of respect for everything that he did for the Association during the 1980s, alongside Larry Bird, of almost missed his last ASG Even as Magic returned for the 1992 NBA All-Star Game, in a moment that was meant to be a fitting tribute for the end of his legendary career, the unease around him hadn't completely faded. Not only that, but some players still questioned if he should be out there at all, which only goes to show the unwillingness of competitors to go full strength at him. "Some guys came out and said, 'I don't want to play against the guy if I have a chance to get sick.' I'm not going to name any names," the Western Conference starting guard Clyde Drexler stated at the time. That's where Seikaly's perspective stood out. Instead of retreating like so many others, he offered to bring back that physicality through the simple hug. He saw Magic as more than just a "walking diagnosis." That reaction from the towering big man aged far better than the fear-driven reactions of the story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
Miami Herald
04-03-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Adebayo, Seikaly reflect on an historic Heat night. Adebayo now eyes another team record
With a resume including two NBA Finals appearances, three All-Star Game invitations and two Olympic gold medals, Bam Adebayo didn't necessarily need to set a franchise record to validate his status as a standard-bearer for Heat culture. But now he has accomplished that, too, after a night in which the Heat's past and present neatly intersected. With Rony Seikaly in attendance, Adebayo on Monday broke Seikaly's record for double-doubles in franchise history. His 222nd double double was achieved before the first half ended in a 106-90 Heat victory against the hapless Washington Wizards. Coincidentally, it also was achieved during the segment that Seikaly was appearing as a guest on the FanDuel Sun broadcast of the game. 'When I got here, I wanted to mark my name in history, whatever that may be,' Adebayo said afterward. 'To be able to be a franchise leader in something, I'm blessed to have that.' And having Seikaly there to witness it was meaningful, more so because the two men met for the first time recently in a visit arranged by Heat television voice Eric Reid. 'It was a special moment because he was here and was on the broadcast when I did it,' Adebayo said. 'I'm so glad to get that record out of the way. I've been trying to break that record for the past three games and the rebounds were not falling my way.' When Reid called Seikaly recently to tell him that Adebayo was on the verge of breaking his record, Seikaly was taken aback, unaware he still held the record. 'It didn't come to my mind until Eric Reid brought it up,' Seikaly, now 59, said. 'I thought it had been broken in the past. When I set that record, I never thought it would come this far. It's a blessing I have been able to carry it this far with all the great players that have played in this organization. Fortunately, I'm alive to see it. Usually you're long gone.' And, he said, 'I couldn't be happier passing the torch to someone who works as hard as [Adebayo] does.' Seikaly — who was the Heat's first ever draft pick, picked ninth overall out of Syracuse in 1988 — set the Heat's double-double record in 439 games in a Heat jersey; Adebayo established the new mark in his 547th game. Seikaly has the edge in rebounds per game in his career, 9.5 to Adebayo's 8.9. Seikaly, who spent his first six seasons with Miami before stops in Golden State, Orlando and Brooklyn, once had 34 rebounds in a 1993 Heat game against Washington. 'I got pulled out of the game with six, seven minutes left or I could have had 38,' he said. 'The whole game slowed down. As soon as the person shoots it, I could see where the ball would end up. I had a Spalding diet. I wanted to get every ball I could get my hands on.' He said his meeting with Adebayo was 'amazing to me. I watched him play in the Olympics this summer. I admired the hustle and grit and everything he brings to the game. Meeting him in person, he's a lot bigger than I thought. I haven't been around tall people in a while. Great character, very humble. He's real.' Seikaly, 6-11, appreciates that the 6-9 Adebayo 'is kind of the glue that does all the work. Bam is your prototypical player that every team needs — doesn't require a lot of maintenance, doesn't really need the ball to be successful in a team game. Those guys are a lot harder to find than it is guys that require the ball and attention.' During a chat with several reporters on Monday, Seikaly spoke about how the game has evolved since he last played in the NBA, in 1999 with the Nets: 'The game has changed so much. I miss seeing back-to-the-basket players and not necessarily guards posting up. Bam would have been a great power forward in my time. He reminds me a little of [former Bulls standout] Horace Grant. We would have made great teammates. He wants to play more of a face-up game, and I like to play more with my back to the basket.' During a rare visit back to a Heat game, Seikaly warmly greeted the team's first coach, Ron Rothstein, telling him 'I miss your fro' and also embraced former Heat assistant coach Tony Fiorentino. Seikaly, who was born in Lebanon and speaks four languages, said he spends about six or seven months of the year in Miami and 'the rest on a plane traveling somewhere.' After his playing career, he was a professional DJ and music producer and has run a multimillion-dollar real estate investment company. 'I did all the homework and all the studying I could do in investing,' he said. '... I always thought I am going to be more successful and make more money than I was playing basketball so' that he could maintain the same lifestyle. As for Adebayo, the next challenge is playing Cleveland's imposing front line when Miami visits the Cavaliers on Wednesday (7 p.m., FanDuel Sports Sun). From a broader perspective, Adebayo's next career statistical goal is surpassing former teammate Udonis Haslem on the Heat's all-time rebounding list. At his current pace, that should happen during the 2026-27 season. With 4,852 rebounds, Adebayo is still well behind Haslem's franchise-record 5,791 snagged over 20 seasons. After Monday's game, Haslem called Adebayo, and Adebayo put the end of their FaceTime call on speaker phone before beginning his postgame interview. Haslem cracked that he doesn't want Adebayo to break his rebounding record. 'I love him... but I don't love him that much,' Haslem said. Adebayo made clear he's eyeing that record: 'That just would be the ultimate respect to surpass somebody like that who has won three championships, went undrafted, been with this franchise 20 years.... I'm going to catch him at some point.' (Adebayo, incidentally, is fourth on the Heat's all-time scoring list at 8511, behind Dwyane Wade, who scored 21,556 points with Miami, Alonzo Mourning and Glen Rice, who each topped 9000.) Adebayo then turned introspective. 'It's been a blink,' he said of his first 7 ½ seasons with the Heat. 'I was telling this story to somebody earlier. When I got here, [coach Erik Spoelstra] literally looked at me and said 'You're supposed to be a development player.' I was like 'Dang, why did you draft me?' 'To go from that to now, it speaks to the hard work and support. Knock on wood, I haven't had any major [injuries] happen. To be able to play every game, I'm just blessed to be in this situation.'
