Friday, Jun. 26, 2009

Kings checked on Evans

Team did search into 2007 shooting

SACRAMENTO — Kings coach Paul Westphal sees Tyreke Evans as the kind of basketball player that won't come to him during a game with an excuse.

Before Westphal was named head coach, Evans showed that to Kings officials — and any other team he spoke with — that he didn't hide from responsibility.

Evans knew teams would want to know about the shooting involving his cousin, Jamar Evans, in November 2007.

Jamar Evans, 18, was sentenced to nine to 20 years Tuesday after pleading guilty in January to third-degree murder and firearms charges in the death of 19-year-old Marcus Reason.

Tyreke Evans drove his sport utility vehicle as Jamar Evans shot Reason as he approached the car.

Reports indicate Jamar Evans thought Reason was armed and that Tyreke Evans didn't know his cousin had a gun until seeing him put the gun in his hooded sweatshirt after firing. Evans was never charged with a crime.

After his introductory press conference at Arco Arena, Evans addressed the incident in the same soft-spoken tone he discussed being drafted fourth overall Thursday.

How Evans handled questions about the incident highlights one of the qualities that sold the Kings on him before the draft. For a team looking for toughness and more leadership, Evans' personality is such that he won't hide from anything.

"I don't get the impression from him he's an excuse maker in any way," Westphal said. "He pretty much faces things head-on and I have lot of respect for that." Evans said he told "every team" about the incident during interviews at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago last month.

The 6-foot-5 guard from Memphis said he knows questions about that night will come as long as he's in the spotlight as a professional athlete.

"I didn't want to hide nothing from nobody," Evans said. "I wanted to be straight up because I wanted them to be straight up with me. I just thought I'd let them know the incident did happen." After the Kings' research into the 19-year-old Evans' background of the incident and his character, they came away with no concerns.

"The police and everybody involved seemed to believe he truly was not guilty of anything," Westphal said. "And everything you hear about him, no matter who you talk to, is that he's no trouble at all."

Evans said rehashing the incident wasn't a distraction from the excitement of being drafted by the Kings. He said he had 135 text messages from well-wishers and that he was trying to return every message because he didn't want anyone to feel he didn't appreciate their congratulations.

Evans said being drafted wasn't big for just him. His mother, Benita, and four brothers all took part in the excitement.

The pride he felt wasn't just about the Evans family, he said. It also was about his hometown of Chester, Pa., which he described as a "small place" that also produced Orlando Magic All-Star guard Jameer Nelson.

Evans was one of the top recruits in the country last year.

He said it seemed high school took forever because he began playing varsity basketball at American Christian School in the seventh grade.

In many ways, the day Evans would be drafted was a matter of when, not if, — one he was glad to share with his family after the draft before an early flight from New York to Sacramento.

"It was an exciting moment," Evans said. "They were all happy for me. They knew I was a good basketball player. They just didn't know it would happen this fast."

Evans was unsure which of his four brothers would join him as he made the transition to living in Sacramento. Regardless of who comes to California, he will be reminded he's still the baby of the bunch.

"They toughened me up, beat me up every day," Evans said with a grin. "I learned a lot."