Tony Massenburg

There are over 400 players in the NBA today. Each player with a different story, from promising draft picks to high-priced free agents to well-traveled journeymen.

Although first-year King Tony Massenburg falls into the latter part of the list, his story is far more unique than those who have spent much of their careers playing for two or three other teams.

Massenburg enters this season on his 12th team in his 13-year career. He's only the second player, other than Chucky Brown, to have played for 12 teams in their career. He also holds the single-season record for most teams played for in the 1991-92 season (San Antonio, Charlotte, Boston and Golden State).

But it wasn't so much the constant change of scenery that had frustrated Massenburg all these years. Coincidentally, he spent most of his career playing for teams that were either rebuilding or had very little playoff hopes at all.

"My story has been a little different from the other guys, whose stories are a little more typical," Massenburg said. "I only wish I could have gotten on a team like this earlier in my career. Because I don't think I would have bounced around as much as I have."

Massenburg was drafted in the second round (43rd overall) by San Antonio. Since then, he's been involved in seven free-agent signings, four 10-day contracts, an expansion draft and three trades that involved 17 other players.

Massenburg saw some success his rookie year. But although the Spurs made the playoffs that year, Massenburg played just 161 minutes in 35 games and saw action in just one playoff game.

That appeared to be the upside of his young career.

Then came the journeys.

In his sophomore season in 1991-92, he was let go by the Spurs after playing just one game and began to bounce around the league: signed by Charlotte, played three games, let go; signed by Boston, played seven games, let go; signed by Golden State, played seven games, let go.

Massenburg ended his sophomore season in Europe, where he played the next two years before coming back to the NBA in 1994.

His experience in Europe, along with his determination to return to the states, made Massenburg a more-focused player. He thrived from his two-plus years overseas and was ready to play with the best, once again.

"I didn't go to Europe, thinking: 'Well, this is it for me'. I was thinking: 'I needed to play and I needed to get better and better'," Massenburg said. "So, when I went to Europe, I got an opportunity to play. And when I came back, I was a better player than I was when I left. From that standpoint, once I got back here, in my first season, I averaged about 10 or 11 points. From there, I knew that I could play and that I belonged here. But it was a matter of being in a good situation."

But a good situation didn't completely come for Massenburg. Sure, he gained stability in the NBA. But that stability hardly stayed with a team. Since getting drafted in the 1995 Expansion Draft by the Toronto Raptors, he went on to play for five more teams (Philadelphia, New Jersey, Vancouver/Memphis, Houston and Utah). He gained a bulk of his playoff experience last year, when he appeared in four games against the Kings. Altogether, he has played just six playoff games total after playing 563 regular season games in his career.

"I spent a lot of time playing for bad teams," he said. "And bad teams don't appreciate role players the way good teams appreciate them. When you're productive but don't make a whole lot of money, then you're easy to move. And someone will always want you because youre a good bargain."

Massenburg added the constant instability in the league can sometimes be discouraging. But not because of his frequent moving from team to team.

"Changing addresses wasnt the discouraging part," he said. "What's discouraging is when you know you've done a good job for someone, you're in your last year or next-to-last-year -- on your contract, and teams don't make an effort to bring you back or give you the type of respect that you worked for. You go out and do what people ask you to do and all of a sudden, they dont want you anymore. Thats the part thats discouraging."

This year, Massenburg has a chance to shine with a title contender. His perseverance and hard-work ethic should now be better recognized by his coaches and teammates. And an NBA championship ring can very well erase some of that journeyman stigma he's been carrying all these years. And when it's all said and done, he just wants to be known as someone who left it all on the court. Not someone who went from court-to-court.

"I just want to be remembered as a good player," Massenburg said. "That's all. I just want to be remembered as a good person. A guy that gave it his all when he was out there. Because the way I came in (the league), I hadn't been able to take this stuff for granted. And I know the other side. I haven't been brainwashed or been misled into thinking the NBA owes me something. I've been given a privilege to play in the NBA. And Im happy with it. I just want to be recognized for what it is that I do, like anybody would."

After spending most of his career with rebuilding teams, Massenburg doesn't have to worry about whether or not his team will make the playoffs. A healthy environment could be just what the doctor ordered. And coming into training camp in great shape, he's ready to go.

"I think I have (gone full circle)," Massenburg said. "I've played on every bad team at the worst time that you can probably think of. So, here I am with a team that was a great team last year. And I think we're going to be great this year once we get everybody back in our lineup and develop a good chemistry. So, I'm happy to be a part of that and I'm looking forward to the challenge and see what we can do."