We all get things wrong sometimes. It is human nature, after all, to screw up on occasion.
NBA scouts are no exception to this rule, and perhaps nothing demonstrates that more than the hype surrounding O.J. Mayo. After dominating High School, and averaged 20 points to be named first-team All-Pac-10 in college, he was hailed as the next big thing, drawing comparisons to LeBron and even Jordan for a time.
But after an impressive rookie season, things turned sour quick for the young star.
Mayo’s production started to fall…fast. By his third year in the league Mayo lost his starting spot to Tony Allen averaging 11 points a game. Fights with teammates, not showing up to practices on time and a 10-game suspension from steroid use led to the Grizzlies and Mayo parting ways after four seasons.
His low work ethic and failure to stay in shape made it hard for him to succeed but it was his drug violation that forced him out of the league for good in 2016.
While Mayo looked undoubtedly good as a young prospect in High School and college, names like LeBron James and Michael Jordan should rarely be thrown around in comparison to anyone. Their talent and work ethic is unlike anything we’ve ever seen.
And it was Mayo’s poor work ethic that proved his undoing in the end. Perhaps it’s more a testament to Mayo himself than the scouts that his career never lived up to expectations, but it will always remain a quit sad and unfortunate story.
