June 29, 1988
Gerald Paddio tried to restrain himself when he heard the news. He didn't want to get too excited about being selected by the Celtics in the third round of yesterday's NBA draft.
After all, he said, he still has to make the team.
"Right now," he said, "that's my main goal."
As is the case for any rookie trying to break into the lineup, an uphill fight looms for Paddio, a 6-foot-7-inch, 197-pound forward/guard from Nevada-Las Vegas who was the next-to-last (74th) player taken.
"I'm just thankful that I got drafted," he said. "But I can fit in. I'll do whatever it takes to fit in."
He faced a similar situation as a senior at Rayne (La.) High School, where he harbored hopes of making his district's all-star baseball team.
"I played first base and center field," he said. "I wanted to make the team really bad. So I put everything on the line and worked so hard that I would make the team. I did everything from getting to practice on time to staying late after practice to work on the little things like hitting and fielding. The hard work paid off, because I made the team at first base."
Paddio's work ethic carried him through stints at Kilgore (Texas) Junior College and Seminole (Okla.) JC, which earned him a scholarship to UNLV. There he became one of the nation's premier three-point shooters, connecting on 118 of 282 attempts.
In his junior year (13.1 points per game), he helped guide the Runnin' Rebels to an appearance in the NCAA Final Four, where UNLV lost to national champion Indiana.
In his senior year, Paddio boosted his scoring average to 19.4 points and added 4.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.
"There won't be anybody in camp who will outwork Gerald," said UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian. "His greatest asset is the intensity which he brings to the game."
After a poor showing in an Orlando tournament, Paddio used the same intensity to improve his stock among NBA scouts at a tournament in Chicago.
"I was sick in Orlando, so I didn't do very well there," he said. "But when I came to Chicago, I knew it was the end of the line for me, and that I would have to put everything on the line if I was going to get drafted."
Apparently, the Celtics noticed his efforts.
"I'm glad they did," he said. "I'm encouraged because if they didn't think I was a good player, they wouldn't have picked me."
Asked if there were any NBA players he likened himself to, Paddio said, "No one. Just Gerald Paddio.
"I don't want to be anyone else," he added. "I just want to be Gerald Paddio. I've worked all this time to get in the NBA so I could make a name for myself."
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