THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 2008
NEWS
5A
Exhausted after practice, Wright takes a brief rest in the driver's seat of his 2008 Nissan Armada. Wright said NBA practices were much more difficult that college practices.
AT PLAY
WRIGHT (CONTINUED FROM 1A)
His freshman year at Kansas, Wright couldn't afford a car. His sophomore year, he got a used 2000 Chrysler Concord. Now he rides in style in his 2008 Nissan Armada, sticker price $40,000. He turns the key and the sound of Michael Jackson's "Beat it" thumps through the speakers. "It's good driving music," he says. The car is littered with fast food remnants—Popeye's and Raising Cane's chicken fingers cups, an empty Gatorade bottle, an energy drink and a Wal-Mart shopping bag.
"I'm still a Wal-Mart boy," Wright said.
He multitasks as he drives, text messaging and chatting on his two cell phones, sometimes steering with his knees. Wright knows the shortcuts and he's good at making U-turns. On a narrow two-lane bridge he drives right down the middle of the road because it scares him a little. He usually drives 10 mph over the speed limit and admits he's been pulled over a few times and gotten tickets.
"I got to learn to just chill out," Wright said.
Just after 1 p.m., he wheels into the parking lot at AMF All-Stars, a popular 64-lane bowling alley in Kenner, La., a suburb north of New Orleans. The employee at the desk recognizes him and asks if he needs shoes. Wright doesn't. He's brought his own pair: size 16, tricked out in KU colors, red at the heel, blue in the middle and white at the toe. He walks toward lanes 53 and 54 and exchanges greetings with another employee who knows him.
Alone in the back seat is a black leather case that holds his four custom-made bowling balls. When he needs to relax, he still enjoys the hobby that he picked up at the Kansas Union.
A woman at a nearby table eating lunch with her family sees him and asks, "Is that Julian Wright?"
Fame follows him to other cities as well, he said. Wright has accepted that for the rest of his life, he would likely be a recognizable face, which makes him enjoy the occasions when he's not.
"That makes it refreshing," he said.
Wright sets his four, 15-pound custom-made bowling balls onto the rack. Black, orange, red and blue swirls wrap around the shiny orbs. Each ball is specifically designed for oily surfaces or dry lanes and different hook and spin. He takes bowling
seriously. At the electronic scoring machine he types in his nickname "juju" and prepares to bowl. With his lanky arms and legs swinging into motion, he fires the ball down the lane with speed and power.
Bam!
A perfect strike. Wright claims a 200 average and can show off when he wants to. When the Hornets ballboy and Wright's teammate Hilton Armstrong arrive, Wright bowls left handed. He even hits strikes bowling between his legs.
"He's always at the bowling alley," Armstrong smiles. "That's just his second thing to do after basketball. I think it be his first, actually."
When he's not at the bowling alley, Wright hangs out with Armstrong, visits the French Quarter or strolls down Decatur and Bourbon Streets to listen to jazz. Sometimes he'll just go down to the docks to watch the boats come in.
MONEY
MATTERS
As the 13th pick in the NBA Draft last year, Wright was a lottery choice and signed a five-year $10 million contract. This year he is making $1.7 million.
That's $20,731 for each of the 82 games in a season. He and his family are set for life and he understands how lucky he is.
"I've enjoyed the experience so far. It's been a rocky road, but it's made me a better person."
"Julian has an incredibly unique game," Pelinka said. "He is a flatout play-maker on both ends of the floor. He is extremely high-energy, very athletic and really competes on every play."
"I'm making a lot more money this time in my life at 20 than most do in their lives," Wright said.
Wright has taken steps to be wise with his spending. His mother and a financial advisor help him manage his money and both are on Julian's
GIVING BACK
His agent, Rob Pelinka, who represents other NBA stars including Kobe Bryant, appreciates Wright's diverse interests and desire to excel on and off the court. He says that he and Wright can have deep conversations about Julian becoming a beast on the court or keep it light when they shoot pool or play pong-pong together. Pelinka won't discuss the potential for Wright's next contract but says the Hornets made a wise investment by signing him.
Despite their success on the court—the Hornets have been at the top of the Western Conference nearly all season—the team has struggled with attendance. Questions about the team's long-term future in the hurricane-ravaged city have risen, although team owner George Shinn vowed to stay and help.
As a member of the Hornets, Wright is required to be active in team charity work. At the Hornets annual Top Hats and High Tops live auction in March, an autographed Chris Paul All-Star jersey sold for $15,000 and a road trip with the team went for $18,000. But Wright topped those numbers. He and teammate Hilton Armstrong were auctioned off at a bid of $22,000 each to coach two youth basketball clinics.
personal payroll
JULIAN WRIGHT New Orleans Hornets forward
"We are committed to our long-term success in New Orleans and that commitment includes leaving our legacy in the community," Shinn said following the auction that raised more than $163,000
for New Orleans charities.
For every home game, Wright and his teammates treat 150 kids to free tickets. Kids get a free T-shirt that has the logo of each player's designated cheering section. Wright's group is called the Juji Slam Jam Crew. Wright participated in the team's Read to Achieve and Hoops for Homes programs this year, but he hopes to give more on his own. He's in the process of creating his own charity foundation, Jay Midi Inc., named after his high school nickname. Wright wants to put a good share of his money into his foundation. His father, Paul Vinson, said Julian's compassion for others didn't come from his mom or his dad.
"It comes from God," his father said. "I think Ju is a really great person and basketball is one way for him to utilize that."
While Wright has good intentions, he knows he must guard against people who may pose as his friend but really want to exploit him and use him for their own personal gain.
Many ask him for small favors, such as pictures and autographs. He said he wasn't hounded as much as other athletes, but sometimes he felt pressured to comply when he didn't want to. Wright said he was not immune to being asked for outrageous gifts, including money favors.
"I try to be as giving as possible," he said. "But I have to make sure I'm smart with my money."
ON GUARD
Wright said the most frequent requests were not for money, but free basketball tickets, which he pays for out of his own pocket. While Wright still keeps in touch with his former KU teammates, he must be careful because even that can cause trouble. NCAA rules prohibit student-athletes from accepting free or reduced-cost tickets to professional sporting events unless they are made available to the school's student body. In January, University of Southern California freshman O.J. Mayo violated NCAA rules by accepting free tickets to a game from Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony, a friend of Mayo.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
His immediate plans include winning an NBA Championship this year, then returning to KU this fall via the Internet. He plans to enroll in online courses and work toward finishing his degree in communication studies. He plans to take campus classes in the summer of 2009 and said he was looking forward to being a KU graduate.
Brandon Rush could accept tickets from his brother, Kareem, who plays for the Indiana Pacers, but not from Wright, his friend. Wright understands how some may want a personal relationship with him because of his money and thus is wary of romantic relationships. He said he was "happily single" and didn't want a relationship to distract from basketball.
Though Wright has a house and a new life in New Orleans, he thinks of Lawrence as home. Wright spent just two years of his life here, but said he might buy a home in Lawrence like other successful KU athletes had. But for now, he's happy and content living life in the Big Easy.
"Ive enjoyed the experience so far," he said. "It's been a rocky road, but it's made me a better person."
Wright wears size 16 red and blue bowling shoes. He is well-known at the bowling alley he frequents with other teammates.
Mindy Ricketts/KANSAN
Mindy Ricketts/KANSAN
Wright's custom iPod cover is a picture of a sign that says "Jesus Saves." Wright grew up listening to gospel music and his father said that his son's giving nature came from God.
Mindy Ricketts/KANSAN
Wright holds up ties that represent his two teams: the New Orleans Hornets and the Kansas Jayhawks. He wears the ties on game days.
Mindv Ricketts/KANSAN
Wright said he loved accessories such as shoes, belts and socks. He has two walk-in closets, one that houses his "shoe shrine."
Mindy Ricketts/KANSAS
Julian displays the pink Barbie backpack that veteran Hornets plays made him wear as part of his rookie duties. He also has to bring doughnuts to practice every day.