Since time immemorial David Lee has been a fan favorite. My personal admiration of Lee began in 2001, during the McDonald's High School All American All Star Weekend. What I learned then was that he was a prospect on his way to Billy Donovan's resurgent, once again relevant Florida Gators and that he was also the only white dude to enter the Dunk Contest. Going against future college stars, among them Julius Hodge and Jawad Williams, a goofy and wily Lee outshone them all.He possessed a mixture of pure athleticism (see where he catches the ball mid-air for the now classic through the legs one handed jam), old school creativity (see his standing at the foul line, bounce passing it to himself off the board for a reverse jam) , and affecting, perhaps unintentional humor (see the dunk where he passes the ball to himself, briefly struggles to take off his jersey, revealing straight up boxers--not compression shorts, not even briefs--with his shorts sagging almost below his ass, as was the style at the time). Kid looked like the teenager that he was and celebrated like one, with unbridled enthusiasm. It was a sporting moment that probably only a handful of people saw, but I'm sure no one who did forgot it. Something made it memorable.
