[ RAINBOW BASKETBALL ]
Former Rainbow Phil Handy conducts clinics teaching basketball skills. The professional basketball veteran will be bringing his clinic to the Manoa Valley Recreation Center this summer.
Phil’s Handy work
The former Rainbow now trains
hoopsters, and will bring pros
to his upcoming camp
Basketball is a global game. No one knows that better than Phil Handy.
The sport has taken the former Hawaii basketball player around the world, with pro stops in the NBA, CBA and the international leagues of France, Italy, Israel, England and Australia.
At 32, Handy has retired from competition. But he's still got game ... and he has summed it up with a company name he hopes reflects the way he played:
94 Feet of Game
What:Basketball skill developmentWhere: At Manoa Valley Recreation Center
Shooting clinic: 12:30-3 p.m., Aug. 5-6
Cost: $65, includes T-shirt
Camp: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Aug. 9-12
Cost: $150, includes jersey, T-shirt, shorts.
For boys and girls, 7-12 grade.
Information: Elizabeth Tsuruda, 988-4747, or Phil Handy, ninety4ftofgame@aol.com
"94 Feet of Game."
It describes the length of the basketball court and "that means every inch of the floor is covered," Handy said. "People said I played with reckless abandon and that means there wasn't any area of the court that I didn't touch.
"The whole concept of my company is anything and everything in between the lines."
Through his company, Handy trains up-and-coming high school players and pro hopefuls from the college and international ranks. The former small forward for the Rainbows (1993-95) was in Honolulu this week, meeting with vendors and sponsors for his upcoming clinic and camp.
The 94 Feet of Game Skill Development Basketball Shooting Clinic is scheduled for Aug. 5-6 at the Manoa Valley Recreation Center. It will be followed on Aug. 9-12 with a camp stressing fundamentals, also at Manoa Rec.
Both sessions will benefit the Taylor Delk Sickle Cell Foundation. Delk, who has the blood disorder, is the 5-year-old daughter of Dallas Mavericks guard Tony Delk, one of Handy's clients.
Tony Delk and Boston Celtics guard Chucky Atkins are two NBA players who have committed to the camp and clinic. Handy hopes to have other clients, including guard Steve Francis of the Houston Rockets, in attendance.
"I wanted to give the kids on this island an opportunity that normally wouldn't happen," Handy said. "It's a chance to mingle with some NBA players as well as get some good instruction. I want to give them a serious taste of a higher level.
"I don't like the American (basketball) game. It's a circus with acts. The game is not pure anymore here, no fundamentals. Everything I teach is getting back to basics. Before you can be an Allen Iverson you have to be a Jerry West."
Handy believes in the concept of the complete player. Although he was a small forward for the Rainbows, he played point guard at all the other levels, from high school to junior college to the pros.
"One of the things I enjoyed about basketball is being able to play a lot of positions," he said. "I played the '3' here and a lot of people didn't know I was a guard.
"My time here in Hawaii wasn't always the easiest, but it taught me a lot. I learned from my ups and downs. My business is set up to help guys deal with the obstacles that come with playing. Life in Europe is not easy, life in the NBA is not easy. I try to give players an insight into what the basketball world is all about."
Handy took some time off after retiring from basketball in 2001. He staved off withdrawals by immersing himself in real estate, a business in which he is still involved.
He and Christina, his wife of six years, are in the process of moving from Stockton, Calif., to Sacramento to be closer to the new corporate real estate office. The plan is to expand the business to Miami, Las Vegas and Denver within the next three years.
Traveling continues to be a way of life for Handy. In the next few weeks, he will be training players in Phoenix as well as being part of the NBA clinic in Brazil for South American players hoping to play in the U.S.
"Basketball is a good business," Handy said. "But it's been more than a business for me. It's more my life story.
"When I train players, I don't do a lot of mental stuff, no sports psychology. Psychology comes from the practice the players get on the floor. It's about hard work and work ethic."
All 94 feet, all the time.
