THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2009
SPORTS
61
SIMIEN (CONTINUED FROM 60)
to better the team and himself as a player.
"I felt like if I took a day off then I felt I was cheating number one, the team, and then myself." Simien said.
Off the court, Moody said, Simien was generous to every person he met.
"A fan would come up and he would take time out to sign autographs, ask them how they're doing," Moody said. "He was a great leader on and off the court."
Self, who coached Simien during his junior and senior years, described Simien as a "deep thinker."
When Self came to the University as head coach in 2003 Simien wanted to evaluate the situation as opposed to automatically Supporting Self.
"That's how I'm wired," Simien said. "I didn't see the good right away."
Self said he recalled the first team
Chance Dibben/KANSAN
Former KU basketball player Wayne Simien keeps an eye on a court during the youth 3-on-3 championship inside Holcom Sports Complex. The championship tournament was a part of the Called To Greatness camp, a ministry organization Simien created to reach kids through basketball.
meeting as head coach.
"All the other players were asking me stuff like what shoes are we going to wear and what color are our uniforms," Self said. "I remember Wayne asking 'What did you tell the Illinois players when you lett?'"
When the 2005 season ended in the first round of the NCAA tournament with Kansas losing to an unknown Bucknell University, Self said he felt terrible for Simien and the three other seniors. But to Simien, the loss didn't have that big of an effect on him.
From then on, Self said, Simien embraced him as his coach.
"Wayne is a spiritual guy" Self said.
"He took it in stride as a positive."
This optimistic attitude would pay out later in Simien's life.
LIFE IN THE NBA
Soon after his senior season came to an end, Simien had to prepare for
the next level: the NBA. On draft night, instead of being in New York, Simien chose to await his fate back home in Leavenworth with his closest family and friends along with Self and the other coaches.
Simien was selected as the 29th pick overall by the Miami Heat in the first round. Simien said he remembered hearing his name called by Commissioner David Stern on TV and getting so excited that he didn't hear what team he was going to.
Simien was drafted to the Miami Heat to play with Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade — players Simien said he looked up to.
He joined the Heat in the 2005-2006 season, averaging 9.6 minutes and 3.4 points a game. The Heat would go on to win the NBA Championship that year. Simien described his rookie season as "amazing."
"Going into a locker room with guys who had been playing a lot