The manchild staggers backward, nearly upending a stroller and its tow-headed contents before regaining his balance. Once again, Leon Smith has been tripped up by fate.
He is at Disneyland, an appropriate destination for an
18-year-old kid whose life has been spent with one size-17 sneaker in Fantasyland, the other in Tomorrowland. Smith is on a much-needed 24-hour furlough from the Dallas Mavericks' summer league team in Long Beach. The Mavs -- via the Spurs -- acquired him with the last pick of the first round of the NBA draft.
Clad in a cap of Michigan State, one of the colleges he'll never attend, an oversized red T-shirt and baggy jean shorts, the 6-foot-10 forward jokingly inquires about a part-time job as Mickey. A somber employee informs him that he is, well, too tall. Leon flies into a mock rage, splaying his Plastic Man arms to their full 90-inch wingspan. He points at high school pal Shaun Glover, maybe 5-6.
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