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Spurs’ Neal: 26-year old Rookie Shooting Star
Outside the Lines (Sunday, 9 a.m., ET, ESPN)
The Sporting Life with Jeremy Schaap (Friday, 10 p.m., ESPN Radio)

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San Antonio Spurs’ General Manager R.C. Buford says, “If he hadn’t made shots that weekend, he’s probably back overseas playing someplace,” referring to Gary Neal’s performance last spring at a tryout with about 20 other hopefuls. It was Neal’s three-point shooting that not only brought him to the Spurs, but brought him home after spending three years playing abroad for four teams in three countries. Now, he is leading NBA rookies in three-pointers made, and he is in Los Angeles this weekend playing in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge showcasing the NBA’s best rookie and second-year players during All-Star weekend. At age 26 Neal is old for a rookie, explained by the fact that in July 2004, while attending summer school after his sophomore year at LaSalle University, he and a teammate were charged with raping a 19 year old woman, causing Neal to miss more than 20 months of basketball until a jury acquitted him and his former teammate of all charges of sexual assault.

“People don’t know that Gary Neal is in the class, but they read in the paper that Gary Neal is going to Towson University and he’s coming from LaSalle, and that situation. You hear those whispers and they don’t know that it’s you. Just having to endure that, just makes you mentally tough.” — Gary Neal, on getting a student loan to enroll at Towson University, and keeping a low profile although others knew a “Gary Neal” who was Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie-of-the-Year was on campus

“He started with his first game against VMI, and he did come out and hit his first three or four shots — and they were all threes. So I guess at that point we probably had the best walk-on in the country.” — Pat Kennedy, coach Towson University, where Neal enrolled and was asked to join the team as a walk-on after being dismissed by LaSalle

“I didn’t think he would be this courageous and shoot the ball as freely and not worry about it . Being able to step up and know that this is your chance — if you don’t do it, you’re going to be back to ground zero.“— Greg Popovich, Spurs coach

The Grave Marker Project
Outside the Lines (Sunday, 9 a.m., ESPN)
SportsCenter (Sunday, 10 a.m., ESPN)

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Since 2004, the Negro Leagues Grave Marker Project has been tracking down the final resting places of long-forgotten players and honoring their memories by installing headstones. The Project, founded by Dr. Jeremy Krock, is supported by some of baseball’s biggest names and has raised almost $10,000. To date, the Negro Leagues Grave Marker Project has placed markers on the gravesites of players including Jimmie Crutchfield, Big Bill Gatewood, and “Steel Arm” Taylor. Greg Garber reports.

“They played in anonymity, I don’t want to see them buried forever in anonymity.” — Dr. Jeremy Krock, founder, Negro Leagues Grave Marker Project