Yardbarker
x
Former NBA Star Named Basketball Coach At Florida A & M
FSUS Seminoles head coach Charlie Ward looks on against the The Rock National Lions during the first half at The Rock School in Gainesville, FL on Friday, January 19, 2024. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun] Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

Former NBA player Charlie Ward is taking a new step in his career.

On Wednesday, it was reported he is set to become the next coach at Florida A & M. This marks his first job as a college coach. Ward had coached at the high school level the past few years in the Tallahassee area.

Ward, who won the Heisman Trophy at Florida State in 1993, was drafted by the New York Knicks in 1994.

THE STORY OF TAJ MCDAVID

Kobe Bryant and Jermaine O'Neal helped continue the trend of high school players performing well in the NBA when both were drafted in 1996.

Bryant became a Hall of Famer while O'Neal was a six-time All-Star. Lost in all the hoopla was the story of Taj McDavid, a high school star who also entered the draft that year. Davis went undrafted and never played in the league.

"A really, really good high school basketball player who did something profoundly ambitious, profoundly understandable considering his age and I guess also profoundly dumb," longtime sportswriter Jeff Pearlman said on his Pressbox Chronicles podcast.


Pearlman points out McDavid had a solid senior season in high school, winning the Class 2A Player of the Year award in South Carolina. McDavid's mother was also quoted as saying her son could become "another Michael Jordan."

At the time, the NBA began scouting high school talent because future Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett was drafted in the lottery the previous year. Pearlman said McDavid was a victim of thinking too big, too soon.

"McDavid got caught up in something that happened at the time," Pearlman. "It was NBA fever for young players."

LEBRON-JORDAN TAKE AGES POORLY

Media personality Colin Cowherd has always preferred Michael Jordan over LeBron James.

A take he made about the two from six years ago just may give James the edge. On his show, Cowherd made a bold claim about the debate.

"I saw Michael Jordan at 40 years old," Cowherd said. "LeBron is 34 years old. He will never be as good as Michael Jordan was at 40. LeBron James at 40 will not be in an NBA game six years from now."

He later added, "I don't buy stats. LeBron will be a tidal wave of stats over Michael Jordan but I'll tell you one thing LeBron will never be: he will never be as good as Jordan was at 40. No way, no how."

LeBron take that didn’t age well #lebronjames #lebron #michaeljordan #mj #nba #basketball #sport #lakers #hoops...

James is not only still dominating at 40, he has the Los Angeles Lakers as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

SHAQUILLE O'NEAL BASHES NEW GENERATION OF PLAYERS

DID THE MICHAEL JORDAN ALL-STAR FREEZE OUT REALLY HAPPEN?

ISIAH THOMAS CALLS OUT LEBRON JAMES

This article first appeared on Back in the Day NBA on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!