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Cassell speechless — for a bit
Sam Cassell is never at a loss for words.
About anything.
But on Thursday night, at halftime of Florida State's game against Wake Forest, the former Seminoles star looked on silently as his No. 10 jersey was unfurled from the rafters of the Leon County Civic Center.
As the Florida State faithful gave him a standing ovation, as the video board replayed highlights from his playing days, as the P.A. announcer read off his list of accomplishments, the 15-year NBA veteran soaked it all in.
Then with the applause finally died down, he began to talk. After all, Cassell isn't going to be quiet for too long.
"I'm glad to be back home," said Cassell, as his jersey was hung alongside Bob Sura's, Hugh Durham's and Dave Cowens' high above the court. "This is where it all started."
After thanking his former FSU teammates who were on hand for the ceremony, as well as former assistant coach David Zimroth and current Los Angeles Clippers teammate Al Thornton, Cassell finished up by saying, "I bleed garnet and gold. And this honor — words can't describe it. I'm going to enjoy this moment."
Before the ceremony, the Baltimore native met with reporters and said it was the most meaningful accomplishment of his basketball career.
"That's the best honor that an individual can get — to have his jersey retired at his alma mater" Sam Cassell said. "That's better for me than winning an NBA championship by far."
He would know.
Cassell won two titles in his first two years in the league with the Houston Rockets after being drafted with the 24th pick of the first round.
And he was instrumental to Florida State's impressive two-year run during the 1992 and 1993 seasons. With fellow first-round picks Douglas Edwards, Charlie Ward and Bob Sura on the team as well, the Seminoles advanced to the Sweet 16 in 1992 and the Elite Eight in 1993.
The sweet-shooting Cassell, who came to FSU after a stint at San Jacinto Junior College (Texas), averaged 18.3 points his junior year and 18.4 points, 4.9 assists and 4.3 rebounds his senior year. During his two-year stint in the garnet and gold he led the Seminoles to back-to-back second-place finishes in the ACC, compiling a conference record of 23-9 during that span. He was also named second-team All-ACC in both of his seasons in Tallahassee.
Cassell's contributions were going to be difficult to forget anyway, but after Thursday night it will be impossible.
"Everybody that uses this civic center, from R&B singers to rock and rollers to country and westerners, they'll see that jersey hanging in the rafters," Cassell said. "That's an honor that's irreplaceable."
See more at www.tallahassee.com
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