Over the course of the NBA, there have been many wonderkids who have gotten the chance to flaunt their skills in the league. We talk about the likes of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Kevin Garnett when this topic is brought up.
But there was another wonderkid who had a swagger in his game that not many players can ever match in the history of the league. We are talking about none other than the second overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, Steve Francis.
The 6’3″ point guard was drafted by the Houston Rockets and instantly showed his talent to the NBA community. Francis even won the co-Rookie Of The Year award after a sensational rookie season where he averaged 18.0 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 6.6 APG, and 1.5 SPG. He is still counted as one of the most athletic point guards to ever play in the league as well.
While Stevie Franchise’s rookie year was great, he started to become a household name after playing just two games in high school. Despite that, Francis was selected as the second overall pick. A much better example of his popularity was when he posed for an iconic cover with Destiny’s Child.
As mentioned in the post, had social media been around at the time, Francis’ popularity would have been much greater than it is today. After all, the former Rockets point guard had an insane swagger in his game.
Steve Francis’ True Thoughts On Being On A Cover With Destiny’s Child
Steve Francis’ ESPN Magazine cover with Destiny’s Child is as iconic as a cover can get. In an interview, Stevie shared his thoughts on being the cover with Beyonce and Destiny’s Child.
Via Andscape:
For me, it marked the beginning of my career. I was a rookie and doing a magazine cover with those young ladies who were known — but not yet well-known. I heard their music a little before the shoot, but when I found out about the shoot I began to realize that, in Houston, they were a hot group.
My biggest concern going in was to not let them out-dress me. I made sure to check with my guy, Cuttino Mobley, to make sure I had the right clothes.
It was a great feeling knowing that both of us were in the beginning stages of something special in Houston, and we were going to be able to share the stage in a national magazine, starting something special in Houston. When it was over I was like, ‘Damn, I bet every player in the NBA would like to be me right now.’ It was a great way to announce I had arrived.
At the time, Destiny’s Child was extremely popular in Houston, and posing with them before even playing a single game in the NBA is something that Steve Francis will never forget about in his entire life.
For his short yet entertaining career, Francis averaged a solid 18.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 6.0 APG. He has obviously blessed fans with one of the craziest mixtapes of his career highlights as well.
HBD STEVIE FRANCHISE
One of the most exciting point guards in NBA history!
If social media was around during Francis’ All-Star days, his name would be trending daily. pic.twitter.com/mTBUyV8MI8
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) February 21, 2023
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