Two former UNM basketball players met on The Pit floor for the first time in four years on Oct. 10, with two different journeys taken, but with the same result - playing in the NBA.
Fans of the Lobo basketball team got to see Kenny Thomas and Daniel Santiago play against each other in an exhibition game for the first time since they both suited up as teammates in 1997.
Santiago outscored Thomas 10 points to nine, but for the fans at The Pit, it did not matter who played the better. All they cared about was that two home-grown players have made it to the NBA.
Although both players are playing at the professional level, each has been through a different journey that has made them better players.
Santiago's well-traveled detour to the NBA included being the NAIA National Player of the Year and not being drafted in the NBA. He played two years in Italy, helping his team win the 1999 Italian League Championship, and also played for the Puerto Rican National Team.
He finally got his shot in the NBA when he signed with the Phoenix Suns in August of 2000.
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"It's definitely a great feeling," Santiago said. "God's really blessed me, put me in a lot of places where I had the opportunity to turn a bad situation into a good situation. Here I am and it's just good to be able to share that with people now."
Thomas' road was less bumpy. He was drafted in the first round of the 1999 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets.
Now Thomas is prepared to start at power forward since Maurice Taylor tore his achilles tendon and is out for the entire season.
"I started before, so it's really not going to matter," Thomas said. "I am just going to get a lot more minutes now."
Santiago is regulated primarily to the bench as the back-up center. He said he has a lot to work on, but he is improving.
"Being consistent is a very big part of this game because you go against.guys that are great players every night," he said. "Being a consistent player, I think, is how you last long in this league and that's what I am working on."
They both said they are living their dream of playing basketball and getting paid for it.
