Cavaliers guard Lester Hudson grew up in the projects of Memphis, Tenn., shuttling between the homes of different relatives. His childhood left him wanting for many things, but confidence on the basketball court was never one of them. The fourth-quarter scoring sprees and last-second shots that Hudson has delivered for the Cavaliers since arriving from the NBA Development League...
Cavaliers guard Lester Hudson grew up in the projects of Memphis, Tenn., shuttling between the homes of different relatives. His childhood left him wanting for many things, but confidence on the basketball court was never one of them.
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THOMAS ONDREY/PLAIN DEALERCavaliers guard Lester Hudson moves upcourt, looking for an opening in the defense in the fourth quarter of Cleveland's game Wednesday night against Indianapolis.The fourth-quarter scoring sprees and last-second shots that Hudson has delivered for the Cavaliers since arriving from the NBA Development League on March 30 are nothing new to the men who coached him in high school and college. They believed the undersized guard with super-sized ambition could stick in the NBA if a franchise plied him with meaningful minutes.
"Memphis has produced a lot of really good basketball players with Penny Hardaway at the top of that list," said Bret Campbell, who coached Hudson at Tennessee-Martin. "But if you asked Lester who was the best player to come out of Memphis, he would say, 'That's me, Coach.' "
It is that swagger, imbued in Hudson on the playgrounds of the hardscrabble neighborhoods where he taught himself the game, that has sustained the 27-year-old during his stops at junior college, overseas and in the minors.
Just ask his former high school coach, Andre Applewhite, who received a call from Hudson on the morning of Nov. 6, 2007. That was the day of Hudson's first Division I college game against coach John Calipari's Memphis team and a future NBA Most Valuable Player named Derrick Rose.
"He calls me and says, 'I'm gonna go do what I do,' " Applewhite said. "I told him, 'Well, then you go on and do it.'
"It was personal with Lester. He thought he was every bit as good as those kids playing for John Calipari."
The Tigers routed UT-Martin, 102-71, at FedEx Center in Memphis, but Hudson registered 35 points and 10 rebounds in his debut.
He became a prolific scorer in his two seasons with UT-Martin after playing two years at Southwest Tennessee Community College.
Hudson's aversion to the classroom limited him to one year of high school basketball. But, once he found success in a structured environment and coaches who believed in him, the high school dropout eventually earned his degree at UT-Martin.
"Lester wanted more than his environment offered, and basketball gave him his way out," Applewhite said.
Back to the D-League Selected No. 58 overall by Boston in the 2009 NBA Draft, Hudson could not establish himself in brief stints with the Celtics, Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Wizards, always finding himself back in the D-League.
"Lots of people said, 'You made it, that's enough. We know you are an NBA player, but they are paying a lot of money overseas,' " said Hudson, who also played in China. "It's not about the money. It's what I love to do. I want to play on the highest level, and that's in the NBA and I think I'm an NBA player."
The Cavaliers lead the league with seven players owning D-League experience. Hudson and small forward Alonzo Gee know the importance of finding the right organizational fit. Last season, the Wizards waived Gee in order to sign Hudson.
Now, they are both earning minutes with the Cavaliers.
"The one thing you know about him in a short period of time is [that] he's been through the ringer as far as being in this league and being out of this league and being back in this league," Cavs coach Byron Scott said. "So, I think he's trying to make sure that he gets an opportunity where he can stay here for a while."
Injuries give Hudson a shot The Cavaliers recently turned to Hudson and fellow D-Leaguer Donald Sloan out of necessity due to injuries to guards Kyrie Irving, Daniel Gibson and Anthony Parker.
Parker missed a pair of games last week with a bruised sternum, affording Hudson the chance for significant playing time. He responded with 23 points and seven assists in helping the Cavs end a nine-game losing streak in Toronto last Friday. Two days later, he scored 26 points, including 18 in the fourth quarter, and hit a buzzer-beating 3-point shot to force overtime at New Jersey. The Cavaliers lost the game, but Hudson earned a second 10-day contract.
It has taken Scott little time to recognize the guard's basketball acumen and leadership abilities. In just eight games, Hudson has grown comfortable enough to bark at teammates on the court to ensure they are in the right position. He is averaging 15 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 26-plus minutes.
Hudson did not have his best game Wednesday against Indiana -- the first playoff-bound team he has faced -- in committing six turnovers and hitting just 1-of-9 3-point attempts.
But in the final minutes, Scott had enough faith to make him the only reserve on the floor. He rewarded the coach by sending another game to OT, driving the lane and converting a 4-foot runner over the outstretched arm of Indiana's David West with 1.2 seconds left.
Before the 104-98 overtime loss, Scott was asked if a player can learn to excel in the waning seconds of tight games. It's a rare quality the 20-year-old Irving has demonstrated in his rookie season.
"I don't think it can be taught," he said. "You just have to have it. . . . You either have it or you don't. Les has it.
"He has the [nerve] to take shots when the game is on the line. He doesn't have any fear, and that's a good thing."
Hudson's long-term future is hardly secure. Plenty of D-Leaguers have exhibited hot stretches only to reveal the flaws in their game. He will require another contract extension to guarantee him a spot in the Cavs lineup on April 23 when they travel to Memphis to face the Grizzlies.
If Hudson gets that opportunity, his former coaches will be at FedEx Center, where five years ago an undersized guard dripping with confidence vowed he would "do what I do."
LeBron James and Derrick Rose will duel again tonight as the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls play at 8 on TNT.
